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Asus To Phase Out Sub-10" Eee PCs

Posted by Soulskill on from the taking-the-sub-out-of-subnotebook dept.

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?"

81 of 497 comments (clear)

  1. Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by pembo13 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So I'll be going with the netbook with the most features when I am purchasing.

    --
    "Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
    1. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by frieko · · Score: 5, Interesting

      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.

    2. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by pembo13 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Thus is the power of Microsoft... the invisible power over the minds of its users.

      --
      "Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
    3. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by Kamokazi · · Score: 5, Interesting

      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.

      --
      As our way of thanking you for your positive contributions to Slashdot, you are eligible to disable Slashdot 2.0.
    4. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by Nursie · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

    5. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by westlake · · Score: 4, Insightful
      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.

    6. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by manekineko2 · · 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 techsavvyness. I can do stuff in the command line, and am not freaked out by it, but a good 75% of my attempts to follow instructions online on complex operations still falls into what I like to call the 'magical incantation' method of making things work, where you get a command that will supposedly do what you need, and you enter it in exactly like you are told to invoke the result. Along the way, you wince everytime you see an error message or warning pop up, not knowing whether or not this is the expected result or something is wrong with the incantation.

      I got an EeePC loaded with Linux. Like everytime when I try Linux every few years, I came in bright eyed and hopeful, thinking this time would be different.

      I needed to get foreign languages installed on it. Spent approximately 3 hours following forum posts and hacking at it. Everything apparently installed, but it just would not work, no additional language options appeared. No idea why, maybe a conflict with something Asus installed.

      I needed to get Blackberry charging drivers installed. Found some magical incantations that were supposed to compile and install the drivers. They didn't. Couldn't figure out why.

      Wanted to customize the shell, the way I would customize a start menu. Found out that this involved editing config files in notepad, and if I screwed up with a typo, this could potentially be a major problem. Was told I could create some safety margin by making a mirror of the config file in my user directory and editing that. For some reason, changes to the config file in my user directory were not followed by the machine.

      Needed to install a VPN client. No support from my company, since I'm probably the only one who needs a Linux VPN client. I managed to get it working myself nonetheless, that was a moment of pride. However, it was much more unstable in its connection than the Windows clients I use on other computers. It would just randomly lose the connection, forcing me to redo work.

      After probably around 10 hours invested in trying to make this thing work, I said screw it, and returned it and got a Windows machine.

      My previous most recent attempt had involved installing Ubuntu (GG I think) on an older computer. I wanted to create a silent system, so I bought a 2GB flash drive. Ubuntu said it needed 2GB to install. It lied, it needed 2.001 GB to install, and kept dying without a good explanation of what was going on. Another few hours lost.

      I will commend Linux for its improvement. I've tried it a number of times now, and in the beginning it was insanely difficult to do anything. Now it works fairly well as long as you don't try and do anything that's unanticipated. If you do, you're right back in command line magic incantation online forum land. If you can get it working, it's twice as powerful as Windows ever was, but good luck reaching that without a good mentor or LUG.

      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.

    7. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by TheModelEskimo · · Score: 4, Informative

      >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.

    8. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by Jorophose · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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.

    9. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by S-100 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, 500 millihertz. That's two clocks every second. At that rate, but the time Windows boots up, the Mayan calendar will run out of days.

    10. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by jlarocco · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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.

      --
      Maybe not
    11. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by jlarocco · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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 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!

      --
      Maybe not
    12. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by TheModelEskimo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      XFCE is nice. I installed Puppy on my in-laws' computer after Windows XP became horribly slow. They found the default menu a little hard to navigate, and were confused by the huge number of desktop icons. So I installed XFCE (packages are available), cleaned off the desktop, and made some icons representing their favorite websites, video streams, etc. I put those icons in the dock and they used it with no problems.

      In my mind, the major weakness of Puppy is that the startup sequence barfs out so much text...they felt like they had to ask me to watch over their shoulder while they started the computer, in case any warnings came up. Once past that though, everything worked great.

