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PC Mag has reviewed and ripped apart the Everex gPC. The low-cost desktop computer had been announced back in October and was quickly found as being sold-out in most locations, which would have either meant it was very popular or initially available in limited quantities. The gPC has sort of become know as the Google PC due to the amount of integration with Google Apps however the g actually stands for Green, it retails for $199 without a monitor and is available only at Wal-Mart.

The PC Mag editors gave the gPC a 1.5 out-of 5 rating, while the readers gave it a 1 out-of 5 rating. As if the rating was not bad enough, the bottom line comments from PC Mag would most likely keep me from running out to grab one even at that price.

“The gPC is not the alternative to Windows or Mac OS X it’s cracked up to be; it’s very frustrating to use.”

It seemed to only get worse from there, with pro’s such as “it’s cheap” and its “available at over 600 Wal-Mart stores and online,” it almost seems like they were just looking for something nice to say. The gPC seems like it would be a great low-cost computer option for the non-computer person in the family who just wants or needs some basic web browsing but there are a few reasons that this would make it not so nice of an option. According to PC Mag the internet connection is required, the modem is non-functional, the resolution is only available at 1280 x 800 and Flash support needs to be installed, which is not always the easiest process for a computer novice. Of course to be fair, some of these bad points would most likely fall with just about any low-cost or budget computer.

There is also a “live-cd” available with the gPC operating system, for anyone who still wants to test it out and not waste their $199.

Read [PC Mag]