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Asus To Phase Out Sub-10" Eee PCs 497

jeevesbond writes "The Register reports that Asus president Jerry Shen has revealed his company will be phasing out all sub-10" Eee PCs. According to Shen, the 'standard' netbook next year will be a 10" model with a hard drive running XP. Shen also said XP is outselling GNU/Linux on netbooks by a ratio of 7:3. This is somewhat contrary to news from the UK earlier in the year that GNU/Linux units were out of stock while XP machines sat unsold. Are Brits more open-minded than the rest of the world when it comes to choosing an OS?"
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Asus To Phase Out Sub-10" Eee PCs

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  • by pembo13 ( 770295 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:18PM (#25604323) Homepage
    So I'll be going with the netbook with the most features when I am purchasing.
    • by frieko ( 855745 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @04:10PM (#25604715)
      This is absurd. Isn't the whole point of a netbook that it's small, light and efficient? Why would you get rid of the smallest model and the most efficient OS? This smells of a backdoor M$ deal. If they offered both OS's on the same hardware I'm sure the picture would be much different.

      Rolling two stories into one post, my friend bought an Asus Aspire with linux. The other day she asked me what the NewEgg return policy was. It took me a while to pry it out of her that she couldn't get on her university's VPN in Linux. I installed the linux client for her. Point is, her first impulse was to return it rather than attempt the learning curve.
      • by pembo13 ( 770295 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @04:34PM (#25604901) Homepage
        Thus is the power of Microsoft... the invisible power over the minds of its users.
        • by timeOday ( 582209 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @09:08PM (#25607069)
          Unless I'm misreading the article, Asus will continue to sell Linux netbooks - it's just the smaller screens that are disappearing. I can't believe people consider a 70/30 split in favor of XP to be a disaster for Linux, I think 30% is a pretty huge share for Linux! Heck, if Linux captured 30% of the general market, most hardware would have to support Linux and I'd call it "mission accomplished."
          • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

            by Ihmhi ( 1206036 )

            I'd call it "mission accomplished."

            So would the office furniture store that keeps selling replacement chairs to Microsoft.

      • by Kamokazi ( 1080091 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @05:05PM (#25605157)

        Small, light and efficient, eh?

        I decided to revitilize my grandparent's old Celeron 500 w/ 128MB of RAM with Xubuntu. I couldn't install it with the live CD, but I got it on there. And it ran like crap. Very, very slow and sluggish...I was kind of suprised So I was about to throw it out, and figured, what the hell, and put XP on it. I turned off the Fisher Price UI, and it ran a HELL of a lot better than Xubuntu. Enough that it turned from unusuable to usable. I was stunned.

        So I see no reason for XP to be any slower than a modern version of desktop Linux, unless the UI is REALLY stripped down. But any Atom-based computer will handle XP as well as Linux without a sweat.

        And MS did do a deal..but it was very front door, not back door. They slashed the cost of XP for netbooks to something like $30-$40. Linux was used first because of cost, but the cost advantage is much smaller now. And the manufacturers and retailers believe that XP will produce fewer support calls and reduce return rates (whether or not they are correct is up for debate), justifying the extra cost. I'm sorry, there is no secret MS conspiracy here for you to be paranoid about. They did their normal thing...they saw Linux gaining marketshare, figured out why (cost), and they compensated.

        Also, it's Acer Aspire. Asus's netbook line is the Eee.

        • by TheModelEskimo ( 968202 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @06:13PM (#25605687)
          >I decided to revitilize my grandparent's old Celeron 500 w/ 128MB of RAM with Xubuntu.

          Ouch. I have a machine with those exact specs here, and there's no way on earth I would try Xubuntu on it. In my experience, Xubuntu is faster and lighter than the "normal" Ubuntu desktop, but it's not really a "legacy PC" distro to me. My normal choice for legacy PCs has been Puppy Linux, and it has *never,* *ever* let me down in that capacity. It's always fast, does a wonderful job supporting dialup modems, old video cards, and has "wizards" included that help you do common setup tasks.

          It works well on modern machines, too; When I couldn't get Renoise working without JACK on my Ubuntu laptop due to high CPU use, I booted into Puppy and it ran fine.

          In my experience, Xubuntu gets mentioned here a lot by people who have just heard of it, and not tried it.

