Like it's big brother, Wired noted that the mini gPC has potential with the budget and Linux guru crowd—but until the final verdicts are in I wouldn't go rushing out to drop $499 on one. And I definitely wouldn't go comparing it to the Mac Mini. Other than aesthetics, these two devices have little in common. [Wired]

We just cannot get over the price of this machine. Sure, it may be far off from an 8-core super beast, but given the spec, it is firmly in Everex's gPC territory. Given the price, it is firmly in a class of its own. We know the currency conversion rates mean even if it did come to US shores, (don't count on it), it would be priced a lot higher, but the tech per dollar bang would still be very impressive. Gosh, those lucky Koreans get all the cheap technology goodness. [Akihabara News]

The answer: just about everything. PC Mag was miffed at the resolution configuration settings, the legal tie-ups involved with calling it a "Google PC," an app launcher they described as "a cheap copy" of Mac OSX, as well as some frustrating web-surfing issues that may not be grasped by a novice user.

Still, this review is probably a little harsh and should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, "legal wrangling" is not a concern of the average user, and for $200 one should expect a few shortcomings here and there. They do concede that it is a fairly "green PC" with regard to power consumption, and it is powerful enough to run Ubuntu Linux, just don't expect it to be fast. In all likelihood, the true verdict on the gPC lies somewhere in-between the two reviews. [PC Mag]

They found that the gOS based on Ubuntu Linux 7.01 and the Enlightenment E17 interface was stable and ran smoothly on the hardware—it was also fast enough to handle multiple active applications. There are some drawbacks of course (gPC doesn't work with dial-up internet service for starters), but all in all it seems that the gPC would be a great basic computer for anyone on a budget, or any Linux guru looking for a fun project. [Wired Gadget Lab]

It turns out, 5% of people buying a PC at Wal-Mart are buying one for the first time, yes, in 2007. That means that for them, there's no brand allegiance, there's no OS that they are already comfortable with, there's nothing but functionality ("Does it have the e-mail and the pretty ladies on the World Wide Internet?") and price ("I'm not gonna pay no $300 for no damn computer!"). This meets both, and looks enough like some kind of Macindows hybrid for the more computer savvy relatives to help out the new buyer. There are some omissions in the early stages: Picasa didn't quite work right, so it's not there yet. (GIMP is there, but not a lot of people like GIMP.) There's Skype, but I don't think it can do video yet. There are apps for working with iPods, but I am worried that people who want to use an iPod will be frustrated with the lack of iTunes.

The funniest thing is that Everex deliberately built a large box, even though there's not much under the hood. This is a pure psychological play to woo the pickup truck set, who believe a Chevy S10 is a sure sign of sexual inadequacy. The system will pack a 1.5GHz low-wattage VIA C7-D processor (pitched as a "green" machine). It will have 512MB of RAM and an 80GB HDD. It won't even have a DVD burner, though they are now practically free. And as for the monitor you've come to expect in a bundle, it's gonna cost you extra. (Speakers, mouse and keyboard are included.)

All in all, though, I like to see things get shaken up. This is apparently replacing a Windows model at that price point or slightly higher, and the approach is different, and probably smarter, than the teeny tiny subscription-based Zonbu (of which Everex is also a manufacturing partner).

The whole FOSS (free open-source software) movement really should be aimed at newbies and non-power users. After all, the generalist can do all that they can dream up on any machine out there, whereas the specialists are the ones who are truly locked to one OS or another. And they don't buy their PCs at Wal-Mart. [Wal-Mart]