    13. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by OSDever · · Score: 2, Informative

      Just as a note for the future, your Ubuntu installation problem could well have been caused by the fact that flash media uses 1000 megabyte gigabytes, as opposed to the standard 1024 used by traditional hard drives. So, your 2GB was really 48MB short. Now, personally, if I was told that I could install an OS in 2GB, I would get a 3GB+ drive; if you have a 2GB drive and install 2GB of operating system on it, that doesn't leave you much room to actually use the OS...

      --
      What is the airspeed of a fully laden swallow?
    14. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by manekineko2 · · Score: 2, 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 change the fact that I'm not going to deal with this BS to use a tool and returned my EeePC.

    15. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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."

    16. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by lars_boegild_thomsen · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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.

    17. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by arth1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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.

    18. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by theLOUDroom · · Score: 2, Insightful

      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.

      --
      Life is too short to proofread.
    19. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by pembo13 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      VPNs don't always "work out of the box" on Windows, schools generally provide installers.

      --
      "Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
    20. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2, Funny

      And just so we don't get into some sort of infinite recursion here, no, I don't have any evidence newer than five minutes. I'm sure the instances where Microsoft has been caught have taught them how to be more covert.

      Yaz.

      Or they stopped doing it post anti trust case.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    21. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by Ihmhi · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'd call it "mission accomplished."

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

      --
      Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
    22. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by electrictroy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      1/2 cycle per second was the approximate speed of the Intellivision console. As far as I know it was the slowest consumer CPU-based device ever released, however since it uses 16-bit CPU it could (in theory) perform the same amount of work as the standard 8-bit CPU (6502 or 6510) at 1 megahertz.

      --
      The government is not your daddy. Its purpose is not to raid middle-class neighbors' wallets and give it to you.
    23. Re:Well "Works With Linux" is a feature to me by k8to · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Uh, Windows doesn't come with the VPN client either.

      --
      -josh
  2. Or... by wren337 · · Score: 4, Insightful

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

  3. Linux on Netbooks by ArkiMage · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Linux on Netbooks by Yst · · Score: 4, Informative

      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.

      --
      Karma: Chameleon (comes and goes)
    2. Re:Linux on Netbooks by sakdoctor · · Score: 2, Insightful

      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.

    3. Re:Linux on Netbooks by mckillnm · · Score: 2, Informative

      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!

    4. Re:Linux on Netbooks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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.

    5. Re:Linux on Netbooks by xs650 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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.

    6. Re:Linux on Netbooks by kandresen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      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 come with SSD drives, no HD. Windows cannot really run well with SSD disks, so you loose options to switch later. I would myself have liked more hybrid options with Linux pre-installed.

      I am not so sure this is the fault of Asus. I think it is highly likely the stores I see where I live that either have made 'bad' decisions, or found they can earn more money by selling the versions coming with Windows.

      That I am inclined to buy a sub-notebook that comes with Windows installed is simply due to the choices available to me in my area. The machine I now run too came with Windows but has been running Linux since day one, I never even finished the windows setup.

      Asus will do a major mistake if they start believing that sales of Windows with the machine indicate they are used with Windows rather than Linux - they are not. I am currently inclined to buy Asus version of the sub notebook due to the major advantage of not needing proprietary drivers with the machines under Linux.

    7. Re:Linux on Netbooks by westlake · · Score: 4, Insightful
      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.

  4. news not contrary by Khashishi · · Score: 4, Insightful
    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?

    1. Re:news not contrary by ToasterMonkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Lets be real here, all a ratio better than 1/10 Linux to Windows says is the devices are attractive to geeks. That's cute and all - give Asus a cookie, but it doesn't speak for consumer acceptance of Linux.

  5. Good idea by HalAtWork · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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!

    --
    Twinstiq, game news
  6. XP outsells Linux, guess why by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:XP outsells Linux, guess why by dotancohen · · Score: 2, Funny

      Can you say chicken and egg?

      Chicken and leg. That was easy.

