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After having to work on customer's Atom netbooks I just can't see why folks like the things. Yeah they're cheap, but so is an old P3 laptop which would frankly give a better experience than the Atom. I swear running an Atom based netbook side by side with my old 1.1Ghz Celeron the decade old Celeron felt snappier than the Atom. And the Nettops are even worse. For the same money I could build a nice Sempron or Athlon that with cool & Quiet wouldn't use much more than the atom and more to the point wouldn't want to make me pull my hair out.

As for your Gateway LT3103u here is some nice benchmarks you may be interested in reading. From the looks of it if I get a netbook I will want an AMD Neo based one. And since AMD has opened up the code I'm sure it won't be long before the AMD netbooks will have good support in Linux. I can't blame you for switching early though, as I wouldn't wish Vista Home Basic on my worst enemy...eeeew!

Question: Have you tried any other distros besides Ubuntu on it? Because I always seemed to get better performance off of PCLinuxOS or Xandros Business on laptops over Ubuntu, probably because of Ubuntu always being bleeding edge. And with PCLinuxOS and their MiniME it is easy to have a custom OS for your Netbook. They not only have the usual Gnome and KDE, but also LXDE(great for laptops IMHO) XFCE and E-17. You might want to give one of them a spin, just to see if it runs better on your gear.

Please, Acer has had 20.1" netbooks since 2006

http://blog.laptopmag.com/msi-upgrading-wind-ram-voids-warranty and http://www.i4u.com/article13439.html partially tell the story. On the older models of the EEE, there was a label saying "warranty void if removed" over the memory area. They eventually made a statement that changed it, but its still a risk on some of the netbooks on if you can upgrade memory.

As long as there is no competing hand held on the horizon [...]

No competition? Think again, buddy. The iPod Touch is a strong competitor for the Nintendo DS and the PSP. Not for all gamers, sure, but there is lots of talk for instance by Joystiq and C|Net comparing the two.

The big thing is that the games for the iPod Touch are very, very cheap compared to the prices for the DS and the PSP. The price difference for professional games like Madden 10 are astounding. Tetris is between zero and two bucks on the iPod Touch, while it grosses more than $30 on the DS. Studio GameLoft produces professional games for the iPod Touch, always around $10.

If I was Nintendo, I'd piss my pants.

OLPC's XO-2 concept was similar to this - a dual panel color touch screen readable outdoors (like the XO-1's single panel non-touch screen). I don't know if they're going forward with the XO-2, but the XO-1.5 is nearing it's unveiling.

ASUS said the same thing about the EeePC return rates.

As far as I can tell, the "higher return rates" source is MSI, who shipped a borked distro. Everyone else seems to be doing swimmingly.

Less ads. Someone needs to write a script that detects such pages and redirects to the print version. Heh, someone probably has; I've never looked.

There is a REASON why MSI was looking at 400% return rates on their Linux netbooks

Considering that they were the only ones to have a 400% return rate, I'm guessing that reason would be that they had a piss-poor distro with tons of bugs.

I know because I had the same thing happen when I tried selling Linux.

Considering that ASUS had no such issues, it kind of refutes your whole hypothesis that it's impossible to sell Linux. My guess is that you had problems similar to MSI.

I really hate to be the bearer of bad new, but ASUS is getting out of the Linux Netbook game. I'm willing to bet my last USD it is because like MSI they saw 400% returns on their Linux product.

You have to give the people what they want. The people want to walk into Best Buy/Staples/Walmart and drop anything in their cart and have it work in Linux. I hate to again be the bearer of bad new but AU is about as opposite as you can get from the USA. here very little works with Linux. Lexmark? BWa ha ha! Those USB TV and Wifi tuners? In your dreams! Those webcams? Maybe, but since most of the cameras "features" are actually in the software, which won't work on Linux, you end up with a camera that only does 1/5th of what is advertised. Not good.

This is why Linux got slaughtered on netbooks, which were practically designed for it. It wasn't a conspiracy, with MSFT paying everybody off, it is because geeks don't think like consumers. As an OEM, which one of these is easier? Trying to walk the user through a huge list of arcane Unix commands and hoping they don't mistype and bork the whole system, or telling them "Google name of device XP driver". I know which one I prefer, because it saves me time and time is money.

I know Linux is supposed to be "free as in beer and freedom" but if you are an OEM selling to Joe and Jane average it will bankrupt you. Sorry, but it is true. There are still way too many devices that don't work, or that will work after endless hoops but with reduced functionality, simple things that would help the user such as "runas" not being included because Linux geeks feel more at home in bash than the GUI, and even the most simple problem there is rarely a default tool to get the job done, and most of the time your answer will be "open up bash and type". When you see that you might as well say "Please go have someone put Windows on it for you. Thanks" because that is what happens. Geeks don't get that for MSFT and Apple users there is NO CLI in their OS. None at all. They have never even used start>run before. To them there is only the GUI. And I'm sorry but Linux just isn't ready for them yet. No Sale.

If I was in your shoes I wouldn't be pushing Linux either, but whenever I see the MSI FUD I feel I have to comment.

I am not one bit surprised that MSI got much higher returns on the Linux version of the netbook as they sourced hardware that wasn't 100% Linux compatible and then shoehorned a SuSE install where several of the devices that were compatible weren't configured correctly. In short, they actually tried to sell a completely broken Linux install, and then had the audacity to blame the returns on Linux.

I'm sure their goal was to meet a certain price point and they simply assumed that people would install their own copy of Windows. If that was the case they should have shipped the box with FreeDOS and left Linux out of it.

Dell, who has done a much better job bundling Linux on its netbooks, has a very different story to tell about returns.

You know, I don't really understand why the Linux guys point to OO.o as a substitute to MS Office when there is Oxygen Office Pro out there also free, which IMHO is a MUCH better substitute for MS Office since it already has the templates and clip art and all the bells and whistles that folks are used to with MS Office.

That said until I can get assurances from the Linux community that a good 90%+ of the items sold in Staples, Best Buy, and Walmart work in Linux I won't be carrying it in my shop. The support costs for home users and Linux is a nightmare and I was looking at 600% return rates compared to Windows. Before you say "Ur doin it wrong" or some other snarky BS I'll point out that MSI was looking at similar numbers, and I bet if you asked them they would tell you consumers buying stuff in the big three retailers and then finding out it will never work was the cause of a great number of returns.

So while Linux is great if you are running a server (its intended task) and wonderful if you are willing to research every single purchase for the life of the machine, that just cut out 95%+ of the market, including all my customers. Sorry, no sale.

Yes Linux works IF, and here is the really fucking big IF, you do research on every single fricking purchase from now until the end of the PCs life. That just cut out a good 95% of the population, including all of my customers. I said customers because yes, I build, repair and sell Windows PCs for a living, so yes I have installed more XP copies than you have had hot meals.

As for installing drivers? It takes about 20 minutes. How? by either using the Windows driver from Universal 2K/XP Driver DVD or Driverpacks. I personally prefer the driver pack from driverpacks.net because it is updates a little more often, but the first one has some of the more obscure drivers included, so it is nice to have both. And in case you haven't tried it lately Windows update actually includes most of the drivers for even slightly popular hardware, so often I don't even need the disc. Hoe much easier do you want?