          With that said, the web is a different place now, with high demands. An afternoon's worth of footwork should net you a *much* better used machine for grandma and grandpa, for free or $10. Try Craigslist, local mailing lists, doctor's offices, etc.
        • by Jorophose ( 1062218 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @06:15PM (#25605711)

          Xubuntu is a joke of a lightweight distro. It's Ubuntu with Xfce and Gnome. (yes, effectively both)

          What you needed is something like a Debian install designed for it (think LXDE) or something like Ubuntu-lite. I think PCLinuxOS has an LXDE-based edition.

        • by jlarocco ( 851450 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @06:39PM (#25605905) Homepage

          Don't take this the wrong way, but if you can't get Linux to run on a legacy PC, it's almost certainly a lack of effort on your part.

          People seem to get confused by the fact that it's technically possible (and IMO relatively easy) to strip down Linux and make it run on old crap hardware. They seem to get the idea that Linux distros are aiming for that old crap hardware, so Linux will run on them out of the box. That's not true, and with few exceptions all of the popular distros are aiming for the relatively new PC market. So yes, you CAN strip them down to run on a given machine, but it's not likely to work well out of the box. You're going to have to do a little work. There are distros where the base install is meant for old hardware, but Xubuntu isn't one of them.

          Trying to run Ubuntu or Xubuntu on an ancient crap machine is like trying to run the latest greatest version of Vista on it. I'm sure you can do it, but you'll need to spend some time tweaking things. The advantage of using Linux for old machines is that Linux makes that tweaking easy and offers more tuning knobs than Windows.

        • Xubuntu requirements (Score:4, Informative)

          by quenda ( 644621 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @07:25PM (#25606287)
          "Once installed, Xubuntu can run with 192 MB RAM, but it is strongly recommended to have at least 256 MB RAM."

          http://www.xubuntu.org/get

          ie wrong distro. Xubuntu is a medium-weight desktop. Not quite as bloated as gnome/KDE/Vista. Try DSL?

      • by Nursie ( 632944 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @05:14PM (#25605231)

        Yeah, it's really weird. The whole net book thing was appealing to me because of the tiny form factor. The 8.9 is perfectly useable as a travel machine. Any bigger and you may as well buy a standard notebook.

        Not least because you can get one with better specs for not much more cash. The size is a major selling point.

        • As mentioned in another post I originally wanted a 901 with Linux but since it wasn't available I did end up - against my better judgment - buying a 1000H. At the time I was fairly convinced I would regret this since before I had a 7 inch version and loved it for it's tiny size. But I have got to admit that - as it turned out - the 10 inch version is pretty much ideal. I think it's got more to do with keyboard than with display. The 9 inch versions simply have a keyboard that is too small - whereas the 10 inch is just exactly a size where you can type without having to readjust a lot coming from a normal laptop. Anyway - I do love my 10 inch "netbook" even though I consider it more like a real laptop and do just about anything I would have done on my trusty old thinkpad before.

      • by westlake ( 615356 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @05:19PM (#25605271)
        Why would you get rid of the smallest model and the most efficient OS? This smells of a backdoor M$ deal.

        .

        It could never be because the screen is too small, the keyboard is too small, and the Linux OS is unfamiliar and unwanted.

        I installed the linux client for her. Point is, her first impulse was to return it rather than attempt the learning curve.

        Of course it was.

        Most of us don't have an all-knowing geek to call on for free, on-site, support. The Google search that returns 15,000 hits is of little help to the novice.

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by theLOUDroom ( 556455 )
          Most of us don't have an all-knowing geek to call on for free, on-site, support. The Google search that returns 15,000 hits is of little help to the novice.

          Just like plumbing, cars or even Windows PCs, most people pay someone else to fix their problems.
          This is not a flaw of Linux, this is that way to world works. Microsoft certainly doesn't provide free, on-site support either.

          You're making an argument based on a difference that doesn't really exist.
      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        I'm probably going to get modded troll or flamebait for this, but everything I am about to say is 100% true to the best of my recollection. And no, I am not an astroturfer for MS. In fact, I'm not sure despite how often that term is thrown around that MS actually hires any astroturfers, or at least I have not seen any direct evidence of this.

        Anyway, you can lump me in as another story similar to your friend's. I'm a computer programmer and consider myself to be in around the 95%+ percentile of techsavvyn

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by jlarocco ( 851450 )

          You're right, I'm sure if I poured a few hundred hours into it, I could become extremely comfortable in Linux. However, I just wasn't (and am not) willing to attempt the learning curve, not when it's this steep.