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

      --
      It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
    2. Re:XP outsells Linux, guess why by mollymoo · · Score: 3, Informative

      True, but you get a larger SSD with the Linux machines (20 GB vs 12 GB for the XP models).

      --
      Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven' - BBC News
    3. Re:XP outsells Linux, guess why by Masa · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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.

    4. Re:XP outsells Linux, guess why by jonbryce · · Score: 2, Interesting

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

    5. Re:XP outsells Linux, guess why by digitig · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No, the Linux distro on my EeePc is far more retarded than any MS offering even from the very start of MS Windows, and frankly is likely to make anybody coming from MS Windows think that Linux is a pathetic, crippled OS. I can't help wondering whether this was all an MS stunt from the start.

      --
      Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
  7. Of course XP is outselling Linux... by padonak · · Score: 2, Informative

    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...

  8. Asus To Phase Out Sub-10" Eee PCs by omar.sahal · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.

  9. XP outsells Linux because... by The+Famous+Druid · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...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.

    --
    Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur (anything said in Latin sounds important)
    1. Re:XP outsells Linux because... by argiedot · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well, how many sales were there before they started offering Windows XP? Somewhere in the low hundreds of thousands, no? So that's some pretty good success there.

    2. Re:XP outsells Linux because... by baileydau · · Score: 4, Interesting

      He wasn't alone.

      There was a large number of people trying to find Linux 901's on Whirlpool. http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1011353

      Many ended up doing what he did, and got the XP one even though it wasn't really what they wanted.

      Part of the reason for lack of stock was thought to be that the Linux version was supposed to have a larger SSD (to make up for the cost of the XP license). But they were allegedly in short supply.

      --
      Ever stop to think ... and forget to start again?
    3. Re:XP outsells Linux because... by notknown86 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Umm, I live in Melbourne too, and I'm trying to buy one of the 901 EEE's. The Linux version is being re-ordered by the retailers. What you are saying is correct, but proverbial "signs in the store" actually are there.

      The problem here is supply - not demand. Which is why I could buy an XP version today (where the supply exceeds the demand), but have to wait for the Linux version (where the demand exceeds the supply).

    4. Re:XP outsells Linux because... by Rennt · · Score: 2, Insightful

      eeePC sales were already in the millions and clones were popping up at all the major computer expos before Microsoft noticed that it was a market that they were missing out on. THEN they offered XP for netbooks. Before that time they were trying to push Vista for everything.

  10. Vote "It works". by Ostracus · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "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.

    --
    Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
  11. Contrary to what? by ToasterMonkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

  12. Re:cheap PC by dotancohen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't work for free. I never will - I rather become an electrician than consider becoming a linux developer. My 2c worth! I worked very hard for this career - you don't like it, then sell your computer and watch TV.

    Who says Linux devs work for free? Do you know what we pay for LabView on Linux? Or what I am willing to pay for Photoshop?

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  13. 30% is not bad market share at all by FranTaylor · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:30% is not bad market share at all by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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?

  14. eee 1000 by spandex_panda · · Score: 3, Interesting
    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.

    --
    like phosphorescent desert buttons singing one familiar song
  15. I prefer the smaller sized netbooks by gameguy1957 · · Score: 5, Informative

    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

  16. Re:cheap PC by dvice_null · · Score: 3, Interesting

    > I don't work for free. I never will - I rather become an electrician than consider becoming a linux developer

    I've got paid for developing software for Linux. There are software companies that write software just for Linux. Just because Linux is free doesn't mean that you could get money when writing software for it.

    Also if you must write software for Windows, you can still do it with free cross platform libraries and get support for other platforms for free. Sometimes you can even save in development when choosing these libraries, because they are so good.

    At work I use Windows because I'm asked to. At home I use Linux. I write software at work for the company, but at home I write it for the world.

  17. Re:XP is closer to "just works" for most by sakdoctor · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That is just about the polar opposite of my experience. XP is showing its age because shoe-horning it onto an eeepc 901 was a horrible task. The installer is just dumb and can't handle anything but a CD-drive, which I don't have.

