It’s been rumored for a while that as part of the “recovery plan” Dell was instituting, to bring itself back to a leadership role in PCs, it would begin selling in retail channels. Well, if you’re gonna do that, how about picking the biggest retailer? Wal-Mart.
Computer maker Dell Inc. plans to start selling personal computers at 3,000 Wal-Mart stores in the United States and Canada as of June 10, launching a major drive to sell its PCs through retailers, a company spokesman said on Thursday. Source: Reuters
The desktop will be the E521, with and without a monitor. More models to come? Who knows, but this isn’t a gamer’s box so I’m still not tempted to go to Wal-Mart. 
Seriously though, this disappoints me, as I am not a fan of Wal-Mart and their poor labor practices (both in the U.S. and abroad with their suppliers). This may affect whether or not I buy Dells in the future.
May 25, 2007 at 3:44 am
#1 – the E521 line from Dell can easily be a gaming system, I have one as do several friends and they are great systems.
#2 – while the business practices of Walmart may be forever controversial, I would bet $1,000 you shop there and still make this statement to try and make some difference with only words and not actions. I think it is a very wise move if Dell is going to do this to bring their solid cost effective models to the heart of american retail, and thats Walmart.. period.