Cool Tech Reviews

You probably know that Walmart has a large Web sales operation at Walmart.com (”Shop and Save at Walmart.com“), but did you know that Walmart is now offering free Web classified ads like Craigslist?

Walmart.com is beta testing a classifieds service, powered by Oodle that allows the site’s shoppers to post free classifieds on all kinds of stuff: cars, RVs, apartments, etc. A spokesperson told Reuters that the idea is to offer its shoppers more items through its website that aren’t available in stores.

Plus displaying walmart.com and other ads, of course. Still, I don’t really mind some competition for Craigslist although I wonder if Oodle is up to dealing with the spammers that Craigslist has been fighting with.

Tim Conneally at BetaNews alerts us to the latest entry in the lowest priced PC competition - Sears.com offers the cheapest desktop PC at $185:

Another low-end PC hit the market today, this time it is a machine by Mirus equipped with Freespire 2.0, available at Sears’ online shop for $185.

The Mirus desktop system is equipped with an Intel Celeron D 420-1.6Ghz, 1GB of RAM, 80GB HDD, CDRW optical drive, and Freespire 2.0.
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This system retails for $284.99, but comes with a promotional Mail-in $100 rebate, making it less expensive than the cheapest Wal-Mart PC, the $199, gOS-equipped Everex TC2502.

No monitor included, but the Mirus system comes with speakers, keyboard, mouse, 56K modem, ethernet, and a 15-in-1 memory card reader. It also comes with a beta of the CNR.com Client, a free Linux software delivery service for one click software updates.

The Mirus system has 512MB more RAM than the Everex so it is likely a better deal until the rebate program ends.  For the technically inclined they are both bargains, but I doubt that either will be big hits with the average consumer because of the Linux fear factor.

As had been promised, Dell today announced three computers with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux distribution preloaded. There was a bigger surprise, however, in the other announcement that Dell would start selling exclusive models of their PCs at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club retail stores in the USA and Canada. 

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