wal-mart

Wal-Mart dumps Linux. Much ado about...Microsoft

Wal-Mart has ended its experiment with selling Linux-based computers in its stores, suggesting that "This really wasn't what our customers were looking for."

Oh, really?

My experience (albeit limited - I can't stand Wal-Mart) with Wal-Mart is generally that cost is king for its customers, and that volume is king for Wal-Mart. I can understand Wal-Mart dropping Linux for the latter reason (though early reports suggest that the machine repeatedly sold out), but I'm surprised that its customers wouldn't have glommed onto dirt-cheap PCs with all the functionality of a Windows PC.

But maybe the decision was much more personal. There is a strong executive tie between Microsoft and Wal-Mart.… Read more

Does Linux lack mass-market appeal?

Doesn't that headline state the obvious? Doesn't the entire world know that Linux simply doesn't offer the kind of mass-market appeal Windows and Mac OS X do? I guess not.

According to the company, Wal-Mart has pulled all Linux-equipped computers off its shelves because it "didn't attract as much customer attention as Windows machines."

"This really wasn't what our customers were looking for," said Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien.

Gee, really? To see if its customers wanted Linux, the company stocked the $199 Green gPC in about 600 stores to see if people really wanted to try out a new, far more advanced, operating system. And although the company won't announce sales figures, it looks like its decision to sell Linux-based machines was doomed from the start--in stores.

Ironically, the gPC has performed much better online and Wal-Mart will continue to sell it on its e-commerce page.… Read more

Kodak and Wal-Mart join forces to recycle

Kodak and Wal-Mart are getting together to go green. Yesterday, both companies announced a joint recycling program for the thousands of Kodak photo kiosks located in Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs. The program will recycle PETE plastic printer ribbons, spools, and cartridges from about 4,100 Kodak picture kiosks across America. The companies expect to recycle approximately 2 million pounds (or 904 metric tons, or 583 million pennyweights) of material from kiosks in the next year.

This program isn't Kodak's first green initiative. Nearly 20 years ago, the company began a program to recycle one-time-use film cameras. According … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 669: Wikileaks got a gun

EPISODE 669

Comcast hits the snooze button http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9879848-7.html

FCC may do-over Comcast Net Neutrality hearing due to presence of paid Comcastards http://www.boingboing.net/2008/02/27/fcc-may-doover-comca.html

EU slaps Microsoft with $1.35 billion fine http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9880256-7.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7266629.stm http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080226-heavy-fine-looms-in-ongoing-microsofteu-tussle.html

Wikileaks gets legal help after domain name deletion http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9880958-38.html

Google disaster: Comscore reports awful January http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/2/2008/2/google_disaster__comscore_reports_awful_january

Apple planning iPhone SDK … Read more

Wagering on when iTunes will top Wal-Mart in music sales

Hey techies, don't bother putting money down on whether the Celtics are the future NBA champions. Not when you can place a bet on Steve Jobs.

A gaming company called Bodog is taking wagers on when Apple's iTunes Store will surpass Wal-Mart as the top U.S. music retailer.

CNET News.com reported on Tuesday that research firm NPD Group is predicting that Apple will emerge as the largest U.S. music retailer sometime in 2008. NPD also reported that Apple has recently leapfrogged over Best Buy and Target in music sales.

It should be noted that neither … Read more

When will iTunes replace Wal-Mart as No. 1 music retailer?

Apple's iTunes will likely whip past Wal-Mart Stores to become the largest U.S. music retailer sometime this year.

The NPD Group issued a report Tuesday that said Apple had outpaced Best Buy and Target to become the No. 2 U.S. music retailer. Unless the downward trend in CD sales suddenly reverses, Apple will be No. 1, said Russ Crupnick, the NPD Group's president of Music.

"Digital sales were up close to 50 percent and CD sales were down 20 percent last year," Crupnick said. "Even at half that growth rate in digital sales, … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 668: A filter three-fer

EPISODE 668

YouTube returns to Pakistan: Everything's right on the Internet, for now http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/everythings-right-in-the-internet-for-now/

How Pakistan knocked YouTube offline (and how to make sure it never happens again) http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9878655-7.html

ICANN, Network Solutions sued for domain tasting http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080226-bad-flavor-icann-network-solutions-sued-for-domain-tasting.html

Apple updates MacBook, MacBook Pro lineups http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9879198-7.html

Apple’s iTunes grows to No. 2 U.S. music retailer http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080226/media_nm/apple_itunes_dc

Internet service providers filter http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23274585-15306,00.html… Read more

Only Wal-Mart sells more music than iTunes

Apple continues to tighten its grip on music sales as iTunes has become the second largest U.S. music retailer.

A report released by tracking company NPD Group, showed that Apple now has more than 50 million customers and sold more than 4 billion songs last year.

Apple's digital music store jumped past Best Buy to capture the No.2 spot behind Wal-Mart stores. Apple is on a roll. It was only last June that the company overtook Amazon as the nation's third-largest retailer.

How long before the company can surpass Wal-Mart to become top dog in music … Read more

Wal-Mart telegraphs its clean-tech needs

For many new green-tech ventures, Wal-Mart is the ideal customer, sitting on top of the economic food chain of environmentally friendly products.

On Tuesday Wal-Mart and the Cleantech Group launched a Web-based tool that provides a sort of shopping list for Wal-Mart's sustainability strategy. The Cleantech Group is hosting its Cleantech Venture Forum in San Francisco, which starts on Tuesday.

Which "innovative ideas" Wal-Mart is seeking is instructive because it points to large corporate demand for clean-tech products.

The list:

• Alternative battery technology for forklifts. • Wind harvesting. • Closed-loop water processing. • Sustainable building materials. •&… Read more