The back-to-school season is just starting, and with it many PC vendors are looking to get a jump on the lucrative shopping season. This Wednesday, retailing giant Wal-Mart began selling a $298 system from Everex which sports Windows Vista Home Basic, OpenOffice 2.2, and is reportedly bloatware-free.

The Everex Impact GC3502 features the energy-efficient 1.5GHz VIA C7 CPU, 1GB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM, a VIA Chrome9 HC IGP graphic card, Realtek High-Definition Audio, 10/100 Ethernet LAN, 6 USB ports, Microphone and headphone jack, as well as VGA, Ethernet and RJ-11 ports. Keyboard, mouse and stereo speakers are also included. It does not include a monitor, though.

Obviously, the system is not likely to entice gamers and enthusiasts. However, budget-conscious shoppers needing to manage their email, surf the Web, listen to music, and do basic productivity tasks, will welcome the Everex's PC.