Almost the Google PC: Everex gPC available at Wal-Mart
The $198 Google-approved Web 2.0 gPC.
(Credit: Everex)On Thursday, WalMart begins selling the Everex Green gPC TC2502, a $198, low-power, Linux-based PC designed primarily for running Web 2.0 applications.
When users first fire up their gPC, they'll get a Mac-like desktop with a series of program icons "docked" across the bottom. The icons are bookmarks to popular and useful Web 2.0 services from Google and other vendors. There are icons for Google Docs, Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, for example, as well as Meebo, Facebook, and Wikipedia. Sprinkled into the lineup are some non-Web-based apps, like Skype and Gimp, but the novice user won't know, initially, which are local applications and which are Web services.
Isn't that as it should be? An app is an app, so why should users know or care if it's running on their local PC or in the cloud?
The gPC icon dock
(Credit: CNET)Unfortunately, using the gPC's Web apps isn't as transparent as we'd like, although that's not Everex's fault. Web apps still run in a browser (and the gPC won't ship with Adobe AIR or another runtime platform that runs online apps in their own windows), so each time a user clicks on one of the icons that's pointing to a URL, it will fire up Firefox or a new tab in it. Also, Web apps require their own online logins (though if you're logged into Google, you have to worry about that only once per session). And, of course, there's the question of where one's data is stored. The gPC has a hard disk, but users of the Web apps won't be putting files on it. (It also has OpenOffice installed on it, but users will have to dig to find the suite.)
My criticisms are aimed mostly at Web apps in general, and this is nonetheless a great product. It costs less than $200 and you don't have to buy one for a child you've never met to get it (not that that's a bad thing, but it would drive up your cost). It will do what most of us need, thanks to all the Web 2.0 sites and services that are available now and that don't require the equivalent of a Cray supercomputer to run acceptably fast. The gPC, which Everex is selling with Google's blessing, gives us a look at what a Web PC should be: A much cheaper but almost-as-capable alternative to a regular PC or Mac. This is the closest thing I've seen to a Web appliance that might actually sell.
The gPC runs a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor and ships with 512MB of RAM and a 80GB hard drive. The operating system is gOS, from a new company of the same name. It's a version of Ubuntu 7.10 with the Enlightenment window manager. The $198 price tag does not include a monitor. But it does include 24/7 800-number tech support.
The gPC will be available at Walmart.com and at these Wal-Mart retail stores.
See also these interesting Linux-powered products from Everex competitor Asus: The P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard with embedded Firefox, and the Eee PC 4G, and low-cost Linux laptop
The gPC runs all the Web apps you'll need as well as several useful Linux-based desktop apps.
(Credit: CNET)
Rafe Needleman writes about start-ups, new technologies, and Web 2.0 products, as editor of CNET's Webware. E-mail Rafe.
It needs to really have everything installed and ready at the users fingertips - people won't expect not want to install more.
Still, it's a start.
Regarding the problem of loading the new apps in tabs of firefox: with any luck they'll pick up on the new Mozilla Prism platform (formerly webrunner) once it's more fully baked. It's basically the firefox rendering engine with no toolbars or extensions. You create .webapp files which give it an icon and a url, and then you have a shortcut the essentialy launches the web application in a standalone, no-frills version of firefox.
The Everex guy told me what they lose in materials and shipping costs by making the box bigger than it needs, they project they will make up in increased sales.
-Rafe
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754614
w/o monitor, though.
Is it easy enough to get PROPER drivers and install you own Operating System like Windows XP. ?
Is it easy enough to get PROPER drivers and install you own Operating System like Windows XP. ?
I checked price November 4th, 2007 using the URL by the $198 poster, and it is $198 w/o monitor.
and it worked :( wierd.
I am not a tech person, so i was looking for a budget pc that was very easy to use and eco friendly (the full pc runs with 40 watts!!) this has blown me away!
I can do anything with this PC. browse the web, has great office programs, listen to music, DVDs, view movies, youtube, my ipod, usb storage, printer works great :)
My kids love it too. Might get a second one for them.
remember this is a budget pc for work, web, productivity and home entertainment, so if u r not a hardcore 3d pc gamer (better look at the $900+ PCs) or u already have a Wii or ps3, than this pc is for you :)
like the last person said you can install win xp if u find the drivers, (you can have both OSs if you want) but i don't see any need for win xp (it would kill the porpuse of this pc in the first place), people do want windows alternatives...
only good win xp is good at is 3d gaming (well not so much in the present..), however this pc is NOT for gaming like i stated above, so using gOS or normal ubuntu is more than enough and even better than having windows since with linux you dont have to worry about viruses, spyware and all that nonsense :)
blogs are here
http://techebookshare.blogspot.com
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by mabdajds
December 29, 2008 6:52 PM PST
- Try http://www.downloadwarez.org and http://www.fullversions.org
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