Microsoft want to drop XP. For them to continue to supply Asus with XP, they have to make sure the Linux versions are no cheaper than the XP versions - there must be some shady deal going on.

Hence the difference in config.

Jolyon

It's just an unexceptional laptop at an unexceptional price. At least the first eee was reasonably priced and solid state.

That's £100 more than the Advent and only £50 less than Acer do a 12" Laptop for.

Not worth it.

Buy the XP version, decline the license, claim your refund* (by right, as stated in the EULA), and knock a further few tenners off the price. Then stick Unbuntu Eee on it, and Bob's your uncle.

* - Disclaimer. Refund instructions for your vendor may be on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'.

I sit here in my favourite Pub with a pint of my favourite brew. Shout's of "Get a life" and "Sad Bastard" have died away to a murmer.

I am connected to the world + dog via my ASUS 901 and a mobile internet dongle fro "3".

One theory is that I have died and gone to heaven.

But no, that isn't possible without a Jesus Phone and I don't have one of those.

This 901 is much, much better than that and so is Windows XP.

( and so is the beer)

"Go" as a signal to ASUS 901 wise. They have hit a sweet spot.

It would be nice if they could actually supply some of the other models like the 901 series to the shops. Way too many, and too expensive, models, which they seem unable to produce in quantity.

So how do you explain the fact that the Windows version of the MSI Wind is MORE expensive than the linux version?

You M$ conspiracy nuts are funny. Let's face it, you'd concoct a story whether the Windows version cost more, less or the same as the linux one. If M$ had as much influence over these manufacturers as you like to imagine, do you really think they would've allowed them to release a non-Windows version?

Meh, they won't get my business so long as they're so blatantly corruptible. Although it may backfire in the market place if people see that the linux version comes with office and a sac of other tools and sees Windows as the ALDI version.

To make sure linux is there at release i assume.

+1 for shady microsoft deals

if you lok at the asus website http://eeepc.asus.com/global/news06032008.htm

the 1000h 80g is available with linux

I presume 2 things.

1. XP + 80Gb HDD = -£20 the cost of a 40Gb SDD.

2. Linux is not such a disk hog.

Who cares about £20 anyway? you can't even fill your push bike petrol tank with that now-a-days!

<- The brainy dude, because I like Irony....

Looking through the specs on the asus link above it and judging by the difference in the specs it seems like the 1000 is the top of the line model, the 901 linux model is also higher spec than the XP model. Ok, it might cost more despite the free OS, but it also has roughly an hour extra battery life which would be worth more than the extra 20 to me.

Still, its a lot of cash for what is supposed to be an affordable device, there are plenty of full sized laptops around the same size with a lot more storage and processor power.

My little eeePC is pretty neat. The only thing bad about it is the small screen. I was hoping the new version would be 1024x768 min , but no.

Not interested especially with the crap price.

This is an illegal trade practice where I live. It is illegal to bundle products like an OS in order to hide the price of it. This is widely used by M$ to avoid competition on price. Look on the web. You will rarely find the same hardware available with XP/Vista/GNU/Linux as options. The motivation is obvious. A monopolist cannot both compete on price/performance and rake in extreme profits.

...well to me at least.

ASUS simply don't want to support an Linux version.

No right thinking person will buy a 40GB model when a 80GB model is cheaper. So they buy the XP version and rip out XP.

Some, if not most will probably not bother getting a refund on the XP license from ASUS so Microsoft is quids up and it can report that it's still selling XP so they're happy.

ASUS can report that people aren't buying the Linux model and so they can justify dropping it from future model ranges.

Everyone is happy except Linux users...

I think Microsoft's problem, if they care at all, is that they've come late to the party. The whole sector took off with Linux based devices, presumably because bundling a custom Linux costs very little (i.e., just whatever adapting the Linux costs, then nothing per unit). I would imagine that they've decided to offer XP for very small amounts of cash to try to get into the market. People like ASUS know that at least some potential customers are put off by Linux, so they decide to bundle Windows. In order to keep Microsoft interested, they need the Windows machine to sell well, so they find ways to make it cheaper.

That's a completley unsubstantiated suggestion, but it would involve no illegal market distorting activities on any side and simultaneously explain why manufacturers were 'allowed' to come to market with non-Windows machines but now seem to be acting in some ways as proxies for Microsoft.