Sun says it has finalized its agreement with Microtel Computer Systems to sell machines loaded with Sun"s Java Desktop System on Walmart.com. And Sun is confident that its JDS version 2.0 will be another nibble toward its goal of taking a big bite out of Microsoft"s Windows dominance.
Sun announced that Microtel computers are available for sale -- from US$298 to $698 -- with the option to load JDS. Microtel, which is based in the Los Angeles metro area, makes a range of computers from laptops to servers. The component options of the JDS-installed build-to-order PCs include AMD or Intel processors running from 1.6 to 3 GHz, and a variety of choices in such categories as motherboard, hard drive and so on.
Sun says its desktop business could take a significant portion of Microsoft"s share of the market. Though the Linux-based system Sun has crafted around its Star Office tools has garnered some praise, many long-time observers of the desktop OS market maintain that price and usability are not enough to pry Windows users away from their legacy installs.