          Then what the hell is your point? Here's a clue: Linux isn't Windows. It's never going to be Windows. If you don't want to learn something new, stick with Windows and stop whining.

          Your entire complaint basically boils down to, "I don't know Linux, and I don't want to, but now I know it's not W

          • by Petersko ( 564140 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @08:04PM (#25606581)
            "Your entire complaint basically boils down to, "I don't know Linux, and I don't want to, but now I know it's not Windows." Good fucking job! I just always figured Linux and Windows were exactly the same, but now, thanks to your incredible insight, I'm aware that Linux and Windows are in fact different! Wow!"

            There's nothing insightful about your comment. In fact, as near as I can tell, it's completely wrong.

            Allow me to summarize the original post.

            1. Attempted foreign language install. Never worked.
            2. Installed Blackberry charging drivers - never worked.
            3. Found out customizing shell involved editing text config files.
            4. Got VPN working - turned out to be unstable.
            5. Old issue - installing Ubuntu on 2GB flash dive. Failed with indetermine problems.

            And so, here you come with your "insightful" reply, and claim that his whole post is that linux isn't Windows, and that apparently he doesn't want to know linux.

            The only way your post makes any sense is if you think he's an idiot because he wants linux to work, and that just isn't "linux".

            Moderators: Please don't drink and moderate.
          • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

            There's a very large gap in usability between:
            1. Googling on how to install language support, the most pertinent results all being forum posts, and having to enter in incantations on the command line to do it, and after spending several hours, still having it not work.
            2. Going to Control Panel, selecting locality, add language and choosing my languages.

            That is not "isn't Windows" that's "god this sucks". I understand this may be only a problem with the distro that came with the EeePC. That also doesn't ch

            • by arth1 ( 260657 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @09:50PM (#25607359) Homepage Journal

              There's a very large gap in usability between:
              1. Googling on how to install language support, the most pertinent results all being forum posts, and having to enter in incantations on the command line to do it, and after spending several hours, still having it not work.
              2. Going to Control Panel, selecting locality, add language and choosing my languages.

              Don't forget:

              3. Being told that to get foreign language support, you need to purchase yet another package called "Microsoft Office Proofing Tools" and/or "Microsoft Office Multilanguage Pack", depending on what version of Microsoft Office you have. If you have a mix between different office versions, you may need both. And if you want the UI language changed too and not just the ability to use the language in your documents, you need Single Language packs in addition to the multilanguage pack.
              Language Packs (Office 2007+) are $25 for single languages or $200 for the multilanguage pack.
              Proofing Tools (Office 2003-) are $30 for single languages or $120 for the multilanguage pack.
              Per user.

              Not only is it costly, but it's a jungle to figure out exactly what you need.

  • Or... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by wren337 ( 182018 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:19PM (#25604329) Homepage

    ... did they overship Linux pcs by a ratio of 6:4?

    • Re: (Score:2, Redundant)

      by dotancohen ( 1015143 )

      ... did they overship Linux pcs by a ratio of 6:4?

      Really, the 7:3 ratio seems a bit too accurate. Maybe they are recalculating based on the earlier story that one in four Linux machines are being returned?

  • Linux on Netbooks (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ArkiMage ( 578981 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:19PM (#25604331)

    How many people buy the XP models and subsequently install Ubuntu or some other Linux distro though? For reasons of better RAM or Drive or battery option availability in the XP bundled version of the machine.

    • Re:Linux on Netbooks (Score:5, Informative)

      by Yst ( 936212 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:28PM (#25604385)
      Yes, in the Aspire One community, this has similarly become a common piece of advice: buy the XP model for its better battery; install Ubuntu.

      I bought the Linux version partly for the sake of supporting the Linux product, and partly for the sake of the slightly lower price. But now I'm starting to kick myself, wishing I bought the XP version and installed Linux. It's kind of a Catch-22. The best Linux netbooks available have XP installed on them.
      • by abigor ( 540274 )

        I'm interested in getting an Aspire One. Is Ubuntu the preferred distro of choice on that thing? Is it tough to get stock Debian on there? Yes, yes, I know, justfuckinggoogleit.com...

