[ossig] Linux is not just for computer whizzes.

[NP Lee]

*Five reasons not to fear a US$200 Linux PC*
By Erica Ogg 
<mailto:zdnews-asia at cnet.com&Subject=Feedback%20on%20%27Five%20reasons%20not%20to%20fear%20a%20US$200%20Linux%20PC%27>, 
CNET News.com
Friday, January 25 2008 10:20 AM

*Linux is not just for computer whizzes.*

In fact, buying Linux and learning how to use it are easier than ever, 
thanks to the open-source operating system's expanding presence in 
affordable computers and mainstream retail outlets.

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In quick succession, the number of mass-market, sub-US$200 desktops has 
tripled--from one to three--in less than three months. At the Consumer 
Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, small form-factor PC 
maker Shuttle debuted its US$199 KPC. The catch? It's not preloaded with 
Windows, but an operating system based on Linux. Then last week, Mirus 
and Linspire collaborated on the Mirus Linux PC, which is now for sale 
at Sears.com. It's US$299 (although an included US$100 rebate brings it 
to US$199), and is preloaded with Freespire 2.0, an Ubuntu-based Linux 
distribution.

But the beginning of the low-cost computer trend actually started last 
fall. The Everex gPC showed up on the shelves of Wal-Mart for US$198, a 
low price even for a desktop PC. It's bundled with speakers, a mouse, 
and a keyboard, and it comes with 24-hour tech support. The operating 
system is called gOS, a version of Ubuntu 7.10. Sure, that may be almost 
unpronounceable for most average consumers, but despite that, Wal-Mart 
is having trouble keeping the gPC in stock.

Linux is getting more mainstream exposure than just appearing in 
inexpensive computers. It's now being offered by two of the world's 
largest PC manufacturers, Dell 
<http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/software/0,39044164,62009916,00.htm> and 
Lenovo, and is making its way into tiny--not to mention 
trendy--inexpensive laptops, like One Laptop Per Child's XO, Everex's 
CloudBook, and Asus' Eee PC, all of which come with Linux preinstalled. 
In the case of the Eee, it is doing surprisingly well with consumers.

So what are we to think now that Linux, long popular among a very narrow 
niche of computer users, is making its way to mainstream retail outlets? 
Perhaps that trying a US$200 Linux PC isn't as risky as some might 
think. Here are five reasons why.

*Lower barrier to entry*
At US$200, that's not a huge penalty for trying an unfamiliar operating 
system packaged by a hardware company you may not have heard of before. 
Just to put it in proper perspective, US$199 is less than half the price 
of an iPhone, and is roughly equivalent to about 5 percent of the cost 
of a new decent-quality 32-inch high-definition TV or five to six tanks 
of gas. If you don't have a ton of expendable income, you can always put 
off updating your current Windows or Mac machine for six months, try it 
out, and see what you think.

*Preinstalled is perfect for newbies*
True, the biggest headache associated with most versions of Linux these 
days is the actual installation, but that's the case for any operating 
system, Stephen O'Grady, principal analyst for Redmonk, points out. 
Installing Windows from scratch on a machine can hit snags just as much 
as installing a version of Linux. But, he added, "If you're getting it 
preinstalled, the manufacturer has done the legwork to make sure the 
individual parts in the machine work with the operating system 
involved." All of that can translate to fewer headaches for the user.

And maintenance is relatively easy. That's because most versions of 
Linux come with package management. Unlike Windows, which just updates 
the operating system itself, Ubuntu, for example, will update the OS 
plus any of the applications included. "The average everyday user 
doesn't have to do anything," O'Grady said.

*Familiarity breeds loyalty*
Linux is getting easier to use all the time--and better looking. The 
past two years have seen the most consistent leaps in the improvement of 
the user interface. In the last year alone, 3D desktop effects--a la 
Windows Vista and Mac OS X--have been introduced.

"There has been some effort in recent years to make the transition more 
comfortable by mimicking some of the user conventions of Windows or Mac 
OS," said O'Grady. For instance, a "Start" menu or an applications 
"dock." The Everex Green PC runs gOS, whose desktop looks strikingly 
similar to Mac OS X <http://thinkgos.com/index.html>.

*The specs are acceptable for general use*
All of the companies making sub-US$200 Linux machines--Everex, Shuttle, 
and Mirus--use brand-name parts you've heard of: Intel processors and 
chipsets; ATI graphics cards; and more. Mirus' and Shuttle's Linux PCs 
come with a minimum of 1GB of memory, and Everex's comes with 512MB, 
upgradable to 2GB. All three have an 80GB hard drive, enough to do basic 
computing tasks. It should be noted that none of the offerings is a 
complete PC, however. The gPC and the Mirus lack a monitor, and the 
Shuttle comes with nothing but the PC.

*The Web browser is your friend*
It sounds simple, but most of what the average user wants to do with a 
computer these days can be done online: word processing, spreadsheets, 
e-mail, photo editing, and more, which means less storage is less of an 
issue. You want e-mail? Gmail and the included GTalk instant-messaging 
feature are free. And Google's Docs and Spreadsheets Web apps get all of 
your office productivity done online (though most of the three PCs have 
open-source versions of Microsoft Office). For watching videos, there's 
YouTube and Hulu.com. And rather than downloading a photo editing tool, 
anyone can upload their photos to Flickr and use Picnik's editing 
software right in the browser.

The success of devices like the gPC and Mirus Freespire--both are sold 
out at Wal-Mart and Sears.com, respectively--and even the more expensive 
and portable Eee PC, is a surprise to most.

"The success is, in part, driven by the fact that for people doing an 
increasing percentage of day-to-day tasks like e-mail in the context of 
software as a service, at that point it soon doesn't matter what 
operating system you have," said Redmonk's O'Grady. "If a majority of 
(computer) usage is browsing the Internet and doing things like that, 
(Linux) is perfectly credible, perfectly usable."

-- 

best wishes.
/nan phin

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

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