| Micro Center, Linspire conspire to bring desktop Linux to average consumers |
May 20, 2005
Linspire Inc. and Micro Center have teamed up to bring Linux to the average consumer. Linspire 5.0 is now available as either a standalone boxed product or pre-installed on desktops and laptops at Micro Center retail outlets nationwide in the US.
The latest offering from the company formerly known as Lindows, Linspire 5.0 has been praised as an easy, user-friendly, distribution. Linspire 5.0 has been available at major computer retailers like Best Buy, Fry's, and CompUSA since April, but only Micro Center offers the distro both in a box and on a box.
Micro Center will offer Linspire 5.0 pre-installed on a number of PowerSpec desktop PCs and the WinBook brand laptop -- not big names, but not big prices, either: $199-$499 for desktops, and $699 for the laptop.
Micro Center will also offer "specially priced OEM editions" of Linspire in its "Build-Your-Own-PC" areas, allowing the computer hardware DIY set to get Linspire at a great price on a custom box.
"Micro Center is partnering with Linspire to provide an alternative operating system solution for our customers," said Kevin Jones, vice president of merchandising for Micro Center. "Linspire is not only affordable, but its open architecture is of interest to many of our Micro Center shoppers" -- as many as 75 percent of them, according to Micro Center customer surveys.
Market research predicts $10 billion in revenue from desktop Linux PCs by 2008, according to the companies. To help secure these numbers, Micro Center and Linspire plan to launch a Linux education campaign, beginning with Micro Center stores at first. Each Micro Center store will soon have a desktop Linux section staffed by a "Linux expert," the companies say.
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