[TriLUG] Walmart PC's to ship w/real modem!

[Mike Johnson]

Jeremy P [jeremyp at pobox.com] wrote:
> 
> This rocks:
> 
> >On Monday, we published the article, "Installing Linux On a Wal-Mart
> >OS-less machine." The review was positive overall, but it highlighted
> >a problem: that the modem included in the machine has no functional
> >Linux driver.
> >
> >Less than three days later, the builder of the Wal-Mart systems, Microtel
> >Computer Systems, announced that it has heard the voice of the Open
> >Source community and will soon begin shipping Linux-compatible modems
> >in its Wal-Mart PC packages.

Um, not to be a downer, but where does this say that they'll be shipping
real modems?  It says 'Linux-comatible', which means that they will
switch to a modem that works under Linux.  I imagine that what we'll see
is winmodems with the Lucent chipset.  They're Linux compatible because
a driver exists (and works).  It's still a crappy, closed source, binary
only module.  Grump.

Time will tell (I still won't buy one of their systems, though).

Mike
-- 
"Let the power of Ponch compel you!  Let the power of Ponch compel you!"
   -- Zorak on Space Ghost

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