The defining characteristic of this market segment is a modest, yet useful spec at a modest price. These machines would not be adequate as the primary machine for an experienced or advanced computer user, but they work well for simpler uses (e.g. by school students or senior citizens). Low-cost laptops, in particular, are also useful as a second machine for an experienced user that can be taken to places where the primary machine would be impractical. 

  

 One interesting consequence is that the hardware prices of these machines are so low that the typical licensing costs of Microsoft Windows start to loom large. Furthermore, the hardware power is too modest to run Microsoft's latest Windows version, Windows Vista. And thirdly, the uses of these machines are such that ability to run all the same software applications that might be found on users' existing machines is not of such great importance. These three characteristics mean that offering Linux preinstalled instead of Windows becomes an attractive proposition to the hardware vendors.