Everex, a longtime personal computer vendor, has unveiled its latest PC featuring Ubuntu Linux-based open-source productivity software and Google-based Web 2.0 applications, for a mere $198.

Everex was one of the first companies to offer a netbook in the US. When Everex introduced its first Cloudbook the only other low cost mini-laptop on the market was the Asus Eee PC 701. And a lot of people were excited about the Everex Cloudbook because it ran a version of Ubuntu Linux.

At the beginning of November, Wal-Mart gave shoppers a chance to get an early start on their holiday shopping by offering a $199 desktop computer, both in its stores and online at WalMart.com. As desktop machines go, the Everex TC2502 is not particularly powerful, with a 1.5-gigahertz processor, 512 megabytes of RAM, an 80-gigabyte hard drive and no monitor.

This turns what might otherwise be a bog-standard Windows PC into open source's first major assault on the most massive PC mass-market of them all: Wal-Mart shoppers that even Everex identifies as "unsophisticated."
But is it any good? The technology stork just dropped this baby at the door, so let's take a look!

Wal-Mart officials said Wednesday that the retailer plans to re-stock a hot selling, Linux-based PC that is currently sold out on its Web site. The Everex TC2502 Green gPC will again be available at Walmart.com "in the coming weeks," said a spokesman for the company.

Ok, so I read this article about why the Everex $200 PC being sold at Wal-Mart is a bad deal (fyi, it's also sold at ZaReason).

Wal-Mart will sell a sub-$300 "back-to-school" PC this fall pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista and OpenOffice.org productivity software. The Everex GC3502 PC, is based on a 1.7GHz Via C7-D processor, and will be available later this year preloaded with Ubuntu Linux.

That $200 Everex gPC that Walmart has been advertising has proven to be quite the hit in its online store, currently being out of stock but can still be picked up at select brick and mortar locations.

Everex, the company that brought us the Cloudbook is going after Mini PCs like the Mac Mini with this Linux Powered Mini PC.