Comments on: Five reasons not to fear a $200 Linux PC

A rash of supremely affordable PCs preloaded with Linux has hit mainstream retail stores. And trying one is not as risky a proposition as you might think.
Photos: Three sub-$200 Linux PCs

[johnnywould]

cheaper pc's using Linux

I love using My Tivo's and have read somewhere that all Tivos's use the Linux operating system. Bmaybe thats why they run so well and can do so much more than ordinary dvr's

[k2dave]

MS Vista is the reason people are buying them

Vista just can't run on low end computers, some would say that it hardly runs on high end ones. So if you are looking for a cheap computer your choices are this one or a Vista box that can hardly boot up due to Vista's bloat.

[mrskelly]

A new convert

I just got an eeepc for three reasons:
1) I'm a gageholic and that gaget is just too cool
2) I've been really curious about Linux for some time and wanted to get my hands on it.
3) I've got a really bad back and even a 4 pound laptop gets to be too much.
I can't find anything negative to say about Linux. I'm really enjoying finding out that the difference between it and Windows is (from what I can see) negligible. Granted I've only had it a few days, but there was no learning curve. It worked right out of the box. What's not to like?

[ploppypants]

LinuxRocks

Linux is soooo..much easier than windows!All the apps you need are included and are updated along with the os.I think these inexpensive linux boxes are the beginning of the end for MS.
My personal favorite distro is PClinuxOS.Check out www.distrowatch.com And my favorite game "Tremulous" is in the repository! Cool:) It's a great FPS!I feel like a kid in a candy store with all the variety available in linux.

[wogsterca]

Will they even care?

Not everyone has joined the Microsoft religion, and must donate $299.95 every year to it's profit (er prophet) Bill Gates.

People who buy computers at Walmart or Sears are unlikely to really care what is under the hood, as long as the computer does what they want it to. If all your doing is a little word processing, and checking your online email, these machines are perfect at that. Heck if you want a cheap way to call the Grandkids across the country or the world, one of these units, Skype and a cheapie webcam, and your all set. I run Ubuntu on my computer, and have just that kind of setup.

[superordenador]

ya

I like vista's eye candy, but i would like more functionality

[passingthrough]

There seems to be plenty of negative comments by people who have not really used a Linux OS (at least lately). I now have an eee pc and have added Ubuntu to an older IBM Thinkpad-256K ram/replaced dead hard drive for old 10 GB! Speeding right along with Ubuntu. They are both fabulous.

The bottom line is that people are tired of spending close to 1000 dollars every three years on a new computer. After you've done it 3-4 times, you realize what a rip off it is. You have a monitor. You have a keyboard. Hmmm. 199 for a CPU? I'm in! The average user just taps out some email. Shops a little. Reads some blogs. My older parents just had to pay a PC guy to come to their house to remove a Trojan from their Windows based PC. They were about to go out and purchase a new one- imagine how many people are doing that? I don't even get pop ups on my Linux based laptops- viruses? Ha.

Give Linux a try if you never have. Or try it again if it has been some years. I am amazed at the number of people who dissed the GUIs of Linux- that tells me some of you really haven't seem them in a while!