    I then used the incredible unetbootin to try out a bunch of linux distros from USB sticks and even an SDcard, finally settling on intrepid. Unfortunately it didn't quite "just work" because of the wireless card. (Big surprise)

    The netbook platform is unique I feel in not needing the usual windows baggage anyway.

  18. It's about Europe, not just UK by BhaKi · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

    --
    The largest prime factor of my UID is 263267.
  19. Linux versions are hard to get in some countries by Peter+H.S. · · Score: 4, Informative

    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

  20. So no more small PCs? by Microlith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:So no more small PCs? by ignavus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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....

      --
      I am anarch of all I survey.
  21. Glad I bought an Acer Aspire One then by Reed+Solomon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.

  22. Re:XP is closer to "just works" for most by badpazzword · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Windows XP installs quickly,

    1. Does it matter for Joe Sixpack how much time does XP take to install if Joe Sixpack doesn't do the install himself?

    runs that software

    2. If Joe Sixpack uses Internet Exporer because he doesn't know there is another browser, why should he care about using Firefox instead? Same could be said for the rest.

    doesn't crash much, and with newer security measures is unlikely to get infected.

    3. With the right drivers you mean. But Joe Sixpack didn't install Windows so he doesn't care about that does he? ;)

    and with newer security measures is unlikely to get infected.

    4. I would be surprised to learn about netbooks shipping with SP3. If they aren't then they are unlikely to get infected if 'getting infected' means the stock Norton antivirus tells you so.

    For Linux to compete, it should aim at producing distributions that support as much hardware as XP, have similar friendly installations, and possibly -- dear god did I say it -- run XP software, because win32 is the biggest software base in the world and it's what users want.

    5. Ubuntu 7.10 supported my computer's driver infinitely better than the stock Windows XP version. I had to download the drivers using Ubuntu and move them onto the Windows partition.

    6. The setup is as friendly if not friendlier.

    7. Wine anybody?

    8. Have you actually tried Ubuntu 8.04?

    --
    When ideas fail, words become very handy.
  23. Obligatory bad car analogy by PPH · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  24. Not True, Flame bait by cenc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.

    --
    Living in Chile
  25. Re:cheap PC by argiedot · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not only is Qt under the GPL, you can also link to it if you use any of a whole bunch of licenses.

  26. Re:cheap PC by RiotingPacifist · · Score: 2, Informative

    Qt is not free to develop with? funny because it being under gpl says differently. Sure if your trying to make a proprietary product then you'll run into problems, but you can develop your program at zero cost, then either use a GPL compatible license for your product (nothing says you cant sell it) or pay for a license.

    --
    IranAir Flight 655 never forget!
  27. Re:Angst at the Laptop Makers by Doctor_Jest · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, they don't "prefer"... they are "used to". Big difference.

    The problem is one of familiarity. XP sells because it is what most people remember how to use and think that anything that _isn't_ XP is somehow going to take 300 years to figure out.

    And trust me when I say.. your love of XP while working on Linux is not the rule... In spite of the "everyone I know loves XP" anecdote (which I'm sure is the response to the statement.)

    --
    It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
  28. ubuntu-eee.com by tepples · · Score: 5, Informative

    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, based on Ubuntu Netbook Remix?

  29. Re:XP is closer to "just works" for most by jonbryce · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've not seen anyone use Outlook Express for a long time. They use Internet Explorer for their email - via a webmail service. I guess that's why Windows 7 isn't going to ship with an email client.

  30. Linux :( by Krneki · · Score: 3, Interesting

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

    I managed to sell the WinXP licence though.

    --
    Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
  31. Re:XP is closer to "just works" for most by Ant+P. · · Score: 3, Informative

    For Linux to compete, it should aim at producing distributions that support as much hardware as XP

    XP? You mean that OS with the sick joke installer that asks for a *FLOPPY DISK* to install to a SATA hard disk?

  32. Uhhh, I thought geeks were supposed to be smart... by Immostlyharmless · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How difficult can these things (Linux vs of EEE?)really be to find...




