Monday, February 24, 2003
Lindows Laptop Poised as PDA Killer?
Posted by Jason Dunn in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 04:30 PM
"High-speed wireless service is cropping up everywhere - "Starbucks," college campuses and anywhere people gather. Staying connected to your data whenever and wherever you need it is smart and Lindows.com answers the call with its brand new Lindows Mobile PC, an affordable, ultra-lightweight, go-anywhere notebook!...At just 2.9 lbs, the $799 Lindows Mobile PC is a featherweight, but it weighs in with such features as LindowsOS, a 933mhz VIA processor, 256MB RAM, USB 2.0, Firewire, Ethernet, and a crisp 12.1" TFT display, plus a PCMCIA slot to add even more functionality such as wireless networking. No other computer is as ideally suited for carry-around mobility as the affordable, under 3lb, Lindows Mobile PC. You'll find yourself taking it with you everywhere!"
I find two things interesting about this device: Lindows is trying to be the Microsoft of the Linux world, and they're getting a lot of flak from the Linux community for it. But the only way to release a consumer-friendly laptop based on top of a non-consumer friendly OS is to control it with an iron fist. Watching this process unfurl is fascinating!
The other thing I found interesting is that rather than strictly comparing this laptop to other laptops running XP or OSX, they're also positioning it against Pocket PCs! Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see them compare it to an iPAQ Pocket PC. The comparison itself is fairly laughable - they're using a photo of the iPAQ 5450, and in the comparison they're saying the Lindows Laptop has a PCMCIA slot for wireless networking, while the Pocket PC does not. Duh. The 5450 has built-in WiFi! If they're going to do comparisons, they would do well to not insult the intelligence of their readers.
Still, this is a tempting device for the price point - what do you think? Does a device like this stand a chance in the crowded mobile market?
I find two things interesting about this device: Lindows is trying to be the Microsoft of the Linux world, and they're getting a lot of flak from the Linux community for it. But the only way to release a consumer-friendly laptop based on top of a non-consumer friendly OS is to control it with an iron fist. Watching this process unfurl is fascinating!
The other thing I found interesting is that rather than strictly comparing this laptop to other laptops running XP or OSX, they're also positioning it against Pocket PCs! Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see them compare it to an iPAQ Pocket PC. The comparison itself is fairly laughable - they're using a photo of the iPAQ 5450, and in the comparison they're saying the Lindows Laptop has a PCMCIA slot for wireless networking, while the Pocket PC does not. Duh. The 5450 has built-in WiFi! If they're going to do comparisons, they would do well to not insult the intelligence of their readers.
Still, this is a tempting device for the price point - what do you think? Does a device like this stand a chance in the crowded mobile market?