        • by Yst ( 936212 )
          Ubuntu is certainly the most popular distro. People seem to do just fine getting Debian running on it though. The situation as far as getting the system fully functional (wifi, sound, etc.) is much improved, and practically everything works just fine at this point. But I'm just reporting based on the word in the forums. There's plenty of detailed info out there.
    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by sakdoctor ( 1087155 )

      You have to be a complete tool to buy the XP model and then install linux. In a few of their models you get a worse spec machine for paying the windows tax. 8GB less solid state storage.

      It's a shame they are phasing out the sub 10" models though. I feel the 8.9 was the sweet spot for netbooks because it's small as possible, but has a "modern" screen resolution without which websites are too cramped these days.

      • by nbert ( 785663 )
        It's not necessarily a windows tax. MS put some (non-public) limitations on netbooks running XP. For example it's pretty obvious that only 160GB and 1 GB RAM are allowed. For that reason the EeeBox running XP ships in most of Europe with half the RAM as the Linux version. The price of an additional GB does not match the cost of an OEM license.

        When netbooks get better specs this will become even more obvious. I guess that people will start buying the Linux version and put XP on it. Or MS will change the ter
    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by mckillnm ( 751344 )
      I bought a Dell Mini 9 a few days ago.. Bought the XP version.. ONLY for the increased HD capacity. XP is gone, Ubuntu is on, but I guess that will be chalked up as a XP sale. The small price difference probably means that I'll never try and send back the XP disk and look for a refund. Just my 0.5c worth!
    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      That is exactly what I did. I bought the Windows XP version (1000 HA) and dual booted XP and ubuntu eee. I primarily use ubuntu and hardly use windows, although I find it handy to have around when I need to flash a windows mobile phone, or I end up with some windows software.. At least no matter where I go I will have both operating systems at my finger tips.

    • My friend did that.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by xs650 ( 741277 )
      I did when I bought an eee 1000. I have some software and automotive diagnostics hardware that I need XP to run.

      I also made it dual boot and spend most of my netbook time running Linux.
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Idbar ( 1034346 )
      That's what kept me far from the linux based netbooks. The hard drive capacities are larger. Besides, I don't know if I want to install linux later, but I might need windows, and I know linux is free. So why shouldn't I get more HDD and a license if the prices are fairly similar?

      Moreover, I stopped by Circuit City for example and watched that the linux version of the Aspired one makes it look like a toy. You can play there in front of a $300 laptop, and does a representative comes at you to ask you anythi
    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by kandresen ( 712861 )

      I think a large part of the reason for windows outselling Linux is not that people prefer windows but the combinations made with windows often being prefered over the combinations with Linux.

      I have been looking for some sub-notebooks for some time, and must say that even though I am 100% for linux, mostly all the offerings I like come with Windows pre-installed. Further, most offerings with Linux preinstalled are systems you cannot really run Windows on at all; example; most of the Linux setups I see only c

    • by westlake ( 615356 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @05:44PM (#25605451)
      How many people buy the XP models and subsequently install Ubuntu or some other Linux distro though?

      .

      Not enough to make a difference.

      Never enough to make a difference.

      The OEM system install has been the gold standard in the home and SOHO markets for thirty years.

      You have a warranty.

      You have a service contract.

      If anything goes wrong, it is someone else's problem.

      The geek thinks like a hobbyist. Everyone else is simply out buying a small appliance - and no more interested in installing an OS than in building a bread machine from a kit of parts.

  • news not contrary (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Khashishi ( 775369 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:20PM (#25604335) Journal
    The news that XP models outsell GNU/Linux models 7:3 is not contrary to the news that GNU/Linux models are out of stock, if the ratio of XP models to GNU/Linux models stocked is greater than 7:3.

    Who'da thunk the ratio would be so close?

  • Good idea (Score:5, Insightful)

    by HalAtWork ( 926717 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:21PM (#25604341)
    And since only a few percentage of computers ship with high-end graphics cards, we should just eliminate them altogether. Makes sense now that we're living in the twilight zone. 30% of your userbase asks for something? Who cares!
  • by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:22PM (#25604351)

    I sat posting this on my XP-equipped EeePC 901. Why XP? Because I can't find the Linux version at any store around my area. Whenever I ask whether they'll offer the Linux versions, store managers invariably answer "we won't offer them, they won't sell, people are afraid of non-Windows machine". Can you say chicken and egg?