Have you ever tried selling Linux boxes to REAL folks? I mean average Joes, not geeks with IT experience. I have, and I was looking at 600% return rates. I shouldn't have been surprised as MSI was looking at 400%. That kind of return rate will bankrupt me and therefor I won't be selling anymore Linux machines for at least 2 years. And before the Linux fanboys start modding me to hell or saying "get out of 1998 with your FUD" the last time was right after Ubuntu 9.04 came out.

Now lets have some REAL "get the facts" FACT-Support in Linux for consumer level hardware sucks. I'm sorry but it does and there is a REASON for that, and it ain't a MSFT conspiracy. It is because Linux is currently divided into two factions, and has been since Linux and RMS started snarking at each other. On the one hand you have Linus and the useability camp, and on the other RMS and "everything must be free!" hardcore believers that treat Linux as a religion and not just an OS. BTW, if you want to look it up(too fucking tired ATM) RMS uses a Loongson ARM Netbook because he refused to use a PC without even the BIOS being "free"! And unfortunately there are enough "true believers" to make sure you NEVER get even 1/3rd the driver support for Windows.

You see, if I am a hardware manufacturer I can write just 4 Windows drivers and have every consumer OS covered from 1998-2014, with ZERO out of pocket after the drivers have been written: I just have my guys write a Win98/ME, a Win2K/XP32, a WinXP64/Vista 64, and a WinVista32/Win732. Because Win7 can use WinVista drivers I have just covered every Windows users for 14 years with no more out of pocket. I simply can't do that on Linux? Why? Because the RMS believers will NEVER allow you to have a stable ABI in Linux, that's why. Because if there was a stable ABI Linux could actually have working binary drivers from all those companies that now refuse to support Linux, and frankly will continue to refuse to support Linux as long as you demand full hardware specs and code. Sorry, if the choice is opening our hardware and code and risking a patent troll lawsuit or not supporting Linux? Well then Linux don't get supported, just as it isn't now.

Finally for proof why Linux can't be sold to home consumers, I offer the "hairyfeet challenge" where I will prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that despite its flaws Windows beats Linux for home consumers and non IT types. Ready? From this moment on you are my consumer, who has just bought a Kubuntu box from me. You must NOT do research before you go shopping, because home users don't research anything than is less expensive than a car. Ready? Open three browser tabs. You are now three consumers who just bought Kubuntu. Now go to Walmart.com, Bestbuy.com, and Staples.com. Those are the big three for PC gadgets. Now buy these three items by putting them into your cart, which are the items that are most requested

I sell personal computers, and frankly i make a pretty good living at it. I have no desire to stock all in one printers and scanners and wifi cards and all the other stuff that you are suggesting. the margins in those markets suck if you don't buy in Walmart sized quantities.

As for your other suggestion? How exactly do you expect me to "force" the customers to obey my purchasing rules,emmm? If I have to sit there at $25 an hour and trawl forums with a list in my hand of every device sold at the local Staples and Walmart, how exactly am I supposed to make up that money? can't charge it to the customers as it makes your "free OS" suddenly more expensive than Windows. And even if I do all you ask, even then the customers is STILL going to go out and buy whatever they want at Walmart if there is a sale on. And when it doesn't work it'll be brought to you because that new PC is under warranty and you need to "fix" it. But of course there is NO way to fix it. So you either -A- Give them the money back and eat the difference between what the unit sold as new and what you'll be able to sell it now used, or -B- You tell them too bad and soon your rep is so bad nobody will buy from you. Or of course you can go -C-and add in the cost of XP Home and suddenly those support costs just disappear.

You see the problem is you and many other Linux users think Linux is "better" and therefor your customers will be grateful that you rid them of the evil MSFT. Sorry, but they won't be grateful at all. They won't be grateful because they are suddenly looking at either having to call you anytime they make a purchase, which of course you'll have to charge them for because folks hate those support contracts which places like Best Buy try to ram down your throat, and because they simply can't shop like they used to anymore because a good 80% of the items sold for PC in Staples, Best Buy, and Walmart simply won't work without major CLI hacking if at all.

Tell you what---You seem to be a bright fellow, why don't you try selling a couple of Linux boxes? Don't need a shop to do that. Sell some and see how many end up getting returned. MSI was looking at a 400% return rate, but I'm sure that you can find a way around that, right? I'm sorry but Linux guys seem to think the world is the opposite of what it is. Most users don't give a flying fart about "freedom of source" or monopoly, which is why Windows and OSX have the market tied up. Most users ONLY care for being able to walk into a store, buy anything they desire without research, and have it work when it gets home. And I'm sorry to say unless you are talking about server or enterprise hardware a lot of times in Linux it just don't, which is why I had 600% return rates, even after trying to steer my customers shopping habits. Sorry, No Sale.

But you did research before making hardware purchases, yes? You see, there is the catch. Joe and Jane Public NEVER do research on anything less expensive than a car. They walk into best buy and go "Oohhh sale!" and add it to their cart.

Here, try the "hairyfeet challenge" and see for yourself. Open up three tabs in your browser. go to Walmart.com, Bestbuy.com, and Staples.com. These are the big three when it comes to retail PC peripherals sales. Now in each store you place these three things, which are the big sellers here, and NO RESAERCH!. Remember, you are an average consumer. No cheating! Ready? An all in one printer, a USB Wifi stick, and a USB TV Tuner. Now if you want this simulation to be accurate, buy the cheapest, as most consumers buy on price. Now go to...lets say Ubuntu, go to their forums and see if the nine items you just "purchased" as three average shoppers works. Go on, I'll wait.

They don't work, do they? I'll wager you won't get a whole cart out of the store without doing research. I'm sure you also avoided lexmark to try to tip the odds in your favor even though a consumer wouldn't know about lexmark support and wouldn't do that. You see, Linux is GREAT for servers and the enterprise markets. It is great because major corporations spend major bucks on making damned sure that server hardware "just works". But they don't give a flying fart about home users. So just like how you saw how Asus is phasing out Linux and even Canonical admits that Linux netbooks suffer higher return rates you will see more companies try Linux and then abandon it. Why? because the stuff that is sold in the above stores don't work in Linux, that's why. And when it don't work they say the PC is "broken" and come wanting their money back. It is just that simple.

So while I truly support Linux as a server OS, and even as a desktop OS for those that are willing to spend the time and effort to research every product and go CLI whenever something goes wrong, the simple fact is that isn't going to fly in the mainstream markets. If you have to do ANY CLI it is a dealbreaker, just as if you can't support the new gadget they just got at Best Buy they will return the PC. I'm sorry, but the average users is not going to be willing to learn CLI or do research on every single purchase. They're just not going to do it because they don't give a flying fart about "free as in freedom" or "the M$FT monopoly" all they care about is does their stuff work, and you are deluding yourself if you think you can get them to change for Linux. And if their consumer level stuff doesn't work your OS is "free as in worthless" and they'll be taking it back for a Windows machine. Sorry, No Sale.

