Eee PC the Linux Trojan horse?

[stanbeer]

We have written about the Asus Eee PC on numerous occasions. For instance http://www.itwire.com/content/view/18548/1090/, http://www.itwire.com/content/view/18520/1141/, and http://www.itwire.com/content/view/18219/1023/, among other stories, convey the sense that the Eee PC has the potential to take Linux mainstream.

Having had a good look at the new Eee PC 900 (Linux version), I can see what the fuss is all about. It's certainly not just about the hardware - although that's nice. Take a look at a Eee PC 900 with Windows XP installed and you'll probably shrug your shoulders and say: "So what? It's an underpowered little sub-notebook with an undersized keyboard and screen."

As far as I'm concerned, the thing that makes Eee PC great is the package of the hardware and the plug-and-play customised Xandros Linux distro. You could put Ubuntu on it sure, but all you would have is an underpowered sub-notebook with a tiny keyboard and screen running a Linux distro instead of Windows.

The fact is that despite a few naysayers the Linux Eee PC continues to sell well. This alone should provide the evidence that the way to get Linux into homes in large numbers is to make it transparent to the user.

[mdsmedia]

Just to kick off, Stan, while I agree that Xandros is probably a very capable distro, and I'd probably be very satisfied with it on the Eee, I'm happy that I can load another distro on it if I want to and having Ubuntu or another distro on it isn't just "having an underpowered....<snip> with Linux instead of Windows".

The package is probably what it's all about but there are numerous Linux distros, designed for low powered machines, which Windows couldn't match.

So, while I see your point, the beauty of Linux is choice. Xandros is just a Linux distro. The other packages included with the Eee are more than likely available for download from the many Linux repositories.

Having said that, the beauty of the Eee is that the OS is transparent and what is on it works out of the box. No need to change anything. But you can if you want, and if I don't like Xandros I can use Xubuntu, FluxBox, DSL, none of which I have used before, and a plethora of others.

[stanbeer]

True mdsmedia - you can choose to put any Linux distro you like on the Eee PC or even choose to put Windows XP on it. The point is not whether you use Xandros or another distro. What the Eee PC has that makes it so attractive to users is ease of use and convenience because the OS is customised to make it plug-and-play. You turn it on and you're up and running. If you can also accomplish this with Ubuntu Remix for netbooks then great.

[mdsmedia]

Stan, I agree that that is the beauty of it. I don't deny that, and I guess I even thought that as I was writing my original reply.

The point I was clumsily trying to get across, which doesn't contradict that, is that putting Linux on it (other than the Xandros pre-configured plug and play that it comes with) is still preferable to putting XP on it, not, as you seemed to be implying, "the same thing".

I can (well I could...with a bit of study) put a light Linux distribution on it which would run it very nicely thank you, as against a cut-down XP which would be slow and clunky. What would XP have to lose to be functional on the Eee, as distinct from what lighter Linux distributions already offer for lower spec, older hardware.

That doesn't take away from your correct assertion that the beauty of it is that it's more of an appliance than a PC...if you like, a beefed up PDA....the OS being transparent, and the immediate availability of the OS once switched on.

[petercook]

I currently use a PDA to log the tasks I do as a IT support person. I have been watching the progress of the Eee PC and think it would great as a PDA. I was waiting for the 1024 width screen, now the only thing I'm not certain about is if the battery would last a full day.
I use Ubuntu in various forms on a few older P3 PCs and it is great. Even if I had all the money in the world to pay for software licenses Linux still wins because I don't have a fiddle around with registration codes and verification keys and renewal reminders etc etc.

[centurion]

Ignoring the EeePC for a second (which smaller shops such as ours have had to do until the 900 series (cheers ASUS)), a quick look at Ubuntu today .. we like and sell (for lots of reasons) MSI notebooks and have been asked to install linux either on its own or dual-boot several times.

`out of the box` e.g. a fresh install Ubuntu 8.04, finds and installs everything but the webcams, so that's working video, wireless, bluetooth, hotkeys, firewire DVI/vga out 5.1 sound ... etc, and of course like most Distros you then have OpenOffice, Mozilla, Thunderbird etc.
More than that, accidentally clicking printers in settings will install all of our local printers (without having to download drivers, mess with ppd's etc). Of course the annoying part of Ubuntu is the need to play a movie so it will prompt you to download the tainted codecs & if you want full use of your nVidia card you need to allow that as well. (BTW since Xandros is Debian based I assume it is just as good at the above, I really like Xandros as an OS , just not the idea of paying for it)

My point is that the Eee PC aside, finally Linux really is getting close to being usable for most users, I have not tried but I am guessing that an 8.04 version of Ubuntu would be as fully functional as the installed Xandros on the EeePC ?, perhaps someone could let us know?

Back to ASUS, I am going to trial the new astone notebooks, why ASUS cut our channel out of the loop I do not understand ? , all I know is that I am just as happy selling GigaByte mobo's as ASUS , but as a linux advocate I would thank them for getting linux exposure at the Harvey-Norman/Myers level.

[mdsmedia]

The point is it's NOT a laptop. It's a subnotebook. It's not supposed to replace your current computer. It IS supposed to be ultraportable. That's where its niche is.

For those who want to carry their computer around with them, ala PDA, but don't want to carry a hefty fullsize notebook, the EeePC is perfect.

It's not designed to be as powerful as your PC. Your PIII notebook might be just as powerful, but not as portable.

It might take a couple of minutes to boot up your PC. The Eee boots almost immediately. In that respect it's closer to a PDA. So think of a PDA with all your PC apps.....Think FULL word processing, rather than mobile whatever. Think FULL spreadsheeting rather than the cutdown versions you might get with a PDA.

My mother bought an Eee with the sole purpose of transferring her photos to PC while she was travelling. There may have been better solutions just for storing photos but she had a PC to take with her without having to lug a laptop.

It's not supposed to be full powered and comparable with a gaming machine. It's low powered, long battery life, full PC with minimal specs. The long battery life will put your PIII to shame. It's a niche that sells very well, at a higher price, probably, than your PIII will fetch at a swap meet. That says something.