I agree 100% - if Wal-Mart starts to sell lots of laptops (or computers) bigger companies will take notice and want to get in on the action. Wal-Mart is, after all, the world's largest retail supplier. Anyway, imagine if you could walk into Wal-Mart and pick up a ThinkPad, decently equipped, for $500. Would you? I would.
I think that a deal with one of the bigger names, to offer a set of
bottom of the line systems options etc, would do Linux better in the
positive image department. Think if you could get an HP, Dell, or even
IBM/Lenovo laptop for $500 with Linux or $600 with Windows. A co-worker
bought a Dell for $600 with Wndows just last month.
This is Wal-Mart's first foray into this kind of thing. It will morph quickly. Just like the Pickle Wars that almost bankrupted Vlassic I would expect that a computer retail war might soon break out.
What if Wal-Mart launches a satellite to compete with Hughes Internet Service over Satellite? They could sell a bundled package of satellite Internet, phone, computers, everything. I know it sounds odd but remember you used to be able to purchase an entire car AND a house from Sears (the house was made out of concrete but still, that's the way it way).
Maybe.
<heading OT>
I could be wrong. I probably am. Or maybe not. All big companies get that way by ruthlessly taking advantage of opportunities. Some of Wal-Mart's businesses practices suck, but that is the way it is. Every person that works at Wal-Mart has a job, and if that job provides the means to meet their needs then I guess that is a good thing. If Wal-Mart were to pull out of California right now (to save the state the 32 mil) how much would it cost the state to place all those people on unemployment? If these people could find other jobs with better wages and more benefits, wouldn't they?
</heading OT>
Greg
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