    Oh and yes, and another thing, the Linux GUIs offered on netbooks are designed for retards. That's also perhaps geeks don't buy them. When I have a minute, I'll install Debian on mine, but even if I had managed to find the Linux Eee, I'd have zapped the original distro.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by dotancohen ( 1015143 )

      Can you say chicken and egg?

      Chicken and leg. That was easy.

      http://dotancohen.com/heb/wallashops.html [dotancohen.com]

    • by Masa ( 74401 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @04:31PM (#25604859) Journal

      Oh and yes, and another thing, the Linux GUIs offered on netbooks are designed for retards. That's also perhaps geeks don't buy them.

      I have an eee PC 901 with Linux. First, the 20 GB SSD is a sweet deal compared to 12 GB with Win XP. Second, the Asus has made excellent job with Xandros Linux to provide easy-to-use, usable-with-everyday-tasks operating system. When I bought my eee PC, I was confident that I'll install Unbuntu eee immediately to it, but now, after a week of use, I actually like the preinstalled Linux. It provides everything I need - and I consider myself a geek - and it has a terminal, which is great, because I don't necessarily need any fancy GUI systems, the shell is enough for most "geek stuff" for me.

      So, in my opinion, the preinstalled Linux is fine for non-geeks. And that's the target audience. But I enjoy it also, and if I some day find it "retarded", I can always install some other Linux distribution and be happy with it. And so can any one geek, who don't like the default installation. So, I don't get your complaint actually at all.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by jonbryce ( 703250 )

      The HP netbook has SuSE Enterprise, so not all netbooks have retarded GUIs.

    • ubuntu-eee.com (Score:5, Informative)

      by tepples ( 727027 ) <tepples@@@gmail...com> on Sunday November 02, 2008 @04:42PM (#25604993) Homepage Journal

      Oh and yes, and another thing, the Linux GUIs offered on netbooks are designed for retards. That's also perhaps geeks don't buy them. When I have a minute, I'll install Debian on mine, but even if I had managed to find the Linux Eee, I'd have zapped the original distro.

      Have you considered Ubuntu Eee [wikipedia.org], based on Ubuntu Netbook Remix?

  • In my country, only XP models are available. All the retail networks here buy them from one or two importers, who only provide XP models.
    That way, they can charge for them almost as much as for real laptops.
    Wasn't this clear from the beginning, when they only started offering XP as a choice? Soon you won't be able to run Linux on them at all, not without tricks like ndiswrapper at least...
  • If Linux is free, and can support any platform x86 or otherwise (not using x86 can save even more money), it has a future on the sub notebook PC. I don't expect the companies in China and else where to care, not as long as they can charge less and tempt customers to buy their goods. Its still selling on dells etc (even after over a year) and if Asus don't satisfy the market some else will.
  • by The Famous Druid ( 89404 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:28PM (#25604403)
    ...it's so hard to find a Linux one.

    I searched the computer retailers of Melbourne for 3 weeks before I found one that had a Linux 901 in stock, and bought their last one.

    Memo to the geniuses of retail: customers can't buy if you don't have stock.
    • by abigor ( 540274 )

      If the demand was there, they'd be ordering them in and placing big signs around the store saying, "Linux EEE sold out - more coming soon!", kind of like they did with the Wii. But there are no such signs, because there is no demand. You are not a typical buyer.

  • Vote "It works". (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Ostracus ( 1354233 )

    "Are Brits more open-minded than the rest of the world when it comes to choosing an OS?"

    Here's a novel thought. Some may prefer a Microsoft OS. Bringing up "but they're closed minded because they didn't pick what I wanted them to pick" just makes your side look bad.

  • Maybe it's cclonlone.com's user base but while waiting to purchase one the Linux versions were always going faster.

    Even if I wanted XP I'd get the Linux version and then install Windows on it to get the extra storage.
  • Contrary to what? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ToasterMonkey ( 467067 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:43PM (#25604519) Homepage

    Contrary, huh? Out of stock could mean the supply was low. Who in their right mind would _overestimate_ sales of Linux clients?
    Sitting on shelves could mean they shipped more than enough. Without knowing how much of each shipped, WTF is the point? Guaranteed, they shipped assloads more with XP than Linux. We just throw supply out the window and pretend demand for Linux is uber high here??

    Look, Linux needs to take off on its own merits, not with silly twisted theories on Slashdot where things are cheerier than they really are. Linux & OSS are going to start getting some black eyes if you all keep pretending it's something it's not.

