Asus to offer Windows-based Eee PCs

(Credit: Asus)

The low-cost Eee PC may have been officially announced only last week, but Asus has kept the buzz going by confirming that it will offer Windows preloaded on the Eee PC by the end of the year. "With the addition of Microsoft Windows," reads the press release, "the Eee PC can now also accommodate educational and corporate requirements." It's a smart move on the part of Asus; provided the laptop's price remains below $500, a Windows-based Eee PC will have tremendous appeal to schools and parents who want to give every child his or her own laptop.

But there's the rub: Asus has yet to declare the price of the Windows-based laptop. Nor did the company state which version of Windows would be available, though Laptoping rightly points out that the Eee PC's hardware specs are Windows XP compatible. And we have to wonder whether consumers will even buy the Linux-based Eee PC when it's released at the end of this month, considering a Windows-based version is right around the corner. What do you think?

[DuranDujam]

Why would I want Windows?

[PhoenixFiresky]

As a parent

Speaking as a somewhat tech-savvy parent, rather than as one of the technophiles who generally gravitate towards this site, adding Windows will make the difference between whether I buy the computer or whether I don't. You see, I am not familiar with Linux - most nontechies aren't, and the one thing the word Linux means to me is "hard". It conjures up images of the DOS systems from my childhood.

Windows, unlike Linux, is familiar. I may not understand exactly how Windows works, but I know how to use it, and I know what its interface will look like. I know no such things about Linux. I don't know what it will look like when the kid fires it up for the first time, and I have no idea what the learning cuve on using the interface will be. My concerns may be groundless, but whether accurate or not, my perception is what will determine my purchasing decisions.

Actually, I really had briefly considered buying one of these laptops for my son - and had discarded the idea BECAUSE of the Linux OS. This may cause me to re-visit that decision.

[evildonald]

I'd go with Linux...

I don't even really know how to use Linux... but i'm getting one of these babies in Linux just to do web browsing and write documents when I'm travelling, WITHOUT having to worry too much about it getting stolen or dropped.

With Firefox and OpenOffice I'm not sure i need to fork out more money for a licence... unless I used an old copy of Win98 bought from eBay perhaps!

[Scott Gardener]

Of course you guys wouldn't pick Windows

I'm not surprised that the first few comments were about why they'd go with Linux instead of Windows. You're techies. You wouldn't even consider this your primary or even secondary computer, but an extra to browse the web while you're waiting on your first computer to finish converting VOBs to Xvid and your second to finish formating hard drive partitions.

But, what about normal people? There's a lot of people out there who are easily intimidated by having to learn anything beyond basic computing. Yes, Linux is great for web browsing or word processing, but how about working with an mp3 player? Or, for that matter, how about a printer?

I, too, might favor the Linux-based model, by virtue of that it's kinder to low-end specs. I'd consider XP, but I wouldn't put Vista on it, and I'm a big Vista fan. (All seven of us are pretty lonely.) But, a lot of normal people out there would be better off with an XP-based model, just because they could actually use it like a regular computer without having to worry about finding Linux alternatives to iTunes or figuring out how to unpack .tar.gv files.

[Evayy]

while a choice in a sub prime notebook is sweet ,

There are ways out there already to get sub prime offerings with a name/warranty behind the product. Wal mart is offering under 400 note books now that have some muscle, and more uses as well as dell outlet centers and other outlet centers that allow for stripped down versions of fancier models out there.
While this offering may give way to thin light disposable there are other devices that allow just surfing choices too.
So if it reves up the market for more choices in sub prime that is a good thing, but if it directly mimics what is already there then it has a way to go before it will find it's sweet spot

[Kev50027]

Go with Linux

Linux would most likely offer better battery life, and quicker performance, along with less security worries. I've been looking for a very inexpensive machine that would replace my ($3,000+) ultraportable laptop that I only use to take class notes on and surf the web at home. For everything else, I have my desktop. My only concern would be driver issues with Linux. I've never had much luck with drivers for Linux, and I am far from a guru of the OS.

[starwarsyoda9632]

linux is a good choice.

i have been following this product for almost 4 months now and the promise of the pc is better than the olpc and the Swedish celebrity. having already been released in Taiwan and selling out within the hour i think that if it delivers on its promises of ease of use, with its custom built os, the size, and the performance, i could see this sparking a new market to open up for small novel sized PCs. although the 7 in screen size is a bit small it is not going to be like those Sony micro PCs that has full windows on it and the start button is in the corner of the screen about the size of a pencil eraser. this is built for the screen size and is more to the palm os that is although simple is easy to use and is pretty fast. i hope cnet does a review of it because i have high expectations for this to be the beginning of a new market but it could go either way. the way of the iphone, a smash success that improved on a basic design of phones, or the way of apple tv, the lame duck attempt at a product that has been done better and cheaper. i hope its the first.

[Mikeybabes]

Corporate Users have no choice

A lot of you are missing the point. The eeePC makes an excellent salesman or outdoor corporate PC. Big companies pay big money to replace lost, damaged or stolen notebooks. Switching to the eeePC makes sense if only because it's so portable. Unfortunately many corporate apps only work in Windows, and even web-based ones are geared to IE, which is just the way it is.
I think Asus can really get a slam-dunk when it launches the Windows version, even if you you take the existing price and add on a XP license cost it still makes economical sense. As a corporate user, I am sick to death of lugging a heavy notebook on business trips and would happily swap processing power for portability. Corporate apps typically don't don't need C2D.