The Groovix computer, which will retail at approximately $1,000 exclusive of monitors, runs the Debian GNU/Linux operating system and includes three keyboards, three mice, and one year of upgrades and basic support.
The system can be set up to function like three separate computers. More than one person can use the computer at the same time and no network is necessary, although use of extension cables or wireless senders means users can actually work some distance apart. Each user has control of their own monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers.
The specification of a typical three-user system is built around an AMD Athlon XP 2500+ 333MHz processor, 512MB RAM, and 80GB hard drive base unit, fitted with eight USB ports. Software supported by Groovix includes the KDE Desktop Environment, the Kmail and Thunderbird email programs, Firefox web browser, and OpenOffice productivity tools.
The system can use programs such as Wine, Cedega, CrossOver Office, or VMWare to run Microsoft Windows applications inside of Linux, the Hinesburg, Vermont-based vendor said. The Groovix range is designed to appeal to home users and small businesses.