    • I'm completely aware of the dire situation Linux is in. I also know that Linux is really in some pain right now. We really need the big boys in the Linux world to start playing some serious hardball. If I might ask, Where is Samba 4.0? Active Directory has had dominance for nearly ten years.

      I think we have been focused on survival to long and need to start worrying about victory. Linux really needs to develops some killer applications that take Linux on the offensive.

  • by FranTaylor ( 164577 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:46PM (#25604535)

    Considering that Linux has just about zero advertising, and that people who choose it are embarking on something new and different to them. No, 30% is not bad at all. It will only go up as Linux gets tweaked to run better on this kind of hardware.

    • by thetoadwarrior ( 1268702 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:55PM (#25604609) Homepage
      It's much higher than what than on the desktop market. In fact it's larger than Mac & Linux combined on desktops so I would call it a success. The only reason it's not larger is companies wussed out and started offering XP. However, as far as I can remember the EEE wasn't exactly unpopular before XP came out on it.

      I think it's a case of companies not wanting to pay for support (with XP they probably go to MS for help) and they lack confidence to keep at it.

      What do people do with netbooks that really need Windows? Gaming is pretty much out of the question and let's face it the system is too small to be a main system so how many apps do you really need on it and that can't be found on Linux?
    • by rmcd ( 53236 ) *

      Absolutely. Suppose you had predicted 3 years ago that there would be a class of consumer machine where Linux would have a 30% market share. This would have been considered very good news in the /. community. This is a great success for Linux.

      The interesting question is whether the new Linux buyers are "sticky". If they continue to run Linux, netbooks will be remembered as the initial toehold for Linux on the desktop.

  • eee 1000 (Score:4, Interesting)

    by spandex_panda ( 1168381 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:48PM (#25604551)
    I really like the sound of the 10" 40g SSD linux eee 1000, but it is nowhere to be found on Australian computer selling websites. There are a few for sale on ebay from the US but they come to ~$800 AUD at the current exchange rate.

    I would buy one with Linux installed if given the choice, but would immediately install ubuntu's netbook edition or eeebuntu or whatever seems to be the going version of the moment.

  • by gameguy1957 ( 937850 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:49PM (#25604557)
    Looks like their going to lose sales then. The schools I'm in charge of find the smaller ones better for the students. It's used as an appliance to type, print and for some web browsing. If we wanted a larger sized machine with a hard drive and XP then we'll just buy standard notebooks. If they give us no options in the size we want then we'll just buy several hundred of them from another manufacturer. -JM
  • by BhaKi ( 1316335 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:53PM (#25604585)

    Are Brits more open-minded than the rest of the world when it comes to choosing an OS?

    Microsoft's Lock-In strategies have stopped working in Europe, thanks to European Commission's efforts to make Microsoft play by fair rules.

  • It's as expected (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Kupfernigk ( 1190345 )
    The smaller screen really has no advantages at all - any cost saving is more than outweighed by those missing 224 pixels across - so why have more skus than you need? And the XP thing is obvious. My phone software will not run on Linux. My Palm desktop won't run under Linux. I could probably get my mobile internet modem to work under Linux - but why bother, especially as any problems won't be supported. Why do I want my netbook? Because it works when I travel.

    Sadly, the truth is that when it comes to an app

    • You know, there is nothing wrong with supporting free software without supporting Linux. Linux as a whole lost interest to me. A couple of individuals used it to pervert free software into an anti-Microsoft vehicle, and now the guns are pointed at everything not Linux, like Solaris, Mac, etc. I felt used when I caught up with the real history of free software. I suspect many more would too if they took the time to look it up and forget Linux for a moment.

      Anyway, please don't stop supporting the Linux ke

  • by Peter H.S. ( 38077 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:56PM (#25604621) Homepage

    Where I live the Linux versions of the eeepc 901 are impossible to get, Asus simply refuses to release them. They give no reasons, but it is well known that MS have been very active in negotiating with vendors like Asus in trying to curb Linux version sales. It is interesting to note in this regard how MS has backed down on their "maximum 80GB hdd" for using MS-XP, since Asus are selling 120GB XP version of their eeepc's.

    Anyway, I find it impressive that Linux sales amounts to a whopping 30% of the eeepc's.