I think you're missing the point. I'm not extolling OSS virtues and I have no delusions that somehow oss software is a panacea to the world's problems. I fully understand how important consistency is and I have actually done customer support.

Obviously you haven't thought this through otherwise you would notice that having a consistent interface and a standard set of packages with expected functionality is exactly what Asus have done (for example).

If you are suggesting that just because it is not the same interface as what people may have used in the past then that is somehow wrong, or prone to problems or hard to learn is self defeating. You will never get anywhere with an attitude like that.

As a company having your own interface and complete control over what runs, how the interface looks, behaves and how the user interacts with it is a huge boon, not a disadvantage.

I'm very sorry you think of anything different as scary but obviously the rest of the world does not agree with you and Asus has the sales to prove it.

If people are intimidated by it and it is so hard to learn then how on earth did it get rave reviews and millions of sales?
It's quite easy, as I'm sure you are well aware, to spread fear of "bad scary monsters" but the actual _evidence_ suggests otherwise.

And just in case you are too lazy to go google the thing for yourself, here you go:

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/news.phtml/18560/asus-boss-reveals-eee-sales.phtml

http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-ceo-reveals-eee-pc-sales-numbers-plans-for-touch-eee-pcs-and-more-eee-family-products

Next time how bout doing some research hmm? Also note the some million units sold in the first quarter were mostly Linux based versions..

Hmmmm.....Let me translate that into English. Not my fault, shitty coders, all companies suck that can't right teh awsemez Linux code, etc. funny how the have NO problem whatsoever with writing Windows drivers that work year after year after year. Hmmmm...usually when someone goes around screaming "it's not my fault!" to every problem, you know what? It really is. As my Grandpa used to say(RIP) "excuses are like assholes, everybody has one and they all stink". Will those excuses make my customers printers work? How about their scanner? Fax? USB Tuner? Your excuses won't make the hardware go. if the hardware don't go, nobody will use the OS,okay? it is really simple like that.

And your "evidence" is some blogger in Australia whining "teh M$FT is cheatin!". That is you evidence? You have to be kidding right? You want to know why Linux has bombed on the Netbook, how about we take the word of Canonical, the creators of Ubuntu instead? Quote-"We don't know what the XP return rates are. But I will say that the return rate is above normal for netbooks that offer open-source operating systems," But we do know what the return rate for Linux compared to Windows is for MSI, it is 400%. Do you think ANY corp can survive with a 400% return rate? Or how about ASUS, who started the Netbook market with the EEE? What do you say to the fact that phasing out Linux across the board? Are you going to claim "teh evils M$FT backed up teh moneyz truk!".

Please. We know why they are doing this, it is because the market has spoken with 400% return rates that your OS isn't ready for home users. And you know what, it really isn't. you can't fix even the simplest problems without CLI or editing config files for really simple stuff like setting the resolution on a monitor, less than 15% of the devices sold in Walmart, Staples, and Best Buy have any support in your OS AT ALL, and due to the chaotic nature of the Linux underpinnings writing drivers that will last long term without divulging your source or constantly rewriting them is virtually impossible.

So why as a retailer would I want to sell your OS again? So I can put every sale of a Linux system in escrow in case they return it? So I can refuse to sell machines without the customers buying a lifetime support contract for said machine? So I can stock countless printers, all in ones, TV tuners, and a whole other bunch of stuff I don't want to deal with just for the "privilege" of hoping I can sell a bundle deal and having my gut tied in knots every time there is a new Ubuntu release for fear that half of my devices won't work anymore? Tell you what, if Linux is such a great OS, why don't you sell some Linux boxes? Ads in most papers are totally free. And you Linux guys are all about the DIY thing, right? But you won't and we both know why. It is because nearly every box you sell will be returned by an angry customer wanting their money back when their new printer from Staples doesn't work

. And THIS is why Linux will stay a niche. Not because of the evil M$FT, not because nobody will give your OS a chance, it is because they have and have found that for home users Linux sucks. I'm sorry, but your support for home gear is piss poor at best. I don't make reality, I just live in it. And all the excuses in the world won't give you an extra 1% market share. But hey, there is always next year, right?

Sorry to replay to myself, but i am so tired of seeing linux users marking me down when they have NO way to dispute what I am saying. Comparing Linux to OSX is like comparing a 1979 AMC International to a brand new Ferrari. With the Ferrari you are paying top dollar, but you have plenty of dealerships to buy supported gear from. With Linux, just like the AMC, the ONLY support you will get is from other owners. The only difference is the AMC owner doesn't deride you for owning a Ford.

Type in "Windblowz" into Google and see how many forum posts you find deiriding a Windows user. Post after post after post. Why is that? Because there is a very large and vocal part of the Linux community that WANTS Linux to stay a niche. They consider it "leet" and "roxorz!" that Linux is difficult from a usability standpoint and takes research for every little hardware purchase. Just as many a Mac owner would leave in mass if Macs became cheap like Dells, so do the "hardcore" Linux users want to make sure that Windows "luzerz" don't play in their sandbox.

But don't worry, hardcore Linux users! The major corps have already seen what a support nightmare Linux is with its 400% return rate and are abandoning Linux. Case in point, ASUS, who started the whole Netbook craze with the EEE running Linux, has stated they are phasing out Linux completely. So have no fear, with a total lack of support your OS can remain "leet" and have nothing to do with those "nasty" Windows users. Enjoy your 1%! Meanwhile OSX and Windows 7 will give the consumers what they want, which is an OS with drivers and no CLI or research required.

Oh and feel free to mod me down ALL you want! Have fun! I have enough karma to burn, and I am tired of all this "Linux is ready for the home users" BS when practically nothing being sold in any of the major retailers will actually work in your OS. So unless your "home users" have servers with enterprise network printers I really don't think they are going to be going Linux anytime this decade, do you?

Actually it IS the community and they are 100% at fault. Do you want to know why? here you go, it is actually VERY simple. I am a hardware manufacturer, and I want to support an OS. If I go with Windows I only have to write THREE drivers and I have past, present and future support for the platform. No more money out of pocket, no need to pay developers to continue support for the device, none at all. I just have my software driver developers write a Win98/ME driver, and Win2K/XP driver, and a Vista/7 driver and I am done. If I want to be nice I have them throw in a 64 bit XP/Vista driver and I have even the niches covered.

Can I do that in Linux? Nope a chance in hell. I can't do that because Linux has NO stable ABI or framework for me to write devices to. None at all. I can't even be assured that my device driver will work in six months when Ubuntu puts out their next release, as seen on the amount of posts on the forums that say "Ubuntu x.xx broke my device foo" and you see those posts over and over and over again. Instead of fixing anything they just keep cranking out new versions. Pretty much zero backwards compatibility there, especially at the driver level. Everything from the kernel on up is in a constant state of flux. Trying to write device drivers for Linux is like trying to hit a dartboard with a live bumblebee. Theoretically it is possible, but I wouldn't want to try to do it.

