LINDOWS 3.0 will be come out in November

[michel30]

Lindows.com has fixed a date for the "General Release" of its operating system software, promising that Lindows 3.0 will be available from mid-November. The company also announced that Hewlett-Packard and other companies will be sponsoring the Desktop Linux Summit next year.
Lindows, which aims to directly challenge Microsoft's Windows on consumer PCs, is already on sale on some PCs from Evesham in the UK and from retailer Wal-Mart's US Web site, and can also be downloaded from Lindows.com's Web site. LindowsOS 3.0 Membership Edition, as it is called, will be the first time the software is easily available for purchase on an installation CD-ROM.

The Membership Edition will also include a second CD containing a feature called Click-N-Run Express, speeding up installation of some of the more popular applications from Lindows.com's Click-N-Run Warehouse. Click-N-Run Warehouse automates the process of downloading and installing applications, and is a revenue earner for Lindows.com, because users must pay an annual subscription fee for access. But some applications--such as Sun Microsystem's StarOffice--are too large for modem users to conveniently download.



The Click-N-Run system has come in for some criticism from the open source community, because users are paying for access to software that is for the most part itself free of charge. SuSE Linux, for example, costs less than Lindows and comes with several CD-ROMs containing thousands of applications.

Lindows is a distribution of the Linux operating system, which is based on an open-source license that requires it to be freely available for modification and redistribution. Most Linux applications also use open-source licensing.

The Membership Edition will sell for $129 (£83) plus shipping and handling costs on Lindows.com's Web site. The price includes the two CDs, manual, a year's membership to the Click-N-Run Warehouse and access to a downloadable copy of the software from Lindows.com's site. Those who only want the download will get a $10 discount. Those who have been part of the Insiders testing program--at a cost of $99--will be able to purchase the package for $20 plus shipping and handling. The Insiders program will be ending next month, according to Lindows.com.

Lindows.com said that Codeweavers, HP, Lycoris, MandrakeSoft, Sun, SuSE and Ximian will be sponsoring the Desktop Linux summit on 20-21 February in San Diego. The company also said that "key political and open source community advocates" had confirmed their intention to attend.

[N.B.]

Thanks for the info mate ...
but somehow, poko is right
The idea behind Lindows is really neat, you know, running a windows like GUI on Linux which is capable runing Windows programs.
But Lindows ripped off WINE afaik ..
and it is pretty unstable ... there are better solutions then this on the market ..
The approach and the idea is good, yeah .. but they have surely to improve compatibility and stabeability ...

[mpsan]

Originally posted by pokopiko
Who gives a **** about the Lindoze crooks and their junky sort-of-an-OS...

YUP, I d/l it, burned (to cd-rw) and feel the same. I now have mdk9 and will use that in place of my mdk8. I made a copy for someone at work, and he can not even get it to come up in kde.

Poko needs to come out of his shell! Just say what you really think. :-)

[EdwinRamos]

This is a review from TechTV Screensavers doesn't sound promising

$200 Lindows PC: Bargain or Boondoggle?


Wal-Mart is selling new computers at a price most of us can afford. Find out if you're better off saving up for something else.
Watch today at 5 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. Eastern.

By Phil Allingham
Printer-friendly format
Email this story



Two hundred dollars for a full-fledged, brand-new computer -- what a great deal! Or is it? Wal-Mart, Microtel, and Lindows certainly want you to believe it is with the promise of the Microtel SYSMAR710 800-MHz PC. But before your part with $200 of your hard-earned money, watch as we take a closer look at this superbargain PC.


What's good?

Let's ignore the operating system and software for now and say you just want a box. Maybe the parts are enough to entice you to spend your $200.


You'll save $50 on the parts plus the additional shipping charges of buying each item individually. Click here for a chart of the specific hardware parts in the box and their approximate Internet retail prices.


In case you were wondering, Wal-Mart's website charges approximately $17 for standard shipping and about $70 for priority.


What's bad?


Hardware
A modem is noticeably missing. If you plan to connect this PC to your home network, this isn't a big deal. If you use a dialup account, plan to spend another $15 on a modem and set aside the time to install it yourself.

The speakers are almost useless. You're not going to want to listen to MP3s through them. Also, you don't get a monitor, but at this price there's no way you should expect one.



LindowsOS
Having an operating system installed in nice, but it's not worth paying for Lindows. Lindows, it seems, is based on Debian Linux with KDE's K Desktop skinned with fancy Lindows graphics. Both Debian and the K Desktop are free to download.


Software
You don't get a big set of software titles in the base install. You'll get 10 free software downloads via the Lindows Click-n-Run Warehouse (Lindows' fancy name for download service), but after that it's a $100-per-year subscription. All the titles I saw are available for free elsewhere.

Conclusion

It's hard to endorse this PC, despite the slight savings on hardware. The hardware is nearly obsolete and there's not enough room to upgrade. Once you're frustrated with the machine you'll have to buy a new one.


If you're really looking for a bargain PC, take a look at CompUSA's auction site. You'll pay a bit more than $200, but you'll get a modern PC with all features you need to really take advantage of the digital revolution.


Company: Wal-Mart with Microtel
Phone: 1.800.966.6546
Price: $200
Available: Now
Category: Desktop PC
Platform: LindowsOS
Warranty: One year, parts


Specs: VIA C3 800-MHz processor; 128MB SDRAM; 10GB Ultra-ATA 100 hard drive, 5,400 rpm; 52x CD-ROM drive; Integrated Trident Blade 3D/Pro Media AGP 4x graphics; up to 8MB shared video memory; integrated 10/100 Ethernet connection; Micro ATX tower case (14 inches deep by 7 inches wide by 14 inches high); LindowsOS operating system (preinstalled); integrated audio and standard mouse, keyboard, and speakers.

[matesso]

I wonder if its not again a Linux with a Wine emulator ?

[maradong]

i think it is

[PhXAnarchy]

Indeed it is ! Who cares about this lame distro ? Does it even comes with gcc 3.2 :lol: ?