    --
    Regards

    • by spyowl ( 838397 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @07:11PM (#25606169)

      Here's what I think happened:

      Several years ago:

      Asus: Hey, MS - we are making 8-9" netbook PCs that are going to be small, hip and cheap; wanna give us a good rate on XP - say $X?
      MS: Hmmphhh... dream on - you guys pay what everyone else pays - $Y! No exceptions! Oh, and by the way, we'll be phasing out the XP, so plan on running and paying for Vista - $Z!
      Asus: OK then, we'll use Linux.
      MS: We've heard that before, good luck!

      Later:

      MS: Hey Asus, your netbook thingies really took off - they have to run XP - we want you to phase out your Linux version.
      Asus: Ummm, can't really do that, sorry.
      MS: We are giving you (and everyone else) XP licensing deal for $X for netbooks! You'd better do it, or we'll screw with your other products - you know how that goes.
      Asus: OK, master, you are the boss, will do.
      MS: Good boy.

  • by Microlith ( 54737 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @03:59PM (#25604645)

    I thought half the draw of the Eee PC wasn't just the price but the size. Why are they going closer and closer to the size of regular laptops and away from the 8" size?

    If they had released a 7" model without the huge bezel around the scree I might have picked one up. Looks like I'll be looking to one of their competitors.

    • If they had released a 7" model without the huge bezel around the scree I might have picked one up.

      The keyboard width can never be greater than the screen width plus the screen bezel width. How do you think you would type on such a tiny PC? I have an Eee 900 with an 8.9" screen, and I had a bit of trouble adapting to its small keyboard. Or were you expecting something like the patented Matias Half Keyboard ($150) [matias.ca]?

    • by ignavus ( 213578 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @09:15PM (#25607125)

      Sadly, it is like cars.

      A manufacturer brings out a small car. Next year, they increase the engine from 1200cc or 1300c to 1500cc. And they switch from 2-door or 3-door to 4-door or 5 door. And so on.

      In a few years, they have to bring out a *new* smaller model, as their "small" model is now too big.

      It is all because people want a "small" model that has "added bigness".

      Come to think of it, the same thing happens with programming languages. We start with a simple, easy-to-use scripting language. Then people say, "But we need this or that feature that more sophisticated languages have". Before you know it, the simple easy-to-use language has grown into yet another complex, high-powered language which only a full time professional can use.

      So someone invents a new simple-to-use language....

  • Aside from the Linpus OS, at least Acer doesn't easily roll over and die when it comes to Microsoft. Honestly, these companies have a chance to compete in the same place Apple is, but they're choosing to play it safe with Microsoft rather than create an environment that would be far superior for them. Yes, its partially the fault of poorly trained salespeople, and poorly targetted and marketed products. So fix that. /typed on an aspire one running linux.
    • How can an OS called 'Linpus' inspire confidence in scared ignorant consumers! At least Ubuntu doesn't sound like the glowing yellow stuff leaking out of giant servers at Linus' house.
  • by PPH ( 736903 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @04:05PM (#25604681)
    My local Porsche dealer is out of stock on their Carrera GTs. Meanwhile, the Ford dealer still has plenty of Fiestas on their lot. May I assume that the GT is outselling the Fiesta?
  • Not True, Flame bait (Score:2, Interesting)

    by cenc ( 1310167 )

    That article, and the one it links to, are misquoting an answer to a conference call question with investors regarding if the netbooks under 10" where competing with the sales of their notebooks over 10". He said no, accept with their very small market for 11" notebooks. He also said nothing about increasing the amount of linux or windows. Just the raw number regarding what was sold.

    Look for the audio recording of the conference call.

    Fore hose this post, they are just baiting the linux community on slashdot

  • I picked up the 120 gig Acer Aspire One last week since my 701 conked out on the display. My question: Why don't they offer a Linux version with the 120 gig or 160 gig drive? I bought the XP version since I know I was going to run out of space on the SSD drive. I actually enjoyed using the Xandros linux distro on the 701, but was dismayed to find out it wasn't free to install on another computer. Would have loved to continued using Linux on the Aspire one, but not with a small hard drive.

  • Linux :( (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Krneki ( 1192201 ) on Sunday November 02, 2008 @05:06PM (#25605167)

    When I bought my eee 10', Linux was not available, so much about freedom of choosing.

    I managed to sell the WinXP licence though.

No amount of careful planning will ever replace dumb luck.

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