Sub-$200 Ubuntu PCs Sell Out

Interesting update from The Debian User, indicating that sub-$200 PCs running a variant of Ubuntu have sold out at Wal-Mart and ZaReason. I was at Wal-Mart Saturday. When I asked about the sub-$200 Linux PCs (built by Everex), the Wal-Mart sales team said they had never heard of it. Bummer.

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Ubuntu’s Win Is Linspire’s Loss?

Here’s a strange story from the folks at CRN — the old reseller publication from CMP Publications. They mention that demand is soft for the latest Linspire release. Hmmm. I have to admit I’ve never even tried Linspire. And I bet most mainstream Windows folks have never even heard of it. The article speaks broadly about Linux not doing very well on the desktop. And it barely mentions Ubuntu.

I’ve got to wonder: Why didn’t CRN mention that the buzz for Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon is overwhelming, and more PC companies are taking a close look at Ubuntu? Maybe demand for Linspire is weak because most desktop Linux enthusiasts are gearing up for Ubuntu 7.10.

Update: Dell’s Ubuntu Strategy

So far, so good. That statement sums up Dell’s current desktop Linux strategy, which focuses heavily on the Ubuntu operating system

from Canonical. Even so, Dell representatives are careful not to hype the machines. Here’s why.

“You’ve got to crawl before you can walk and run,” says John Hull, a Linux OS development manager at Dell. “We’re still at the crawling stage with consumer [Linux] systems.” As a result, speculation about Dell preparing an Ubuntu marketing campaign appears premature.

Get to Know Parallels

You might recall that I’ve got both a MacBook Pro (running Mac OS) and a Dell PC (running Ubuntu). I’m in the market for another PC, and just received a friendly reminder from the PR folks at Parallels — the company that makes virtualization software for Mac hardware. One of my PR sources at Parallels tells me that the company has sold 650,000 licenses for the virtualization software over the past year. And as I work at trade shows and conferences, I can’t help but notice all the Mac users who leverage Parallels for Windows and Linux virtualization.