Phoronix just reviews the PC Doctor Diagnostic Kit, a kit a various hardware and software to help you diagnose hardware problems, from the perspective of a Linux use to decide if it is worth the $400 price tag. I will not spoil the answer. Sorry.

Web Pro News reports on strange operating switches between Linux and Windows and back on Intel Classmate PCs headed for Nigeria. Mandriva originally had the deal, but they later learned that the PCs were going to be wiped and Windows was going to be installed. Shortly after that, the decision to switch to Windows was canceled. The reason has not been explained.

Fedora 8 is here! Download the ISO image from the Fedora Project website and try it out! If you don’t want to just try it out, read the Ars Technica overview of what is new.

My thoughts on Fedora 8 so far (in chronological order):

- I don’t like the background quite as much as I liked the Fedora 6 and 7 backgrounds, but it is supposed to change color depending on the time, so that might make up for it.
- You have to choose the configure advanced options on the partitioning page to select where to put the bootloader, but at least you can.
- Boot up and login is very pretty after just a little bit of text flashing by.
- More to come as soon as I get a chance to really play with it…

I could not find anything interesting for Linux “news,” so I decided to post something that is not really “news,” but is fun! Tell me what you think of this.

The Cult of Linux recently posted a list of 20 things that run Linux, but were never made to. Did you know that you can run Linux on Gmail? Or a toaster?

Linux Devices and Engadget report that Bug Labs plans to beginning selling their “Bug” before the end of the year. The bug consists of a base unit and attachment units (such as a camera and GPS) that can be put together and programmed. All of the code is open-source for the hardware and the SDK and people are invited to create their own attachment units.

This is similar to the OpenMoko, but in some ways even more flexible.

ZDNet reports on Google’s announcement of the long rumored “GPhone.” It turns out that the “GPhone,” whose official name is the Android, is not a phone, but an OS and applications to run on many phones. The software is/will be Linux-based and its applications will be written in Java. Google will release a full SDK (software development kit) as soon as next week.

Google seem to be adopting a very “open” way of doing things with the upcoming spectrum auction and now with the Android. In both cases they have stuck up for keeping things open and not locked down.

Yahoo News reports that Everex, the company behind the $200 Linux-based gPC, plans to sell $300 laptops running their gOS sometime next year. When this laptop comes it will be yet another of the recent flood of low-priced Linux laptops, including the OLPC laptop, the about-$400 Asus Eee PC, and soon the $300 Everex laptop.

According to Wired, Wal-Mart will be selling $200 dollar Linux PCs (not laptops) at some (list on Wired site) of their stores. The system has fairly low, but not unusable system specs and runs a version of Ubuntu Linux with the Enlightenment desktop. One of the things I find most interesting is that it has “programs” that are really links to various Google services. Hopefully, people will start to see that they can get a super-cheap PC with Linux and leave Windows behind.

Update: Turns out everyone is reporting on this. Look at this screenshot. I mentioned that some Google services were used like applications, but just look at this! I think that is seven out of sixteen of the icons down there are for Google services, plus the big Google search in the top right. This really is like a Google PC.

Also, another clarification: The PC is just being sold at Wal-Mart, it is designed and built by Everex.

Update 2: You can download the gOS here.

Complete Speculation (No real reason to believe this, just guessing randomly.): Is this PC so cheap because Google is paying Everex/Wal-Mart to put all their services on it?? EDIT: Nope. Not the case. See here.