As reported in the New York Times, for $200, you can now buy a cool Linux-based personal computer with a well-designed suite of software right there on your desktop.

Sound like the one laptop per child program? It could be, and I liked the one of those I got to try out at a recent Ethos Roundtable meeting.

Right now, however, I’m talking about something new at that same price point. Our old friend Everex has released a $200 multimedia desktop running a customized version of Linux geared toward using Google applications. Pre-installed links open Gmail, Google documents, Maps and other Google delights. It also has Open Office. It’s not a Google operating system, but getting closer.

You can buy it at Wal-Mart, not really a plus for me, but that’s another story (See for example). As far as value, the $200 does not include a monitor, but it also does not include any portion just paying for Microsoft licensing. In an earlier incarnation, Database Designs sold quite a few well-engineered and long-lasting Everex computers and servers. Once in a while, I still see one of those old machines humming along. Sight unseen, I will bet this is a pretty good option for a small office that can live pretty much with on-line, software-as-a-service applications.

In any event, this launch offers another sign of the heating up battle with Microsoft Office and Windows for the desktop, which we wrote in this space about earlier. And Everex has more to come. Thanks to colleague Peggy for keeping an eye out for this stuff.

I may go find myself a Wal-Mart and try it out. If you get there before me and see one, I'd love to hear.