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Microsoft and Intel are in talks with ASUS about a stripped down version of the Eee PC

As if users needed another reason to endorse the ASUS Eee PC, it looks like Intel and Microsoft may both embrace the project with open arms. 

One ASUS employee close to the project, speaking on terms of anonymity added, "Originally, we used Linux to save on the cost.  However, after the launch, Microsoft contacted us to offer Windows XP with discount licensing."

The employee was able to confirm the Windows license will be a stripped-down version of Windows XP, specifically designed for emerging markets.  This Microsoft-ready Eee PC will carry a premium somewhere between $30 and $60 over the base cost of the system.

The company already supports "unofficial" installs of Windows XP on existing Eee PCs.

ASUS is not shy with its ambitions for Eee PC in 2008.  In a memo circulated to Eee PC team members at ASUS Headquarters, project leaders boldly declared the company plans to ship 3.8 million Eees for its next fiscal year.  By contrast, the OLPC project has committed to 425,000 notebooks for all of 2007. 

The company has not revealed its sales numbers for 2007 yet.  However, things must be looking pretty good at ASUS as the project has also garnered much attention from Intel. 

Intel, which announced its Classmate PC reference design in 2006, internally proclaims the ASUS Eee PC the greatest success of the Classmate project.  The Eee, which is quickly becoming the darkhorse of the affordable sub-notebook market, uses Intel processors; MIT's OLPC project uses AMD Geode processors.

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Screen
By Omega215D on 12/4/2007 3:50:45 PM , Rating: 5
For god's sake Asus. Put in a 10" screen and relocate the speakers to one of the empty spots I see on the EeePC. The 7" is by all means pretty good but why not make it bigger and better?




RE: Screen
By noirsoft on 12/4/2007 5:21:02 PM , Rating: 2
Probably because it would add at least $100 to the price, and potentially lessen the battery life.

As long as we're dreaming, I'd personally rather see something like the EEE using the Microsoft UMPC spec (touchscreen, no physical keyboard, etc) with the 7" screen (and shrink the case) at the same price point over just another 10" sub-notebook, even if the price is good.


RE: Screen
By Omega215D on 12/4/2007 5:25:34 PM , Rating: 2
I was thinking about having a touchscreen on the EeePC but that would drive up the price more than a 10" screen would. Since they increased the SSD size to 8GB then upping the screen a bit wouldn't be too much.


A stripped-down Windows?
By amanojaku on 12/4/2007 2:14:34 PM , Rating: 1
"The employee was able to confirm the Windows license will be a stripped-down version of Windows XP, specifically designed for emerging markets."

This could be a good thing! I don't like bloated operating systems and I don't even know why Windows is so huge. What the heck IS all that stuff in my 4GB+ C:\Windows directory?!? Not that Fedora or other Linux variants aren't trying to catch up... Shouldn't an OS provide basic features like memory management, hardware abstraction, an update manager, etc... and NOT compete with companies providing good freeware and commercial ware? And where can I buy this version of Windows? :-)




RE: A stripped-down Windows?
By iFX on 12/4/2007 2:39:40 PM , Rating: 2
Blah Blah Blah.

Yet another topic some zealot uses to launch a tirade against Microsoft.


RE: A stripped-down Windows?
By Runiteshark on 12/4/2007 2:56:33 PM , Rating: 3
4GB? Try and clean out all the updates. You defiantly shouldn't have 4GB in your c:\windows directory, unless you are an idiot.

I like how you mentioned that a base install of Fedora (or any other nix distro) is trying to catch up. Can you go ahead and clue me in on that? Last time I checked, a full base install, was barely over 700mb. And thats if you choose all the crap you want to install, and it gives you a lot more free crap then Windows does.

If you want such a stripped down version, guess what there are. They are called CD installs. Why don't you go try one out.


RE: A stripped-down Windows?
By Oregonian2 on 12/4/2007 3:52:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
4GB? Try and clean out all the updates. You defiantly shouldn't have 4GB in your c:\windows directory, unless you are an idiot.


I wouldn't go quite that far... ahem... my c:\windows directory reports to have 4.8GB in it on this machine (XP PRO SP2). But it's lots of stuff that grows over the years including drivers, installation software, they've the backup copy of all the system files that they keep to auto-replace if one gets damaged or deleted, etc. It's a good bit smaller on a fresh install.

As to idiocy, am I an idiot for Microsoft growing that directory to that size? Why should I care, 4G is a trivial bit of disk space nowdays, what, about one dollar's worth? It wouldn't be cost effective in terms of my time fussing with it. If you really want to throw insults around, I'd say it takes an idiot to even bother or care about such a small size of disk on most all machines other than ones like the EEE, but I don't want to so I won't say it.


Interesting...
By iFX on 12/4/2007 2:00:58 PM , Rating: 2
Though I doubt I would be willing to pay a price premium for an XP version when I know I can buy a Linux version and install the copy of XP I already own for less $$$.




By interoperate on 12/5/2007 7:43:32 PM , Rating: 2
This news is yet another confirmation that Microsoft is in deep deep trouble and the reason is simple:

Microsoft's core business and profit centers are under significant competitive pressures that are forcing it to drive down the price of Windows. Not too far away will come the same pressures on the price of Microsoft Office.

Given that Windows and Office are two of the three major income and profit centers for Microsoft, while it may see a healthy increase in volumes from Windows versions of low-cost notebooks such as the Asus EeePC, Microsoft's total dollar income and profit will be slashed.

Anyone still clinging to Microsoft shares would be best to divest ASAP.




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