ASUS offers Australians a cheaper XP with one important cut to make up for the low cost
Asus is turning a surprising deal in America into and even more surprising deal for Aussies. After the wild success of the Linux-only Eee PC 4G in America, which retailed for a lowly $399, Asus recently announced beefier upcoming Eee PC 900's, which comes in two versions-- one sporting Linux and, for the first time, another version equipped with Windows XP. The new PC's were both priced at $549, a surprise to some who expected the Windows OS version to be more expensive. The catch -- the Windows machine only came with a 12 GB solid state drive, while the Linux machine came with a 20 GB drive.
Now Asus is repeating this trend in Australia, and while its marking up the overall costs slightly, it is sweetening the deal a bit for Windows users. The Australians will get the Windows XP model for $599 AUS ($565 USD), while the Linux will be priced higher at $649 AUS ($612 USD). Both units will have the same hard drive capacity as there American counterparts.
While the move seems logical, given the expense of the solid state drive, many Linux users are up in arms, feeling that Asus is undercutting Linux less than a year after Eee PC initially was billed as the new poster child of OEM home user Linux systems. The new model either comes with either a customized Xandros Linux distribution with Open Office or a Windows XP version with Microsoft Excel. Both models feature larger 8.9 inch screens, as well as the increased capacity SSDs (the original had 4 GB drives) and 1 GB of memory, twice that of the original.
The units will go on sale at the end of May in Australia, slightly after the May 12 American release date. The original Eee PC was a hot seller, selling over a million units worldwide. Local product manager Albert Liang commented on the wild success of the original stating, "It has generated a tremendous amount of noise into the market."
The new version is expected to follow in suit despite the higher price. Many applaud its push for small form factor, and light weight (less than a kilogram), but some have complained about the higher price, which they say is a sign of the project losing touch with its roots.
Worse news for Linux supporters, the Windows machines will be sold at "selected retailers", while the Linux machines will be relegated to "computer resellers". This will mean no Linux machines will appear in popular Australian retailers such as Myer (similar to Best Buy here in the States).
Liang comments on the shift in support towards Windows, stating, "Microsoft has been a longstanding supporter of Asus."
Keith Holtham, the account manager for Asus at Microsoft Australia adds, "People are asking for the familiar and compatible Windows interface that they've used in the past. The goal was to provide a platform that allows users to have access to their favourite applications."
In his discussion Holtham said that XP-featured Communicator, Photo Gallery and OneCare Family Safety were strong draws for Asus. Humorously, he went on to then state that the Family Safety program didn't really work very well as his kids get past it all the time and find anything they want online. The Microsoft box does boot remarkably fast compared to the average XP build, a possible draw.
Asus does acknowledge that Linux still holds a small speed lead in boot times. It states, "It provides a fast boot-up time, ideal for quick internet access while waiting for public transport or taking notes on-the-go."
Additionally, the Linux version
may appeal more to some users as it features the traditional, more
simplistic interface, which was a selling point of the original models.
According to ASUS, "The Linux version is suited to users who desire an
icon-driven and easy point-and-click interface – well suited for
children or users with limited computer experience."
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