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Blog: Gadgets ASUS Goes For the Jugular with 2nd Gen Eee PC
Brandon Hill (Blog) - January 8, 2008 1:22 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 41 comment(s) - last by RamarC.. on Jan 30 at 3:47 PM
ASUS confirms 7", 8" and 8.9" Eee PC; desktop variant on the way.

ASUS has accomplished quite a lot in a short amount of time with its Eee PC sub-notebook. ASUS, which isn't exactly a household name outside of the tech community, managed to add a dash of spice to an otherwise slightly boring 2H 2007 with its hot seller.

Consumers have definitely won as they were introduced to a low-cost computer and many were introduced for the first time to a Linux-based operating system. Part of the reason why ASUS can offer the Eee PC at such a low price is the use of relatively outdated components like a 90nm 900MHz Celeron M processor and i910 chipset, meager amounts of NAND flash memory for storage and off-the-shelf DDR2 SODIMM modules.

There's also another major reason for the ASUS Eee PC's low starting price of $299: the use of Linux instead of Windows XP or Windows Vista.

As you can imagine, Microsoft isn't all that happy about letting an estimated 5 million notebooks by year's end leave ASUS's factories with nary a sign of Windows onboard -- the boys in Redmond are having none of that and are now working closely with ASUS to provide a cut-down version of Windows XP at a discounted price.

Microsoft's cooperation with ASUS should yield a trimmer version of Windows XP just in time for the second generation Eee PC. ASUS confirmed to DailyTech that the second generation Eee PC will come in three screen sizes: 7", 8" and 8.9". The latter, as reported previously by DailyTech, will feature a screen resolution of 1024x600.

Why ASUS would launch the Eee PC with three different screen sizes remains a mystery to me. The screen has been one of the most complained about features of the original Eee PC -- the 800x480 screen resolution just doesn't cut it for many. ASUS should just make the 8.9" 1024x600 screen standard across the board and simplify the lineup.

ASUS plans to launch the second generation Eee PC along with Windows XP versions in March of 2008. The company will also launch multiple SKUs of the first generation (and second generation) Eee PC with Sprint-backed WiMAX. Finally, ASUS is planning to release a desktop-based Eee PC, but the company remained tight-lipped about those plans.

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A desktop variant?
By Vanilla Thunder on 1/8/2008 4:27:16 PM , Rating: 2
You've got to be kidding me? So now ASUS plans on introducing a desktop based on this setup? What will that be? A Pentium netburst, 256MB of DDR, and a 4 gig SSD? Gimme a break. You could just go out and buy an eMachine from 2001. I don't see the market for it.

V




RE: A desktop variant?
By masher2 (blog) on 1/8/2008 4:36:42 PM , Rating: 2
> "You could just go out and buy an eMachine from 2001."

Which, of course, ignores the massive difference in size and portability between the two.

> "I don't see the market for it."

Given Asus is selling several hundred thousand of these units already, I think there's no question that market exists.


RE: A desktop variant?
By Vanilla Thunder on 1/8/2008 4:44:56 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
Given Asus is selling several hundred thousand of these units already, I think there's no question that market exists.


Read the post again Masher. I'm talking about the desktop variant that ASUS is planning on releasing. Please show me where they have sold "several hundred thousand of these units already."

quote:
Which, of course, ignores the massive difference in size and portability between the two.


And you also have photos or a spec sheet for this EEEPC desktop? I thought once it was portable, it was no longer a desktop. Stop trolling and read the post.

Vanilla


RE: A desktop variant?
By Oregonian2 on 1/8/2008 5:07:13 PM , Rating: 2
Desktop one might be good. Finally a PC that is small and cheap enough be in the kitchen and not take up much space next to the phone that's there. One that we could have our recipe program running on. Radical. Something that's supposed to be happening for the last twenty years in theory but isn't really practical in real life.

I think we're making different assumptions. I'd assume a desktop version would be the same unit minus the batteries with a cord added.


RE: A desktop variant?
By Vanilla Thunder on 1/8/2008 5:12:17 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I'd assume a desktop version would be the same unit minus the batteries with a cord added.


And what would be revolutionary about that? How is that any different than buying an inexpensive laptop and leaving it plugged in next to your phone in the kitchen?

Vanilla


RE: A desktop variant?
By masher2 (blog) on 1/9/2008 4:45:51 PM , Rating: 2
> "And what would be revolutionary about that? "

Who said it has to be revolutionary? Most advances are evolutionary in nature, not revolutionary.

> "How is that any different than buying an inexpensive laptop"

I assume Asus intends on compete on price. They're not making anything you can't already buy...if you're willing to pay enough for it.


