Priced at RM1,988 for a basic entry-level configuration, the PDX Millinux PC costs substantially less than popular commercial software--for instance operating system, office applications suite and anti-virus combined--which can come up to over RM2,500, the company said.
For that price, the PDX Millinux comes with Caldera OpenLinux operating system (OS), StarOffice 5.2 business application suite, Netscape Communicator 4.72, XSM Browser 2.4 (Windows Networking Client), CAMELEO Light (graphics), Adobe Acrobat 4.0 (PDF file reader) and Citrix ICA Client (Windows Application Client).
The package also includes free 90-day Millinux Care on-site support (one-for-one emergency parts exchange, labor and telephone support), 12-months limited warranty, first grade components guarantee as well as free delivery and installation here and in Petaling Jaya.
"Given the high cost of commercially available software, it's understandable why many corporates, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) simply cannot afford it. Therefore, they turn to unlicensed software. Now, they have an affordable and legal alternative to turn to," PDX Computers group managing director Peter Hii said.
The company's efforts fall in line with the government's clamp-down on organizational software piracy via the anti-piracy campaign Crackdown 2000 beginning July 1.
PDX Computers which will distribute the Millinux computers through its wholly-owned subsididary PDX InfoEdge, will this quarter aggressively promote the new computer.
"We expect to see real deployment next quarter onwards as companies begin to migrate to the Linux environment. Migrations don't happen overnight... they can take between three to six months," PDX Teknologi general manager P. S. Jaya said.
The company estimates it should be able to sell 10,000 units of Millinux by year-end. Sales of Millinux are only expected to contribute significantly to PDX Computers' revenues next year with roughly 10 to 20 percent increase overall.
Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. Developed under the GNU General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone.
In terms of system configuration, the entry-level Millinux comprises the AMD K6-2/500 3D Now! Processor, 64MB PC-100 SDRAM, VIA Apollo MVP4 motherboard, integrated AGP 3D graphics and AC97 audio cards, 15-inch LG Studioworks 552V monitor, 10.2GB ATA100 hard disk, 3.5-inch 1.44MB diskette drive, FCC-standard micro-ATX casing, mouse and keyboard.
A CD-ROM drive is available as an upgrade option for RM170. PDX Computers is also working on a Pentium III-based system which should be commercially available this quarter, Jaya said.
E-Government Project
On another development, PDX Computers said it was progressing well under the E-Government E-Services and Payment Gateway project.
"It (the project) is moving along well and we should have the gateway up and running within the nine month-window that we've been given," Hii said.
PDX.com, another wholly-owned subsidiary of PDX Computers, was in May this year appointed as the gateway provider for the E-Government E-Services and Payment Gateway project, one of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) flagship applications.
The application enables Malaysians to access personal data held by government agencies and transact with them through the Internet.
PDX.com's role is to develop the electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) solution as well as provide online government services. This involves the development of the interface between the various government agencies/billers and the service providers/Malaysian public.
The Payment Gateway would be linked to all major financial institutions, enabling online payments through credit cards and direct debiting of bank accounts.
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