So instead of freezing development and working to create a stable platform, Linux just keeps on changing the underpinnings at a break neck pace. And then you add in the hostility of binary blobs and is it any wonder why you don't have drivers? The vast majority of companies will NEVER release their specs to you, okay? Never gonna happen. So unless you give them a rock solid stable platform to target they simply are going to ignore you, just like they do now. They can release just 4 drivers and know with confidence that pretty much any Windows user on the planet can use their device. The last capture card I bought supported from Win98 to Vista64, and it did that with just five drivers. A Win98/ME, a Win2K/XP32, an XP64, and a Vista32/64 driver. And since Vista drivers work on Win7(since it is just Vista SP3) they can be assured that their device will be able to be sold until 2014 or later without needing to do anymore work.

Until Linux can say the same thing you honestly can't expect hardware manufacturers to support you. They are not going to bend over backwards for such a tiny niche, and they certainly aren't going to release their specs or spend good $$$$ on keeping full time developers in order to support every device they make in Linux. Because as surely as the sun rises any binary driver they release now won't work in 2 years, possibly even less. Oh, and before you say "ATI"? The ONLY reason you are seeing the specs on ATI hardware is because they and Nvidia are both competing in the HPC market, which spends high dollar on top of the line hardware to run massive mathematical computations and use Linux for a simple CLI environment to maximize the amount of power left for computations. You have absolutely nothing to offer the consumer market. Your platform isn't stable, it is a PITA to write drivers for, which will need to be constantly updated because the underpinnings shift like the sand, and they get derided for even releasing a driver if it is a binary blob.

So hold on to that dream pal, it won't make it reality. And Netbooks? Windows OWNS the Netbook market with over 90% while Ubuntu sees a 400% return rate on Linux Netbooks. And that is a nearly decade old MSFT OS against the latest Ubuntu. What happens when Win7, which I have tried and it is really a good OS, comes into the Netbook market? You and I know what happens-Linux gets its ass handed to it. Sorry, but that is reality. So if you expect Netbooks to help you...well you have already lost. Thanks for playing. Maybe next year,huh?

Until he walk into Best Buy, Staples, or Walmart to buy a device for his new system and finds out that consumer level hardware support in Linux is practically non existent. In a server or enterprise setting Linux is top drawer. It works because companies like Red Hat and Novell spend good money to make sure there are drivers for the server and enterprise hardware. Pretty much the only "support" you get for consumer level hardware in Ubuntu or any other Linux is either some guy on a forum trying to nicely say 'I'm sorry, but your new device will NEVER work. You should have come here and done research before you purchased, which you will have to do with every single device you buy from now on." or worse "LOL Winjunk! LOL Windblowz!". This of course translates to the consumer as "Please return the machine immediately and demand Windows, which actually has drivers for your device."

Here are some facts- FACT- You will NEVER get consumers to research before buying hardware. They are not going to do it, and you are frankly deluding yourself if you honestly expect them to. FACT- The reason the above mentioned stores carry so much PC peripherals is NOT because they are unpopular, it is because they are three of the largest retail stores and make quite a handsome profit from consumers buying such devices from them. FACT- Consumer level support in Linux sucks. I'm sorry but it does. And saying "But but but-They won't give us the specs or support us!" is just an excuse and the consumer frankly doesn't care. If the device doesn't work it is YOUR FAULT and they will return your "broken" OS for Windows which has top notch support for consumer hardware. FACT- Even on netbooks, which were practically designed around the strengths of Linux, a nearly decade old MSFT OS now owns over 90% of the market and Ubuntu has a 400% return rate compared to Windows. And that is a nearly decade old MSFT OS VS brand new Ubuntu. This makes it a support nightmare and gives OEMs a good reason not to carry it.

Accept these facts. Accept them, and work to fix them. Demand an NDISwrapper for all in ones. Demand that corporations that take from the community and only give back to the server market like Red Hat and Novell spend a little of the large profits they are making on giving Linux a chance to grow. And make damned sure that at LEAST 80% of the devices sold in the above stores work in Linux, and strive for 100%. Do these things and Linux has a shot. Otherwise Linux will continue to stay at 1% marketshare while the rest of the world passes you by. I mean come on, Vista sucked the big wet titty and you couldn't even gain marketshare against THAT. If that doesn't tell you that Linux has some serious problems then nothing will.

I'm sure it is great in the Enterprise market, but in the home and SMB markets? It is a royal can of suck. I'm sorry, but it's true. if you would like proof go to Bestbuy.com, Staples.com, and Walmart.com and buy any of the following WITHOUT doing research. You see home and SMB customers will NEVER do research, or spend hours trawling some forum to find out if device foo works on distro barr. They just walk into one of the above stores and buy based on price and features. Now try buying an all in one printer, a USB TV Tuner, and a Wifi USB stick. Remember-NO RESEARCH. Now go to distro foo and see if device barr you just got at Walmart works. I'll wait-

What is that? It don't work? Welcome to my reality. Pretty much zip you buy at the above stores works for the consumer. It is actually easy to explain. It is because Red Hat and Novell and the other companies writing Linux drivers only care about server and enterprise support. And as much as you'd like to believe it, I'm afraid that unless real money is spent on consumer hardware support those drivers aren't going to be written by some guy in his basement. Real support takes real money that simply isn't being spent on Linux. That is why even Ubuntu, the darling of the Linux community, is seeing a 400% higher return rate than Windows. For an OEM that is a dealbreaker.

So can we please just stop that "Linux is ready for home users" BS already? Unless your average home user consists of someone with a server and a $1000 enterprise network printer the facts just don't support it. There is simply way too much hardware being sold that has no support whatsoever in Linux. And you will never ever get Joe SMB or Sally home user to trawl forums and do research just to go buy a doodad at Walmart. It just isn't going to happen and you are deluding yourself if you believe it ever will. If you want the home and SMB markets you need at least 80% of the doodads that are sold at Walmart, Staples, and Best Buy to "just work".

And please don't say "But but but... they won't support us or open their specs!". Welcome to reality, where life is hard and nobody cares. The SMB and home users certainly doesn't give a shit about "free as in beer or freedom" when nothing they own or pick up at Walmart actually works. And they don't care about your excuses either. To them your "free OS" is "free as in worthless" if they can't print. Sorry, but it is true. On servers, it is a different ballgame. Linux is rock solid stable with excellent support. I would recommend Linux without a doubt for a server setup. But for home users it just sucks. Sorry.

Uuuhhh I haven't actually seen a customer with an analog TV tuner in ages. Like MCE and XP X64 i'm sure they are out there, they are just too tiny a niche. it is because most analog tuners I have seen are PCI based, which means the user would have to open the case. users don't open the case, ever. They get one of those nice USB sticks that they sell at Staples and best buy. they come with a little CD, with a nice lady or gentlemen that holds their hand and walks them through everything/ can't get more simple than that. On Linux they would either get told "make&&make clean&&make install" or "open up bash and type' some God awful command list. Not friendly, not very friendly at all.