RE: A desktop variant?
By Vanilla Thunder on 1/14/2008 2:49:13 PM , Rating: 2
Way to find something to nit-pick on since you were completely wrong in your reply to my original post. Yet another example of you trolling. You add nothing to the discussion here, you simply try to stir the pot for no good reason. No one said it's revolutionary, but if you're looking for a computer to throw in the kitchen with some recipes on it, I see no need for this machine. It doesn't need to be portable, and it's going to be plugged in. So why the EEE? There are many machines that would handle this task, plus many more, far more efficiently than the EEE. How are you competing on price when you can spend less on something that does more? Flawed logic.

Vanilla


RE: A desktop variant?
By animedude on 1/9/2008 1:00:35 PM , Rating: 2
Asus sells EEEPC desktop version?


RE: A desktop variant?
By Segerstein on 1/9/2008 6:09:43 PM , Rating: 2
It would be Asus version of Mac Mini, not a big and upgradable box. There is market for that, since people sometimes need just small & quiet boxes.

Living room, here we come ;)


RE: A desktop variant?
By RamarC on 1/30/2008 3:47:58 PM , Rating: 2
VT. do you realize that an EEEPC could fit quite comfortably in the footprint of regular-sized keyboard. just plug a monitor and mouse into and it's good to go. that's the desktop version which is still "portable".


RE: A desktop variant?
By mmntech on 1/8/2008 9:20:45 PM , Rating: 2
Not everybody wants or can afford a gaming rig with the latest Core 2 Duo, top end graphics, and 1tb of HDD space. It's pretty much necessary to own a computer these days and Ausu has noted they want to get into untapped markets in the US. I think we might be looking at something along the lines of the MacMini (in terms of size) and likely a 40gb mechanical HDD since they're cheap enough.


RE: A desktop variant?
By Vanilla Thunder on 1/9/2008 10:54:25 AM , Rating: 1
You act like you can't go out and get a desktop for under $300 at a B&M store. I wouldn't consider bargain desktops an "untapped market". They're pretty widespread.

Vanilla


Why not Vista?
By othercents on 1/8/2008 2:36:26 PM , Rating: 3
I don't see why Microsoft is waisting time making a stripped down version of Windows XP for ASUS instead of just making a stripped down version of Vista. Vista is supposed to be the newest and best per Microsoft unless Microsoft doesn't really believe their own press.

BTW... I'm glad they are using XP instead of Vista.

Other




RE: Why not Vista?
By darkpaw on 1/8/2008 2:40:32 PM , Rating: 4
Um.. maybe because Vista (even stripped down) isn't designed to be run on hardware fresh out of 1999?


RE: Why not Vista?
By BrownJohn on 1/8/2008 2:49:24 PM , Rating: 2
you know that all they are really going to do is have some guy use nlite to make the XP install small enough.


RE: Why not Vista?
By johnsonx on 1/9/2008 3:32:50 PM , Rating: 2
ok, I know you're mostly just throwing a zinger out, but it should be pointed out that MS does already have XP Embedded. nlite is great and all, but there's nothing it does that MS is surprised by and couldn't do better if they choose.

What we'll likely see from MS and ASUS is a hybrid between regular XP and XP Embedded.


RE: Why not Vista?
By murphyslabrat on 1/8/2008 7:13:47 PM , Rating: 3
Technically, it's from 2003, but in terms of specs...yep


RE: Why not Vista?
By clovell on 1/8/2008 4:10:07 PM , Rating: 1
They use XP because it gives them the opportunity to continue making money off of it rather than let it simply become obsolete.


RE: Why not Vista?
By TomZ on 1/8/2008 4:38:03 PM , Rating: 3
That doesn't make any sense - they could make money from either XP or Vista just the same. What would be the benefit of selling XP instead of Vista?

I think the real answer is that XP runs better on low-RAM devices compared to Vista, and I would guess this carries over to XP and Vista embedded, which I assume is being used as the basis for these Asus devices. After all, that is the purpose of the "embedded" versions - they are highly modular and can be readily scaled down to the required subset of features based on the available resources of the target system.


RE: Why not Vista?
By stmok on 1/10/2008 6:34:39 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I think the real answer is that XP runs better on low-RAM devices compared to Vista


*sarcasm*
Vista? Heavy on hardware resources? No, I don't believe that!
*end sarcasm*


Poor Jugglers!
By i4mt3hwin on 1/8/2008 2:09:59 PM , Rating: 5
Leave the poor jugglers alone!

jugular*