Microsoft (&) Linux

Wal-Mart teams with Sun on Linux PCs

Billed as inexpensive replacements for Windows machines, the PCs feature Java Desktop System and StarOffice productivity software.

// www.computerworld.com

 

Wal-Mart teams with Sun on Linux PCs
The PCs are aimed at businesses looking to move away from Windows
News Story by Tom Krazit


APRIL 01, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has begun selling PCs manufactured by Microtel Computer Systems Inc. this week featuring Sun Microsystems Inc.'s alternative operating system based on Linux and its StarOffice productivity software, according to Wal-Mart's Web site.
Sun's Java Desktop System (JDS) is available in Microtel PCs with processors from both Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. The systems are being sold on Walmart.com at prices ranging from $298 to $798, depending on configuration.

The new PCs are designed for business customers who are looking to move away from Microsoft Corp.'s ubiquitous Windows operating system without spending a lot of time and money on retraining costs for their employees, said Peder Ulander, director of marketing for desktop solutions at Sun.

JDS is based on SUSE Linux AG's distribution of the open-source operating system but comes with the Gnome desktop environment to give users a familiar icon-based experience, Ulander said. It also features the StarOffice software suite of word processing and spreadsheet software, the Mozilla Web browser, Evolution e-mail and calendar software from Ximian Inc. and photo-editing software, among other things, he said.

Sun introduced JDS last year and is starting to roll it out with partners such as Microtel and Wal-Mart, Ulander said. Sun is also working with several other partners and is in talks with other PC vendors to distribute JDS, he said.

Individual users can also purchase the operating system for $50, Ulander said.

Sun is trying to reach markets outside of its traditional base of large corporate customers. While its primary business remains servers, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company has been searching for additional sources of revenue as its server business has declined in the past few years.

There hasn't been much of a demand for alternative desktop operating systems since Windows took over the market in the 1990s, but that's starting to change, Ulander said. Users in different parts of the world are increasingly looking to Linux as a cheaper alternative to Windows, and U.S. users are slowly beginning to warm up to it, he said.