As for why i don't stock all the peripherals and sell those as well? it is what we in the business call "the laptop problem". You see, when I see a competitor try to start stocking and selling laptops, it makes me happy. it makes me happy because I'm going to lose a competitor and when he has his "going out of business" sale I can load up on all kinds of stuff at rock bottom prices! You see the nature of the PC landscape is changing SO fast that what I pay top dollar for today will be worth half that tomorrow, and 1/4 of that in 3 months. Now let us look at what I would be doing if I went by "your" plan-

Make sure I spend days on Ubuntu forums finding out which all in one, which cheap printer, which wifi stick, which TV tuner USB stick, etc work on Ubuntu this week, go out and buy those, keep them in inventory and hope I can move them for a profit, and hope and pray that the customer doesn't have a single bit of legacy anything at home they might want to use with their new PC. oh, and let's not forget to push expensive support contracts on them like they do at Best Buy, and after doing all that then spend days of my own time trawling Ubuntu forums with a knot in my gut praying that the latest update hasn't permanently broken support for some piece of hardware I have sold my customer or have sitting there on the shelf.

Now let us compare selling that same customer WinXP. Take the fat wad of cash for the new PC, not have to worry about legacy crap because the odds that they have something that is still working that doesn't have XP drivers is virtually nil,no need to push support contracts that the customer most likely doesn't want, and if the customer wants me to pick up some doodad and install it with their new box? I say "That will be $x including installation" and pick add to cart on Newegg. No trawling forums, no need to keep a pile of inventory or spend hours trying to get foo to work because Ubuntu update bar completely boned it, just deposit my cash and enjoy my stress free day.

Now why would I want to sell your OS again? It isn't because my customers will love me for it, in fact most will be pissed when they go to Walmart despite you telling them not to and getting burned on some doodad. After all it worked in their LAST computer, but it doesn't work in YOUR computer. Huh, it must be your fault! I want my money back! That is why Linux sees a 400% return rate and why guys like me can't sell your OS. i'm sure you will now make some snarky comment about how i must be a bad PC builder for not being able to support your niche OS without going bankrupt, but considering i have customers lining up and telling all their friends to go plunk down $500+ to have me build them a nice new XP box I must be doing something right,huh? It is called "know your customers and the customer is always right".

The customer doesn't WANT to have to pay you for the entire life of the machine. They don't WANT to deal with repositories, or CLI, or having to do research before buying every little doodad. They WANT to walk into any store in America and pick up any doodad on the shelf and have it work without having to call you first. When you can give me an 80% assurance that they will be able to do that, and companies l

Sorry to reply to my own post, but I'm so fucking tired of being marked down when I mention the Linux emperor has no clothes. I can give you 100% PROOF that Linux is NOT ready for the home consumer. Ready? here goes-Go to Walmart.com, Staples.com, and Best Buy.com, while you are there put an all in one printer, a USB wifi stick, and a USB TV card in the basket. Do NOT do any research what so ever. You are a home consumer and they don't do research. In fact just pick the first one you see in each category. Now go to Ubuntu forums, or PCLinuxOS, or whichever distro floats your boat. Find out if the new doodads you just bought will actually work when you get home. Go on, I'll wait.

What's that? They don't work? And the ones that do will require 2 dozen strings of Unix commands in the CLI and MAYBE it will work? Welcome to the reason why Linux has a 400% return rate and why retailers like me won't carry or support it. It isn't like we hate Linux or it is some secret deal where MSFT rolls up a money truck to our back door. It is because support for home gadgets in Linux frankly stinks, big time. Now don't go blaming lack of open specs, or the bad MSFT monopoly, or the fact that manufacturers don't support you. Because consumers honestly don't give a shit. If it doesn't work it is YOUR FAULT and the PC will be returned for one that "works" which means Windows.

So don't get mad at me because YOUR OS don't work. And I'm sure if all consumers had enterprise gear piled up around their homes Linux would be top drawer. That is because all the money is being spent to support server hardware. I actually feel pity for the Linux at home advocates, I really do. They are like a preacher trying to build a flock while the repo man is hauling off the furniture. "It'll get better! Trust Me!" but the simple fact is it won't. Why? M.O.N.E.Y is why. All these big corps that support Linux don't care about you and certainly don't give a crap about the desktop. All they care about is the server. So don't blame the shops for pushing MSFT when your own community is hamstringing you by not spending the money developing the drivers that Linux requires to get beyond 1% of the home users. Because you can have the best damned security in the world, if the consumers printer don't print your OS is getting tossed. I don't make reality, I just live in it.

Okay, I'll play. let us say we set up your "magix low cost dream Linux box" okay? And I just sold it to Joe Bob, who thinks it is pretty and fast. Do you know what happens now? I'll tell you what happens now. he goes to Walmart to get a printer for his pretty new box but oops! Nothing under $200 at the local Walmart works on Linux! But Joe Bob don't know that and picks up a Lexmark.

Now you tell me, oh wise one, how do I magically "correct" that problem? Do I go "LOL Winprinterz!" because nobody in the Linux world has bothered to write an Ndiswrapper for printers? And don't you dare say bundle, because the cost of bundling an all in one that supports Linux just blew your "lost cost" to shit and suddenly he is paying MORE than if he just got a Windows box. The cheapest all in one that I could find that had rock solid linux support was a $120 HP model. XP Home costs $89. So I can give him XP Home and an extra RAM stick and still have a couple of bucks in my pocket. Remember, the user don't give a rat's ass about the "evil" M$ monopoly, they are just shopping on price.

But hey, don't take MY word for it, with my 15 years in PC work, try it yourself. Go online and find the parts for a dual core rig. Now spend God knows how many hours trawling forums to find out if the Mobo hardware is supported. And you have to be exact you know, as chips can change between revs. I have seen a Rev1 with a Broadcom and a Rev2 with a Realtek. Remember if you can't get it to work you are stuck with it, so do your research! And now that you've done that, go and find an all in one printer. Now go and trawl the forums of whichever distro you've done all that research on and make DAMNED sure that it is supported! Remember, you are stuck with it if it don't work! Research! Now figure in the hours that you have put in on research, lets be easy and say $7 an hour. Add in the cost of the printer, all the parts, shipping, and lets say 2 hours to put the thing together and another hour or two to do the updates and tweaks.

You know what I bet you'll find? You just spent MORE cash than you would have simply clicking the "add to cart" button on XP Home. And for what? Do you think the users are gonna bow at your feet because you have "freed" them from teh evil M$FT monster? Nope, as a matter of fact your support is gonna go through the roof as they constantly bring the thing back because this or that doesn't work like their old one did. And remember you don't get to charge them for all these extra hours of support or they will just go down the street to Jim who will happily wipe that box and put Windows on it and make their headaches go away!

Well my dear grasshopper, I hope you enjoyed your reality check and can see now why Linux has a 4 times higher return on Netbooks, which were practically designed around Linux's strengths, compared to a decade old MSFT OS. It ain't your fault, Linux isn't made for home users. it ain't made for home users because all the big bucks are being spent by Red Hat and Novell on server hardware driver support. Which is why I kinda feel sorry for those Linux fans that try to push it for the home. It is like watching a preacher trying to build a congregation while the repo man is taking the pews and the choir books. You see Red Hat says there ain't no money in the desktop. And where Red Hat goes the other follow. Hell even Ubuntu now has a server edition because that's where the money is at.

