In Australia, XP Cheaper Than Linux On Eee 900 319
KrispyDollars writes "It sounds crazy to say this, but the XP-based version of the Eee PC 900 (the new version with the 8.9" screen) will actually be considerably cheaper than the Linux-based version. At the official launch today, the company told journalists that 'Microsoft has been a longstanding supporter of Asus' to explain the price discrepancy. And — get this — only the XP-based machine will be sold at mass-market retailers, while the Linux-based model will be consigned to computer stores."
Of cousrse they're subsidizing (Score:5, Informative)
To keep people using XP, MS is probably giving away (or close to it) the licenses to ASUS. Combined with the fact that the Xandros is a commercial distro that Asus needs to provide updates for and the additional 8GB of space in the Linux version, it's not terribly suprising.
I'm typing this post on an EEE 4G now, and I'm really pleased with the built in Xandros. Lightweight, Word/Excel/PowerPoint compatible, not prone to viruses. If I was in the market for a new EEE for the price difference and the ability to dual boot with no additional cost I'd probably buy the Windows version and put Ubuntu on it. I have a few Windows specific apps still...
Re:Forget the cost of production (Score:3, Informative)
Are you kidding? Getting Windows to run on a new piece of hardware is a shitload of work. Among other things, out of the box, Windows lacks a lot of drivers.
Standard Linux distributions basically just boots on the Eee PC (I installed Ubuntu on mine) with essentially no extra work or customization, and installing it is a few clicks.
Re:Hear hear (Score:4, Informative)
But for many years it used to be Microsoft's best selling point in comparison to Linux:
Windows and Microsoft applications in general are easy to get started with. Only recently, Linux distributions (especially Ubuntu) have managed to catch up in that regard. If you want to sell to a wide audience, an "easy" interface is good.
Of course, it should also have an easily accessible terminal emulation so the gurus can hack on their config files
Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:3, Informative)
Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:5, Informative)
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Page 33: Page 34: I don't know how much has changed since their conviction, but I would assume that, even if they aren't allowed to do exactly that anymore, they've just found workarounds to achieve the same results (as evidenced here).Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:3, Informative)
Asus Eee PC now on Sale on NewEgg (Score:3, Informative)
ASUS Eee PC 900 12G XP and the ASUS Eee PC 900 20G each sell for $549.99. If you prefer Windows XP you get 8GB less of flash memory. Besides that difference both Asus Eee PC 900 are the same.
More details [i4u.com].
Re:Hear hear (Score:2, Informative)
Of course, it should also have an easily accessible terminal emulation so the gurus can hack on their config files ;-)
Ctrl-Alt-T brings up an xterm and there are two tools called "Easy Mode Editor" and TweakEE that allow other things to be changed including changing the xterm to something nicer like Konsole.
I've considerably tweaked the one I'm using. OpenOffice 2.4 instead of the included 2.0. I built the latest MPlayer from Debian Unstable on an Etch* machine with all codecs and so-forth enabled and installed that as well as various nice things for the sysadmin on the go. Unlike most Macs and Windows machines, it recognizes my USB-to-RS232 dongle immediately and I have a dterm binary sitting on it for configuring switches and the like. It is excellent for little jobs like that since the unit is so "toolbag friendly".
I also ditched the XP-like Icewm them since it is waaay to hard on the limited screen real estate. I'm currently running a very plain but functional theme that saves 32 pixels or so of the limited screen height.
Asus doesn't tout it as such but it is really quite friendly to the experienced Linux user. It is even friendlier if you can endure what it takes to remove the unionfs they use to idiot proof it and go to a straight ext2 partition.
* As long as you don't touch the tweaked QT or kdelibs they are using, you can install any package built for Debian Etch that you like. I have an Etch buildhost I use for anything nifty I want but don't have.
Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:5, Informative)
Wrong, you fail it
Linux Out of the Real World
July 1st, 1997 by Sebastian Kuzminsky in
* Industry News
Debian Linux has taken flight aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Art. 82 EC - Abuse of a dominent possition (Score:3, Informative)
Unfortunately it's in Austrlia.
Try it here, I dare you.
Matt
Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:4, Informative)
Checking the ASUS online store in Australia.. http://www.asusnotebook.com.au/eee-pc.php
I see the following:
Both models have 20GB of storage
Windows Version is $799 AUD
Linux Version is $649 AUD
If you pre-order now.
So I think they have not checked their facts!
Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:1, Informative)
I am sure RTEMS users can attest to more applications but those cover this end of the solar system.
GNU/Linux is not the only open source software that is out of this world.
Re:12 GB HDD Vs 20 GB HDD (Score:3, Informative)
From my personal perspective I have no interest in this type of PC preferring full sized laptops but I do know my son's girlfriend has the Linux one and she is very pleased with it. As I have said before the magic threshold of approx AU$500.00 may make or break the choice of buying one.