Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 7th May 2008 18:11 UTC, submitted by Dan Warne
As we all know, the Eee PC, running a modified Xandros, has been a major hit for Asus, and because of that, also a major hit for Linux. The device proved that a computer with a pre-installed Linux distribution can still be s successful machine, and many hoped that this would push Asus and other vendors to produce more computers with Linux pre-installed. This hope could be in vain after all if the new Windows XP-based Eee PC has anything to do with it.
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Member since:
2005-06-29
Excellent observations. I personally think Asus was able to get a successful Linux-based laptop under Microsoft's radar simply because they were a relatively minor player in the portable market. Unlike Dell, who is constantly under pressure by Microsoft to under-advertise and devalue their own Ubuntu laptops and desktops, Asus was free to partner with Xandros quietly and successfully. Now that their EeePC has caused an explosion of interest in alternative OSes, Microsoft is having to play catch-up and attacking first in Australia where they have even more market penetration than here in the States. Once they really start turning the screws on Asus we'll see less and less of the Linux-based models available.
I think it's a desperate move by a giant whose head was in the clouds for such a long time he didn't notice the townspeople chopping away his feet until it was almost too late. Even Apple is seeing record-setting OS penetration while sales of Vista -- both on new PCs and boxed/OEM -- are stagnant compared to XP's first two years. I don't see Microsoft dying off any time soon, but there's a permanent shift brewing and I'm looking forward to it.