So don't feel bad. Your own developers are hamstringing you by not bothering to support consumer hardware. But please don't blame MSFT when your own team is stabbing you in the back. The fact that you got this far with zero budget is commendable. But without some serious money put into it Linux will still be a teeny tiny niche on the desktop.

But it IS COMPLETELY valid, and you both just broke rule #1 and didn't even catch it. Here let me repeat it for you.....1.-You ain't NEVER gonna get home users to do 'research" before they go shopping. It ain't gonna hapn, capn.

You see, you and the poster you are replying to are perfect example of breaking rule #1, which is why I have such a hard time getting Linux guys to look at the problems. Look at you own post, quote "I did the upgrade after using 8.04 and working (somewhat) fine, to find it very fast and everything, but now I can't save my sessions (so the panel icons keep moving around and won't stay where I want them) and sound from Flash won't work (so no YouTube, etc). I go to forums and stuff but still, no one has been able to help me with it. And sound is one of the recurring issues I've had with all distros tested."

Now let us be totally honest here: is there ANYBODY here that thinks billy joe bob and velma home users are going to do THAT damned much work and research just to be "free" of MSFT? Nope, not a chance in hell. They will do absolutely diddly squat except walk into Walmart and buy the first all in one that catches their eye. They will bring in home and when the new Dell "home Linux" doesn't fricking work they are gonna be calling having a damned fit because their "last" Dell worked and this "crummy" one don't. And Dell will have them pack it up and will ship out a Windows one. Score-Windows1 Linux Bumpkiss.

Now I know how hard it is not to think like a geek. Hell I'm one myself. I think there is no more enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon that building a nice dual core PC. I like to learn new tricks, like to tweak my OS and programs, like picking up new hardware to make my PC do new things(BTW if anybody knows where to get an XP X64 driver for an Easy TV FM capture card let me know). But that is NOT how Joe Bob and Velma are. To them the PC is an appliance, like a TV or a toaster. When you need something for it you grab the first or cheapest thing at Walmart and if it don't work you say something is wrong with the PC and take it in to be fixed. And if you just bought it and they tell you your brand new printer won't work on your brand new PC? Then you ask for your money back because it is defective. Then you go out and get a Windows one because it works.

Now I'm not some MSFT fanboy, as much as many here would doubt me. I miss the days of OS2 and Amiga and Apple System when each machine had its niche and fans. I want Linux to succeed so that I can place low cost Linux machines right next to the Windows boxes. I truly believe if it wasn't the support nightmare from hell that the better security of Linux would be great for those that simply surf and download. But to paraphrase another poster, I just want to sell the box, not be the customers "geek squad" for the life of that machine. I don't want to have to trawl forums every single fricking time that Judy needs a fricking printer. With Windows I set up the AV and antispy and then once it leaves the store I'm done. With Linux the second it leaves the store the hurt is only beginning.

Until you can promise guys like me that Joe Bob and Velma can go shopping in Walmart WITHOUT research or having to spend hours on forums looking up "distro x" and the name of the hardware just to get something that works then it simply isn't ready for the vast majority of home users. And don't bitch when nobody sells preinstalled Linux when they are gonna be looking at 4 times higher return rates than with Windows. I bet if you talked to the support guys authorizing those returns a good 80%+ are because some piece of hardware they picked up in (insert Walmart, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depo) doesn't work. So while I'm glad Linux works for you until they hardware that home users pick up in Walmart is supported it simply isn't ready for middle America and it isn't ready to be sold at my shop. Sorry, just the way the support cookie crumbles.

Microsoft is pushing this FUD about Linux on netbooks because their're shit-scared of the next wave of ARM-powered minis which won't run their software at all.

This is what Dell REALLY has to say about Linux on netbooks;

Dell attributes part of the Linux growth to competitive pricing on the Ubuntu SKUs. "When you look at the sweet spot for this category it is price sensitivity, and Linux enabled us to offer a lower price entry point," added Dell senior product manager John New.

According to Dell, the the return rate of Ubuntu running Mini 9s are comparable to the XP rate, which we are told is "very low." "Our focus has been making sure that before the order is taken is that the customer knows what he is getting," New added.

http://blog.laptopmag.com/one-third-of-dell-inspiron-mini-9s-sold-run-linux

But you are talking about the SAME morons that send major money and CC info in 419 scams, buy "penis enlargement pills' through spam, and do tons of other REALLY dumb shit. Would putting these morons on Linux help? Nope, because once the malware writer realized that Linux had the morons they would hit it like a pimp slapping a hooker.

There is pretty much ZERO attacks out there for OS2 and BeOS right now, would users be smart to switch? Nope, because their hardware don't work. I think Linux is GREAT on a server, on in an enterprise environment. But the simple fact is the majority of home user gear simply don't work in Linux. If you do try to switch home users it will either A-Cost them more to replace all their gear than it would to get a Mac, or B- be such a damned support nightmare because the average user will never understand why they can't shop at Walmart.

So don't blame MSFT for having the lion's share of the market. The simple fact is for 85-90% of the home users Linux sucks. Sorry, but that is a fact. I work retail and have tried 4 times in the last 4 years to sell Linux boxes. It is a support nightmare from hell. That is why Netbooks which were practically built for Linux has seen 90% marketshare go to a nearly TEN year old MSFT OS why sites brag about Linux reaching a whole 1%..

Why is that? How could a nearly decade old insecure OS stomp the crap out of a brand new Linux distro? because for home users Linux sucks, sorry but it is true. Nothing in Walmart works, most of the gear in Staples and Best Buy under $200 won't work either. Accept it, work to fix it, make an easy migration path for users. Because having the most secure OS in the world ain't gonna help you if you can't even fricking print. THIS is why you can't get the clueless Windows users that could actually benefit from the increased security, and anybody with half a brain can run Windows safely and therefor enjoy the wide support and range of programs and games written for Windows.

So if you want to keeping harping about MSFT security and the 'ease" of Linux, go right ahead. When the user gets their new netbook or desktop home and find it can't print it will go back and a Windows machine will take its place. Which is why even the uber popular Ubuntu is seeing a 4 times higher return rate than Windows. It is just too much of a PITA. Sorry but there is a REASON why Windows is #1, and it is because for home users Linux sucks. Sorry.

Fine, you want links:

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1228455&cid=27907337

I found that one by googling "acer Eee PC returns"

and this one:

http://blog.laptopmag.com/one-third-of-dell-inspiron-mini-9s-sold-run-linux

I got from googling "dell mini9 linux sales"

Next time you can do your OWN fact checking.

If Linux netbooks aren't ready to go out of the box, the vendors are doing a poor job.

And this is exactly what we saw.

