Asus: alas poor Linux Eee PC we fare thee well?

Stan Beer
Monday, 17 March 2008 03:24

Opinion and Analysis

My friend is a self-confessed unsophisticated tech junkie but when it comes to computers all he knows is Windows. He believes Windows is better because that's what he's familiar with. He can also run iTunes on Windows (he's also a music junkie) and Skype is more advanced on Windows. He can even run IE7 and Outlook Express (heaven knows why he would want to).

In a nutshell, multiply my unsophisticated consumer friend by hundreds of millions and you've got a ready made market for a Windows XP version of the Eee PC, complete with its bloatware, susceptibility to viruses, system slow-downs and freezes while the security software does its regular scans and its inflated price. Like it or not, it's the way things are.

Meanwhile, does this portend the demise of the Linux Eee PC? Absolutely not! They're still flying off store shelves in volumes that no other Linux consumer computer has in history. For the first time ever, I can go down to a local major electronics and office products chain store and buy a Linux Eee PC off the shelf. The market for consumer Linux computers has been established. Chances are Asus will keep it that way.