Walmart sells $199 Google-friendly PC

Everex company has joined forces with open source companies to create a Linux-based computer with many Google-friendly applications built right in. It currently sells for $199 at Wal-Mart.

Paul Kim, Everex director of marketing, said his company is able to provide a PC at this price because of many free open source programs available on the market, so the main costs come from hardware. Everex will release 20,000 PCs this quarter.

The Everex Green gPC TC2502 sold at Wal-Mart and other stores has the following free applications and links to access some of the online applications: Gmail, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Calendar, Google Search Tools, Blogger, YouTube, Google Maps, Google News, Meebo (instant messenger), Firefox, GIMP (image editing tool), Xing Movie Player, RhythmBox (iTunes like player), Facebook, Skype, OpenOffice.org 2.2 (Office like suite of applications).



Everex did market research to see who would be their main customers and found many were interested in buying this PC, including first-time buyers.

They will provide free phone support for all gPC customers. The "g" in the name refers to Google, but Google is not officially behind this sale. Everex did, however, get the approval from Google to run all Google software.

The "g" also stands for the gOS, the Ubuntu 7.1 Linux desktop. Its founder David Liu created gOS as an alternative operating system that makes it apparent that Google is your entire computing experience.

With the name gPC and all the Google software, you would think that this is a Google PC. Everex is careful to state that applications from Google are an integral part of the product, however gOS is an entity entirely independent from Google. The gOS is Google-inspired but not officially stamped by Google. The gOS uses Enlightenment window manager and has an Apple-like feel in its desktop according to ZDNet.com.

Everex did get the approval of Google to use icons and trademarks on its gPC.



Everex desktop interface
According to Kim, the gPC costs about $170 to manufacture and the remaining amount is given as a profit margin to Wal-Mart and Everex. The gPC will have a 1.5 GHz Via C7-D processor and chipsets, 512 MB of SDRAM, 80GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW drive, an Ethernet connection and no wireless option.

Everex is also working on an ultra-mobile gPC computer. The company will introduce a Spanish language version of the gPC.

I think this is a good computer for first-time users and for schools who can’t afford something more expensive. It could be used as a great educational tool.