Acer said they got lots of Linux returns, but ASUS says the opposite

The statistic about 4x return rates was for MSI Wind only. This could be due to problems with SUSE on their particular hardware configuration. Conversely, Dell claims that their return rates for Windows and Linux are about the same. http://blog.laptopmag.com/one-third-of-dell-inspiron-mini-9s-sold-run-linux

Also Canonical claims that "Continually repeating that we 'confirmed' a 4x return over XP when we did nothing of the sort is really not worthy of a great company like Microsoft." http://blog.canonical.com/?p=151

LingNoi says: It also burned a lot of companies with the high rate of return on Linux laptops.

Lehk228 says: do you have any evidence of this?

Cheapy says: http://blog.laptopmag.com/ubuntu-confirms-linux-netbook-returns-higher-than-anticpated

Thanks for the link. I see where TFA linked to says "The customer will get their netbook sent to their home and they imagine to find something like a Microsoft desktop, but they see a brown Ubuntu version."

Falcon

http://blog.laptopmag.com/ubuntu-confirms-linux-netbook-returns-higher-than-anticpated

IIRC Acer's VP said that returns of their Linux netbooks are 30% higher than the Windows versions, however ASUS's CEO says that return rates for EeePcs are the same for Linux models as for Windows

This probably reflects a difference between Acer and ASUS. Acer netbooks are sold as small notebooks, while the Eee aren't really sold as notebook replacements, but rather as their own, separate type of computer. Basically, people expect the Eee to be different than their Windows notebook or desktop, and so aren't immediately put off by the interface, whereas Acer customers are sold a "tiny laptop computer", buy the Linux version, and get upset when it's not exactly like what they're used to.

I'm not positive that computerworld got their numbers right on that. About a month or so back, there was an interview with a Dell guy who said that a third of their netbook sales (mini 9) were ubuntu and that they were experiencing very low rates of returns on the hardware.

Here's a link.
http://blog.laptopmag.com/one-third-of-dell-inspiron-mini-9s-sold-run-linux
I originally read the interview from a more reputable source, but I'm unable to dig up the original.

As an aside, I'm not positive about the 1/3 number either. The statements 'windows is killing linux on the netbook' and 'linux is killing windows on the netbook' serve different crowds. Everybody wants to spin the numbers to their own ends. It's kind of hard to get good solid data on this.

Yes MSI Wind has a much higher return rate for its Linux netbooks. Asus, on the other hand (which sells far more netbooks) says that returns are about the same for both Linux and XP.

Blame Linux if you want, but the real problem lies with the crappy job MSI did putting Linux on its netbook. I don't know if they are still doing it but their original Linux preloads didn't even support all of the hardware on the netbook. Either way, it's not like MSI Wind has stopped offering Linux. A few years ago getting a laptop pre-loaded with Linux was impossible. With the netbooks everyone offers Linux, even when it is pretty clear that they hope it fails.

http://blog.laptopmag.com/msi-wind-coming-to-major-retailer-new-models-coming-soon MSI's director of sales for US is quoted as saying that Linux based netbooks are returned 4 times as often as Windows based netbooks.

Hi twitter.

EEE PC has sold more than 4 million, most of them GNU/Linux

Really? I must admit I didn't know much about this but a little bit of Google reveals this interview with ASUS CEO Jerry Shen, which I think was also reported here on Slashdot (about the return rates for Linux devices, which he seems to invalidate):

I think the return rate for the Eee PCs are low but I believe the Linux and Windows have similar return rates. We really separate the products into different user groups. A lot of users like the Windows XP, but in Europe a lot of people want the Linux option. Actually in Linux we support the Easy Mode and in Q4 of this year we are going to start selling Windows XP with an Easy Mode.

Here's another article where Shen is also quoted about the ratio of XP to Linux EEE units sold, which he says is 60:40:

Shen -- who is keen on Linux -- said Asus had hoped sales of Eee PCs would be 50:50 between XP and Linux, but actually they were 60:40 in XP's favour. (I assume that's for this calendar year.) So far, around 4m have been sold, and the target is 5m for this year.

So obviously you're just making that up. Nothing like bogus facts and words like "laughable" and "undeniable" to get on moderators' good graces, eh?

Batteries are a big profit center for companies. One of the things we worked hard on the OLPC to achieve is extended battery life.

You can trade somewhat lower capacity for longevity. Basically, if you are charging the battery, and take it to full charge, you are in fact damaging the battery slightly. So we don't fully charge the battery, so we can get many, many more cycles out of them (we use LiFE, batteries as well, which are much safer than LiIon.

While this may be true for the "get one" and machines used to woo givers, it's not true for those that the kids in 3rd world countries actually get. They get their XOs with nickel-based batteries, and horrible battery life is one of the main complaints.
4 hours max with brand new batteries, and 2 hours for a slightly used machine if not running WiFi seems typical.

Of course, I'm not saying that presenting the givers with a different machine with different batteries is bait-and-switch. No, siree...

Seek time is next to zero for SSD drives (less than 1ms). There's no seeking because it's all in the register already.

Yes, OLPC XOs delivered to the field have nickel-based batteries instead of lithium-based ones. Lithium based batteries have a nasty habit of exploding if the charging isn't done properly, so this is probably a wise decision. But it means that the battery life you see isn't representative.

This article might be an eye-opener, especially the bottom half which is an XO project manager in Mali. Power problems are one of the major obstacles with the device, and charging seems to work best in well situated US homes, and not so much out where the kids are.

Is it better than nothing? As long as the kids can at least charge at school (which isn't necessarily true), yes. Is it better than what else the schools or communities could do with $200 worth of donations per child? I highly doubt it.

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.

There was an interview not that many weeks ago - I thought Slashdot had the link, but I'm probably wrong as nobody has brought it up - where the ASUS CEO was talking about his definition of "netbook" being "less than 10"", and bringing out all sort of eeePC-stuff, starting with something akin to Mac mini. He also said that the XP-version has been much more popular than the Linux-version, with Europe being exception;

A lot of users like the Windows XP, but in Europe a lot of people want the Linux option.

The interview can be found here http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-ceo-reveals-eee-pc-sales-numbers-plans-for-touch-eee-pcs-and-more-eee-family-products ... Incidentally, is there some FAQ on how to hide url of the link?

Exactly what I had been holding out for...I am really glad. $999 isn't US dollars it is going to be price below $600. Going to wait for the one that is going to be coming with Ubuntu. :)

It would be interesting to dig deeper into the return numbers and find out if it was problems with Linux in general or the specific OS installed on the returned devices. I believe the Linux in general issues can be addressed, but the device specific OS issues will be more difficult.

Agreed. For instance, here's a suggestion MSI's SuSE port doesn't have webcam drivers that work, and another that their preinstalled OpenOffice might not have been ready.

People are upset: no surprise there. That MSI are investigating the alternatives a little more thoroughly for next time round: that's what you'd hope for.

Laptopmag.com is live blogging a test of the XOHM WiMax deployment in Baltmore http://blog.laptopmag.com/live-with-xohm-wimax-in-baltimore

They moved the quote key.

Look at it! The '/" key has been relocated from right next to your pinky to somewhere weird! How the fuck am I supposed to touch type with that monstrosity? WTF!

