Walmart.com debuts sub-$500 Linux laptop It's a sad day when you can buy a laptop computer for less than the cost of a limited palmtop device. Gradually these price inequities are being erased. Now for another round of price cutting on desktop systems, and more pressure on software companies to admit that they have long ago amortized their development costs or come out with something that is actually new and innovative. For that last item we won't be holding our breath.