Sears offers cheap pre-installed Freespire Linux PCs

**Garritan** · 01-21-2008, 08:30 PM

Sears offers cheap pre-installed Freespire Linux PCs — Jan. 17, 2008 — The mainstreaming of Linux-based PCs has taken another major step forward. Sears, via its Web store, is now offering a low-priced minitower PC that comes with pre-installed Freespire 2.0 Linux.

**klangwerk** · 01-22-2008, 02:48 PM

It's great to see more and more vendors selling Linux PCs. After Walmart and Dell now Sears. It looks like Ubuntu (on which Freespire is based) really made a difference in terms of usability, which has traditionally been the weak point of Linux based operating systems. The main criticism of those machines seems to be now that they're underpowered. Fortunately, this problem is easily solvable even for non-expert users: Upgrades!

If these offerings are successful, we'll likely see more powerful PCs pre-installed with Linux, which might help Linux Audio gain some momentum...

Martin

**Serge** · 01-22-2008, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by klangwerk

It looks like Ubuntu (on which Freespire is based) really made a difference in terms of usability, which has traditionally been the weak point of Linux based operating systems.
Martin

That's the problem I found when installing Linux Fedora last summer. Especially with the audio reader and the Win-modem driver. But surfing on net with Linux is a joy since no virus scrap poison my system

SergeD

**earl j macey** · 05-21-2008, 02:10 PM

Gary.. Will JABB or GPO run on a 4g Flash Drive? Legal copy on COURSE! :-) Earl

**Garritan** · 05-21-2008, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by earl j macey

Gary.. Will JABB or GPO run on a 4g Flash Drive? Legal copy on COURSE! :-) Earl

Earl,

Probably not, as flash drives are very slooowwww. USB 3 looks very promising though.

Best,

Gary

**earl j macey** · 05-22-2008, 10:10 AM

OK, Then, How about an External 7200 HD with Ubuntu running on it? The ability of having one copy only that can be transported from Desktop to Laptop has appeal..... Earl

**C J Pro** · 06-24-2008, 12:52 PM

I'd recommend making sure that it is a drive that can be connected with Firewire (IEEE 1394) instead of USB 2.0. USB 2.0 and lower are a little bit on the slow side to handle the higher data transfer rates that GPO may require. Once USB 3.0 is released, then it shouldn't be that much of a problem anymore and you can then get a USB 3.0 drive.