Wal Mart and the $400 laptop
Looks like Wal Mart's one-upping itself from it's sub-$600 laptops last year; looks like in 2005 you're going to be able to get a $400 laptop from the 'Mart, and a not too terrible one, at that (AMD 2800+ Sempron, 256MB RAM, 40GB drive, 15-inch screen, CD-RW/DVD). We're sure they're making like $3 on this thing, so come Black Friday (when they're expected to sell in stores alongside their $400 desktop brethren) don't be surprised if you're in a super long line for a 12-pound monster of a laptop with a 25 minute battery life. But wow, what a stocking stuffer. At this rate, by 2008 you'll be getting paid by rebate to take these damned things off their hands, as they'll be just another loss-leader to get your ass into the store on the worst shopping day of the year.
