Free Software Linux

Available at computer sellers from "late June", the Eee 901 will retail for $649 and the 701 and 900 have been reduced to $479 and $549, respectively. According to ASUS, the Linux and Windows versions are the same price.

I can't help noticing the number of Asus EEE PCs around now, it is strange to think that twelve months ago these weren't really about and there was still discussion of when will be the "year of the Linux desktop". Of course, events took a different turn, and suddenly the desktop didn't seem so important anymore.

Businesses are not philanthropists. They are not, intentionally, educators or evangelists for ideologies. However, from time to time their business models just happen to coincide with their more idealistic customers own interests. Asus is one such company.

Lately, there has been a lot of noise about Ubuntu’s Netbook Remix. In an unrelated (and definitely lucky) interview with The Guardian, Mark Shuttleworth hinted that Canonical were about to announce a version of Ubuntu for a new class of devices created by accident by Asus with the EeePc (talk about corporate luck…). Th buzz about this was monumental. But… what is Ubuntu Netbook Remix?

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The Asus Eee PC ultraportable comes bundled with a version of Xandros as its operating system. If you would like to try a different Linux distro on your Eee, there are plenty of options to choose from, including eeeXubuntu, EeeDora, ZenEee, EeePCLinuxOS, and Puppeee. read more

The VAR Guy wasn’t looking for love, but he found it during a trip to his local CostCo last night. There, he spotted the $299 Eee PC from Asus. It’s built on Linux — but CostCo’s in-store promotional materials for the device barely mention Linux. That may be a smart move. Here’s why.

In Part One of my Eee PC series I looked at the hardware specifications of this miniature marvel. In such a small space Asus have managed to cram in a lot and at a price that is so low that it ought be illegal. However, it is a cliche to recall that hardware without software is junk—unless you have a fetish for silicon. In this post I will look at the software on the Eee PC. read more

In recent weeks I have banged on about Open Source, expending two articles on Firefox alone. Open Source applications make their code available to everyone. Disagreements and rabid balkanisation within the Open Source community aside, for our purposes the term might as well refer to free software whose licence allows you to share the source code, alter it, use it, do with it what you will.

Stephen Fry introduces the open source platform that will see off Windows.

Asus has named the upcoming additions to its Eee PC family of low-cost computers, soon to be augmented with a small form-factor desktop machine, an all-in-one system and a TV.

Until recently I thought Linux was just the domain of enthusiasts and cost-conscious corporates, who for whatever reason, wanted an alternative to Windows. I never thought Linux had a contribution to make to mainstream computing. However, after purchasing a ASUS EeePC, a Linux based subnotebook, I’ve realised that I was wrong, very wrong.

The Eee PC has been a darling of the linux community. Asus calls it its most successful product ever. Here's a list of resources, wikis, forums, and blogs about the little linux computer that could.

We’ve seen a lot of EeePC hacks, but this one takes the cake (currently). Featuring GPS (with antenna), Bluetooth, internal card reader, additional internal flash drive, 802.11N, FM transmitter and modem. Here is a run down of all the components and their costs:

Not content with mounting a serious challenge to Asus' elfin Eee PC, US manufacturer Everex this week said it will follow up its 7in CloudBook sub-notebook with larger models later in the year.

Part of Linux’s appeal has always been its low cost (essentially free) so it makes sense that a new crop of low-priced mini-laptops are turning to the OS. The beauty of these desktop replacement replacements is that, despite their compactness, they offer a real opportunity for genuine productivity on the go.