It looks to me like the slash key is in the same place as usual. See http://www.laptopmag.com/uploadedImages/Multimedia_Assets/Images/2008/Reviews/laptops/dell_inspiron_mini_9679g.jpg Maybe you saw the single-quote/tilde key moved from upper-left on a standard desktop keyboard down to the right of the spacebar?

If you look closely at the picture that you linked to you'll see that it is the single and doublequote key that has been moved to the right of the spacebar. The backtick is FN-Q and the tilde is FN-W. Curly and square brackets , backslash, and vertical bar also appear to the FN keys.

In looking at the GP post, I see that you've mistaken '/" (singlequote slash doublequote) for "/" ("the key marked slash").

They moved the quote key.

Look at it! The '/" key has been relocated from right next to your pinky to somewhere weird! How the fuck am I supposed to touch type with that monstrosity? WTF!

It looks to me like the slash key is in the same place as usual. See http://www.laptopmag.com/uploadedImages/Multimedia_Assets/Images/2008/Reviews/laptops/dell_inspiron_mini_9679g.jpg

Maybe you saw the single-quote/tilde key moved from upper-left on a standard desktop keyboard down to the right of the spacebar?

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/dell-inspiron-mini-9-linux.aspx

It also means that Windows can compete - very successfully - in the same space:
ASUS Eee PC 1000H (Windows XP) [June 18]

The gate crasher

With the momentum is has already gathered, could the Eee beat off its rivals to become the Holy Grail of Linux computing - that killer product that brings Linux into the mainstream?

Don't bet on it, says Hugo Ortega, principal of Tegatech, a distributor that handles the Eee alongside competing devices such as HP's 2133 Mini-Note PC and ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs) that run Windows XP and Vista and range well past the $3000 mark.

"The HP 2133s are outselling the Eee PC 20 to 1," Ortega says, "and Linux only accounts for probably 20% of Eee PC sales and less than 5% of overall UMPC sales. The fact that there's a $500 notebook out there is a big plus, but we find most [buyers] are more than happy to use a license in their office to upgrade them to [Windows] XP."

Acer, which continues its commitment to Linux, is likely to take a similar path. "It's a give and take between simplicity of usage for the masses versus full customisation," says [Henry Lee of Acer.] "The Linux version is really only to use exactly what is provided, and someone in the know can easily remove what's been installed. But consumers are accustomed to the Windows environment, and the Windows version will be a stronger player eventually."

Indeed, despite the philosophical appeal, faster performance and ease of use that these Linux machines provide, the availability of a Windows alternative may have already started taking its toll as buyers opt for the more familiar option. "The bulk of the requests and requirements we see in the marketplace are for the model with Windows rather than Linux," Lee admits.

Microsoft's efforts to push Windows XP into this space, even after it terminated the operating system's general availability on June 30, are reflected in the fact that XP-based Eee PCs somehow became $50 cheaper than their Linux counterparts. That price disparity has since been eliminated after Asustek bowed to critics who pointed out that the lack of Windows licensing fees - traditionally equivalent to around one-quarter the price of the entire system - should have more than made up for the cost of the expanded onboard storage in the Linux devices.

Even pricing parity, however, may not be enough to save Linux. As market expectations push the low-end machines towards having larger screens, more storage, and faster processors, they will begin to resemble low-end conventional notebooks - potentially diluting the low-cost appeal that has driven their success.

Linux fans, who saw the devices as low-cost and highly portable Linux workstations with a nearly infinite variety of uses, can still buy the Windows devices for the hardware and install Linux on top, but there seems little doubt the mass-market demand Linux-only devices will struggle to maintain itself.

"It's going to be tough in the long term" for Linux-based mini-notebooks, says IDC's Rego. "Microsoft will play tough in this space, where there's a massive presence of Windows. We don't have expectations yet for Eee sales of XP vs Linux, but Linux definitely needs to create increased awareness. If you go into the mainstream, people just want something easy that they recognise." Linux not essential to Eee PC success: ASUS [July 14]

I was going with what Negroponte himself said about XP going to be the main OS of the OLPC. For an example read this article. IMHO Negroponte seems to just be burning way too many bridges between the OLPC and the OSS camps. And here is an article quoting Negroponte saying "The OLPC needs to be run more like Microsoft". Because nothing tells the FLOSS guys that you support them than by saying you want your company run like a convicted monopolist.

I shall show off my "incredible psychic powers" and make a prediction. In five years Negroponte will be sitting at MIT,the OLPC will be deader than dixie, and netbooks will end up not being any cheaper than your average Dell or Acer laptop,just smaller. Which is kinda sad as the OLPC could have been a great tool for ALL the worlds children to learn with,instead I predict it will just do a slow death march to the grave. But as always this is my 02c,YMMV

Sandisk SSD drives are poorly made and perform poorly (much worse than others..). This is just Sandisk trying to shift the blame elsewhere..

DailyTech's article (and others) have also added opinions similar to yours. From the DT article:

• "It is quite true that SanDisk's SSD are woefully subpar in performance when running Windows Vista. Numerous benchmarks from around the web have shown SanDisk SSDs getting outpaced by the competition.

  In fact, it's not uncommon to see SanDisk SSDs rank last in testing in almost every benchmark and by a large margin -- even in Windows XP. Recent testing showed that MSI's Wind netbook was no faster with a SanDisk SATA 5000 SSD than with the standard 80GB HDD -- an Eee PC 1000h featuring similar specifications was significantly faster with a competing SSD from Samsung.

  While Vista may be a performance inhibitor compared to Windows XP for SSDs, it appears that most new, current-generation SSDs are having no problems performing well with the operating system. The problem appears to be SanDisk's low reads and writes (67 MB/sec and 50 MB/sec respectively) compared to the competition (i.e., OCZ's new Core Series SSDs which clock in at 120 to 143 MB/sec for reads and 80 to 93 MB/sec for writes)."

Sandisk SSD drives are poorly made and perform poorly (much worse than others..). This is just Sandisk trying to shift the blame elsewhere..

DailyTech's article (and others) have also added opinions similar to yours. From the DT article:

• "It is quite true that SanDisk's SSD are woefully subpar in performance when running Windows Vista. Numerous benchmarks from around the web have shown SanDisk SSDs getting outpaced by the competition.

  In fact, it's not uncommon to see SanDisk SSDs rank last in testing in almost every benchmark and by a large margin -- even in Windows XP. Recent testing showed that MSI's Wind netbook was no faster with a SanDisk SATA 5000 SSD than with the standard 80GB HDD -- an Eee PC 1000h featuring similar specifications was significantly faster with a competing SSD from Samsung.

  While Vista may be a performance inhibitor compared to Windows XP for SSDs, it appears that most new, current-generation SSDs are having no problems performing well with the operating system. The problem appears to be SanDisk's low reads and writes (67 MB/sec and 50 MB/sec respectively) compared to the competition (i.e., OCZ's new Core Series SSDs which clock in at 120 to 143 MB/sec for reads and 80 to 93 MB/sec for writes)."