ASUS Motherboard Ships With Embedded Linux

Michael writes "ASUSTek has introduced the P5E3 Deluxe motherboard, which in addition to using Intel's new X38 Chipset also features a soon-to-be-announced technology by DeviceVM. SplashTop is an instant-on Linux desktop environment that is embedded onto this motherboard. Within seconds of turning on the P5E3 Deluxe motherboard, you can boot into this Linux environment that currently features a Mozilla-based web browser and the Skype VoIP client. Browser and VoIP settings can be saved and there are plans for the device to provide new features and support via updates. At Phoronix is a review of this $360 motherboard embedded with Linux and a web browser."

Comments

One more piece is needed ...

[DavidRawling]

All it's missing is iSCSI support for it to be a diskless yet completely functional desktop. Central storage (and upgrade) of apps, documents and settings, just by mounting the appropriate partitions from a large, fast shared disk array.

Re:Use?

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

What's the point? All it can do is surf the internet and make phone calls. Surf the internet from a read-only OS. No worries about trojans or key-loggers. Seems like it would be an ideal way to do online-banking and other sensitive types of activities without worry that your system was compromised.

two possibilities

[Verte]

I wonder if the ability to mount other media is restricted in the BIOS or the actual system.

If it is the latter, and since the system can be updated from a running OS, it should be possible to put your kernel, servers and window manager in the flash and have most of your operating system boot instantly. And I have no doubt that if that is the case, some very clever person who was given one of these will work out how to do just that. Given that this does use a Linux kernel, it shouldn't be too hard to get source for any hardware specific issues you might find in booting from this.

Otherwise, this is pretty boring. There has been software available to, say, play media without booting into your operating system for ages.

LinuxBIOS

[RAMMS EIN]

So how does this compare to LinuxBIOS?

I'll start:

LinuxBIOS:

  - More capabilities, freedom to tinker
  - Less expensive hardware
  - Usually not supported by vendor, doesn't work with lots of motherboards

Re:interesting

[grcumb]

I'm a long-time lurker who reads this Slashdot site assiduously. The pro-Microsoft astroturfing started very suddenly and all at once at a very defineable time (I didn't log the exact date, but it was a year or two ago, very noticeable, an almost overnight change). There is no doubt whatsoever that it is a *very* calculated move ... one so calculated, that on the contrary, rather than seeming "conspiratorial," the odds are extremly doubtful that it isn't precipitated by the organization itself.

Yep, it's possible to pick out the talking points that the astro-turfers get handed for a particular topic. A few old chestnuts:

• 'Damned if they do, damned if they don't.' (Hypocrites pick on MS when it doesn't do something, then pick on it again when it does.)
• 'Slashbot', 'groupthink' and 'fanboi'. (This last one has unfortunately got some traction among the rest of the community.)
• Testimonials: 'I administer Linux systems, but $WINDOWS is my desktop of choice....', 'I love Mac/Linux, but....'
• Linux doesn't support X, ergo no Linux for anyone, anywhere!
• Deliberate misconstruction of 'Standards', 'Free' and 'Open'.

It would be amusing if it weren't such a pain. The worst part, though, is that they used to spend all their time modding their comrades up, but now they've moved on to modding 'inconvenient' posts down.