    If you can get them at WALMART????

    That being said, most people want something they can buy, take home and install their 9.99 bargain bin version of sudoku and a some goofy card making software on. Linux just doesn't work for the majority of people out there. Sorry, it doesn't. What the heck is the point of having a mini netbook, if the wireless adapter won't work? Or it *might* work, assuming you are using this version of this distro OR if you feel like editing registry files and installing wtfwrapper.

    Not to mention, at this point in time. *most* people know at least or or two people who have been using windows for some time and can do some type of techinical support for them if they get into trouble. "Hey Sam, my printer isn't working...". How many average schmucks know someone who is a linux power user? Which means the only source of support they have is user forums and the IRC channel, and if you have no wireless adapter.....


    Yeah.....

  33. Re:Uhhh, I thought geeks were supposed to be smart by ratboy666 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You bring home your fabulous new EEE or Aspire One, and try to install that 9.99 program... and that goofy card-making program.

    Go ahead, I'll wait.
    Waiting..

    It doesn't have an optical drive.

    --
    Just another "Cubible(sic) Joe" 2 17 3061
  34. Re:Linux versions are hard to get in some countrie by spyowl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  35. Xubuntu requirements by quenda · · Score: 3, Informative
    "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?

  36. Not a stunt; easy to use by Frankenbuffer · · Score: 5, Informative

    Disclaimer: I'm the product marketing manager for the Xandros desktop that runs on the Eee PC.

    I can assure you that this is not an MS stunt. At Xandros we've worked hard with Asus to make the Eee PC easy to use by non-techies. The simplified interface is easy to navigate on a small screen, apps downloaded through the Eee Download capability "just work" in a few clicks without enduring long download times or frequent updates, and there's good interop with Windows. Kids especially find the Eee PC fun and intuitive to use.

    Obviously there's a strong techie interest in the platform as well, so I'm interested in the discussion here. Got some constructive suggestions about how you'd like to use your netbook? I'd love to hear them. You can email me at jordan.smith(at)xandros.com.

    Thanks!

    Jordan

  37. Insightful? Bull shit. by Petersko · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "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.

  38. Re:REALLY lightweight Linux by crwl · · Score: 2, Informative

    No, 500 MHz is plenty for GNOME or KDE. You just want to have a lot more than 128 MB of memory. 512 MB would be ok.

  39. The real bottom line by j_w_d · · Score: 2, Informative

    Setting the locale should be effectively all you have to do in any major Linux distro. The "control panel" isn't named that and isn't where it would be in XP. You set locality and languages. My daughter does this in linux with no difficulty, and has introduced me to some really good Russian rock music and musicians such as DDT and Zemfira. The real bottom line to running linux is simple willingness to spend time learning. I use XP at work, and linux primarily and XP secondarily at home. Ten years ago patience was not an option and linux was somewhat more arcane than Windows 98. At this time, IF you have equivalent experience with both OS's, any major linux distro is arguably going to be a quicker basic install and easier to maintain than XP. For one thing as far as maintenance goes there is no registry to get futzed up every month or so - my experience is that the registry getting gummed up is XP's chief reason for sluggishness. The sole upside that Windows has presently is the few really useful software pieces - such as Adobe Photoshop - that run natively in XP. I've heard the complaint that hardware support is a problem in linux, and again, ten years ago it was a pretty esoteric issue, what with editing printer drivers and such - but it often was something that could be dealt with using a text editor - I wrote a little access script for a usb microscope that worked for as long as I had the 'scope. These days, there is little to chose between linux and XP. In fact, for USB hardware that can be accessed as mass storage, linux is far easier. I don't need to add drivers to download photographs for instance, or to use a thumb drive. XP still seems to flinch and blink rapidly when ever new hardware appears and needs a driver before the hardware can be accessed. So, don't confuse the weight of your experience with Windows with 'ease of use,' it's an illusion. Your knowledge makes Windows easier and also makes linux _appear_ more difficult.

    --
    ------ The only greater hazard to your liberty than n politicians is n+1 politicians.