LindowsOS PCs For Sale In 864 Elektra Stores
Jan 16th, 23:18 UTC
More than 25,000 Units Shipped by Mexico's Leading Retailer
Mexico. D.F. and San Diego --
January 15, 2003 -- Grupo Elektra (NYSE:EKT;BMV:ELEKTRA),
Mexico's leading specialty retailer, has become the first retailer in
Mexico's history to sell desktop Linux on retail shelves. Elektra has
864 stores
throughout Latin America. To date, more than 25,000 units have been shipped to
Elektra stores during the pre-launch period. Residents of Mexico can
find their closest store location by visiting www.lindows.com/elektrapc.
"Elektra has delivered a compelling offer to their customers," said
Michael Robertson, chief executive officer of Lindows.com Inc. "More
than 25,000 computers have already been shipped in preparation for
expected demand for affordable, Linux-powered computers in countries
such as Mexico."
Elektra sells the PC Elektra, a complete, affordable computer system
pre-loaded with LindowsEspanol (www.lindows.com/espanol),
at a price point accessible for record numbers of Mexican consumers.
The PC Elektra can be purchased for 5999 pesos ($600USD), or on a
rent-to-own program for 1,250 pesos ($12.50 USD) per week. Elektra, who
offers financial services as well, makes every effort to put computers
in homes all over Mexico by offering these different pricing
structures. Elektra also recognizes that using Linux on the desktop
saves hundreds of dollars for their customers as opposed to selling
them Microsoft- bundled hardware.
The PC Elektra systems are specifically tailored for Spanish
speakers. LindowsEspanol features all the capabilities of
LindowsOS, translated into Spanish. Multimedia tutorials in
Spanish are also included to highlight the basics of computing, since
many Mexican residents may be experiencing their first PC with the PC
Elektra.
"Once again, Grupo Elektra is enriching its formula by providing to
Mexico's mass market technologically advanced computer equipment at
affordable prices," said Luis Galvan, buying director for Groupo Elektra.
In addition to being Internet-ready through Elektra's own ISP service,
Todito, the computers also have an Intel Celeron 1.7 GHz processor, 40G
hard drive, 256 MB RAM, speakers, keyboard, and a mouse. The PC Elektra
package comes complete with a 15" monitor as well. Customers can start
working on their projects right away as the operating system,
LindowsEspanol, ships with an office productivity suite.
LindowsEspanol (www.lindows.com/espanol),
offered by Lindows.com, is a robust and easy-to-use operating system
created and designed for Spanish-speakers offering comprehensive
compatibility with Microsoft Windows-based documents and services.
Users can share, view and edit Microsoft Word documents (.doc files),
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xls files) and Microsoft PowerPoint
presentation files (.ppt files) while keeping their original format to
facilitate cross-platform compatibility. LindowsEspanol easily
integrates into a Microsoft Windows-dominated network and can share
files, disks, and printers on the network using an intuitive control
panel to configure. LindowsEspanol also comes with an Instant
Messenger that allows users to chat with AOL's® AIM®,
Yahoo!® Messenger, MSN®, ICQ®, and others, all at the same
time. LindowsEspañol has applications such as Mplayer, and
RealPlayer, and more.
To stay up-to-date on all Lindows.com happenings, visit www.lindows.com/mailings.
About Lindows.com
Lindows.com gives consumers the world's most affordable choice in
software, focusing on complete ease-of-use and reliability. LindowsOS
is an intuitive operating system that allows the installation of
thousands of applications with just one click. LindowsOS 4.5 now offers
SIP technology for free worldwide calling to other SIP devices, remote
desktop sharing, and integrated websearch and translation tools (www.lindows.com/lindowsos).
LindowsOS Laptop Edition (www.lindows.com/laptop)
is the first Linux-based operating system tailored specifically for
laptops. Those who are interested in becoming authorized resellers of
LindowsOS should visit www.lindows.com/reseller
or www.lindows.com/builder
if interested in selling computers pre-loaded with LindowsOS. LindowsOS
is currently offered in English (www.lindows.com/lindowsos),
Spanish (www.lindows.com/espanol)
and Japanese (www.lindows.com/edge).
About Grupo Elektra: Grupo Elektra -
Tradition with Vision
Grupo Elektra is Latin America's leading specialty retailer, consumer
finance and banking services company. Grupo Elektra sells retail goods
and services through its Elektra, Salinas y Rocha and Bodega de Remates
stores and over the Internet. The Group operates almost 900 stores in
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru. Grupo Elektra also sells and
markets its consumer finance and banking products and services through
its Banco Azteca branches located within its stores. Financial services
include consumer credit, personal loans, money transfers, extended
warranties, savings accounts and term deposits.
(Submitted by Ellie Sanchez of Lindows, Inc.)
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