Google selling cheap PC

Mollytt · 03-01-2006 4:14pm #1

Apparently google is going to start selling it own cheap PCs. My god they are quick. It's scary the speed they are expanding. Microsoft must be worried now.

Cheap PCs, anyone?

Google will unveil its own low-price personal computer or other device that connects to the Internet.

Sources say Google has been in negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., among other retailers, to sell a Google PC. The machine would run an operating system created by Google, not Microsoft's Windows, which is one reason it would be so cheap — perhaps as little as a couple of hundred dollars.

This is where the article came from: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-predict1jan01,0,3503327.story

masteroftherealm · 03-01-2006 4:28pm

hmmm there always has been rumours of GoogleOS floating bout.

Karoma · 03-01-2006 4:34pm

The rumours have been floating around a good while now. It would be the logical step..

However, google have stated that they won't be releasing an Office suite. So, at the moment, it looks like this strategy would play into the hands of MS (Usin their web-based Office suite) *

*[Unless SUN release something (Whilst pally with google) soon and suprise everyone...]

masteroftherealm · 03-01-2006 4:37pm

OPenoffice.org ftw!
If my reading is right GoogleOS is *nix based and so Openoffice would be a lovely addition to a base install of it

KdjaCL · 03-01-2006 4:39pm

So all you would have is a pc that can surf webpages and read emails. Sounds great but Walmart already have a complete PC for €299 with XP.

kdjac

Karoma · 03-01-2006 4:40pm

OpenOffice on a _bare minimum_ spec. PC? Ouch.

I'd say the point is to drive PC's (With built-in WiFi. Ahem. *another theory*) into <$200 markets - they'll probably try to force ads. down peoples throats (Like previous attempts..)

X-SL · 03-01-2006 4:41pm

be good if it got going

masteroftherealm · 03-01-2006 4:42pm

Karoma wrote:

OpenOffice on a _bare minimum_ spec. PC? Ouch.

I'd say the point is to drive PC's into <$200 markets - they'll probably try to force ads. down peoples throats (Like previous attempts..)

Heh I have OO running fine on a p2 350 with 64mb ram!!

Karoma · 03-01-2006 4:44pm

Er, are you using v1.x?

I've no doubt that they could sell a PC that could run OO.. it'd just be painful..

masteroftherealm · 03-01-2006 4:45pm

Nope 2.0!

Balfa · 03-01-2006 5:10pm

Mollytt wrote:

Apparently google is going to

Yeah, uhuh, you started your quoting of the LA Times one sentence too late. The sentence before your quote was "Here are some predictions for the media industry for 2006, based on interviews with industry analysts, executives and investors, along with a little intuition."

Granted it's a likely possibility, but don't state it like it's a fact. If we all took "inustry analysts" for their word, our brains would melt and ooze out through our ears, and then all we'd have left would be stains on our shoulders.

Karoma · 03-01-2006 6:19pm

Balfa wrote:

If we all took "inustry analysts" for their word...

We'd have web 2.0

TerrorFirmer · 03-01-2006 7:28pm

Karoma wrote:

OpenOffice on a _bare minimum_ spec. PC? Ouch.

What are you basing that on....? I don't get it. OO runs grand on even old Pentium III's and even some II's. And when I say works, I mean works grand. I'm sure OO itself would run on some even older computers...

conzy · 03-01-2006 8:09pm

There was talks of Sun microsystems and Google releasing a online version of Oo that could be used in internet cafes and..................

I think this "PC" will be more like a sky digital box that you plug into a television and browse the net with, but sooner ot later someone will find out how to run linux on it:D

Karoma · 03-01-2006 8:34pm

MobileInfantry wrote:

What are you basing that on....? I don't get it. OO runs grand on even old Pentium III's and even some II's. And when I say works, I mean works grand. I'm sure OO itself would run on some even older computers...

http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/source/sys_reqs.html
& experience (Got it to run on a Win2k, P2, 128MB of RAM.. but it was painful - especially for 'Impress')

Capt'n Midnight · 03-01-2006 9:02pm

Maybe they would use abiword / gnumeric or something instead of OO.
But what is the lowest spec you can make these days from factory shipped components ??

I can see ads on it, and then patches to remove the ads the following day

I reckon it's a toe in the water, but Microsoft know a thing or two about giving stuff away free to kill competitiors and Google don't have pockets deep enough to lay siege to a company with $50,000,000,000.00 in petty cash.

Karoma · 05-01-2006 12:08am

arstechnica.com wrote:

Update

Google has spoken, and the rumors were merely that. According to a Google spokesman, the company won't be releasing a PC, Internet appliance, or web-enabled toaster anytime soon:

"We have many PC partners who serve their markets exceedingly well and we see no need to enter that market," a Google spokesman told Times Online. "We would rather partner with great companies."

That should be the definitive word on the topic, at least until the next set of rumors comes along.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060104-5882.html

SolarNexus · 05-01-2006 12:59am

I now trust Microsoft more than google. Google is becomming so large so fast, its scary -- think George Orwell's 1984

Laguna · 05-01-2006 5:22am

SolarNexus wrote:

I now trust Microsoft more than google. Google is becomming so large so fast, its scary -- think George Orwell's 1984

I don't, Google haven't consistently released shoddy and unsecure OS software for the last twenty years. Even if Google do turn out to be a money grabbing, Government lobbying, third-rate software house - they'd have done nothing that hadn't been done better already by MS.

Capt'n Midnight · 05-01-2006 1:18pm

SolarNexus wrote:

I now trust Microsoft more than google. Google is becomming so large so fast, its scary -- think George Orwell's 1984

yeah they'll corner their sector of the market like Amazon / ebay / Paypall. But unlike them, you can use other search engines without missing out on much. If HP had the will they could generate another Altavista like it was in the good old days. Google don't have any monopoly that people are locked into, users are free to jump ship anytime.

Laguna wrote:

I don't, Google haven't consistently released shoddy and unsecure OS software for the last twenty years. Even if Google do turn out to be a money grabbing, Government lobbying, third-rate software house - they'd have done nothing that hadn't been done better already by MS.

has anyone ever used microsofts search engine on their own site ?
at present half of Googles revenue comes from ads and you can usually ignore them if you wish, a tad different from microsoft's business plan.

projectmayhem · 05-01-2006 2:13pm

KdjaC wrote:

So all you would have is a pc that can surf webpages and read emails. Sounds great but Walmart already have a complete PC for €299 with XP.

kdjac

CNBC said yesterday walmart would sell the googlePC

Karoma · 05-01-2006 2:37pm

would being the operative word.. if they were selling one..

Google selling cheap PC

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