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Monday 12th May 2008

Microsoft targets Eee PC

Posted at: 3:46am 12th May 2008 by James Morris

Worried by cheap Linux-powered machines, Microsoft offers discount rates to encourage OEMs to opt for Windows

Eee PC to get cheap XP

‘Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning,’ said Bill Gates in his 1999 book, Business @ the Speed of Thought. Nine years on, it seems as if people are queuing up to give lessons to Microsoft. Apple is raking in the cash, and thanks to ultra low cost PCs (ULPCs) like the Asus Eee PC, Linux is threatening to become popular.

According to PC World, Microsoft is taking the ULPC so seriously it has created a new programme to help manufacturers create Windows XP-powered machines that can compete in terms of price with Linux-powered Asus’s Eee PC and Elonex ONE, by offering XP Home at a steep discount.

However, there will be a few catches – to qualify for the discount, the ULPCs will only be allowed to have screens 10.2in in diameter or less, hard disks 80GB in size or less, and they can’t have touchscreens. They will also be confined to 1GB of RAM and a 1GHz single-core processor.

The reason for the limitations are to keep these systems very clearly differentiated from Windows Vista PCs. Microsoft has already pulled back from its decision to discontinue Windows XP support in June, in the realisation that many aren’t yet ready for the move to Vista. But it wants to maintain the message that Vista is now the preferred choice for mainstream PCs.

So how cheap will these OEM copies of Windows XP Home Edition be? In developed markets they will cost a rock-bottom $32, and in developing ones $26, with a further $10 available for manufacturers participating in Microsoft’s Marketing Development Agreement. That’s still not as cheap as Linux (i.e., free), but Microsoft hopes this will encourage more manufacturers to stick with Windows for their ULPCs.

However, predictions of the ULPC’s likely popularity vary wildly. Microsoft reckons as many as 13 million units will be sold this year, whilst IDC only puts the annual total at 9 million by 2012. Nobody’s quite sure whether people want a cheap, light PC – or a powerful mobile phone like Apple iPhone.

Microsoft refused to comment on the details of the deal in the UK, but John Curran, Director of Windows Client Group, Microsoft UK gave the following statement to Custom PC:

‘Microsoft is deeply committed to working with PC manufacturers in the UK to offer a wide variety of Windows experiences that meet the tailored needs of our customers. These experiences range from exciting new laptops and desktops that enable people to take advantage of the latest in digital photography, music, entertainment, and Office productivity to new ultra low cost PCs that serve as easy to use starter PCs and terrific companion devices for browsing the web and doing mail. We expect to see Windows XP based ultra low cost PCs introduced into the UK market in the next few months.’



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@Lightning_Pete

Maybe some of us don't just play games all the time and can't afford Vista + Microsoft Office 2007, total: £140 versus Ubuntu and Open Office, total NOTHING!

Comment by danielsnelson at 6:55pm 17th May 2008

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Why bother changing?

The OS that comes with it does everything it needs to, email, internet, messenger and writer (?) and if you do want an OS that can handle gaming, don't get an EEE pc.. :D I ama MS guy myself, have tried everything but for EEE PC I think the OS preinstalled would be best, it doesn't need huge system resorces and XP requires higher, however I suppose for people who want a farmiliar envoronment XP would be a great alternative

Comment by gavin_maw at 2:26pm 16th May 2008

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Ermm...

I run XP, with a firewall and anti-virus software here, so do lots of other people on their EEE...hilarious? I don't think so.

Comment by dedlite at 12:06pm 14th May 2008

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Ermm...

I run XP, with a firewall and anti-virus software here, so do lots of other people on their EEE...hilarious? I don't think so.

Comment by dedlite at 12:06pm 14th May 2008

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XP on eee

For a laptop with so little power, the thought of running XP on something like the Eee is just hillarious. XP may run fine, but the need to add a 3rd party firewall and anti-virus would push things a little too far. With the standard linux distro's you may need to use the command line for some things, but the version running on the Eee seems to have been tightened up a bit so you shouldn't need it. Linux doesn't always conform to the stereotype - I've certainly never typed a command line into a SkyTV box or a mobile phone.

Comment by gavomatic57 at 8:40am 14th May 2008

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All games? I think we are a far fetch from getting Crysis on an Eee PC.

Comment by beaneh at 8:44am 14th May 2008

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Ohh

And we can play ALL GAMES on Windows ! Eat that Danielsnelson at the start of these comments LOL

Comment by Lightning_Pete at 12:00am 14th May 2008

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Microsoft

Are trying to rake in as much £$£ as possible before giving in and offering XP/Vista and much lower prices until its absolutly necessary... They are by far the largest operating system compared to Mac/apple or Linux... By a long shot........

Comment by Lightning_Pete at 11:55pm 13th May 2008

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Microsoft

Are trying to rake in as much £$£ as possible before giving in and offering XP/Vista and much lower prices until its absolutly necessary... They are by far the largest operating system compared to Mac/apple or Linux... By a long shot........

Comment by Lightning_Pete at 11:55pm 13th May 2008

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...

now that i am in abit less of a "DOWN WITH M$" mood, i can be a little more rational. M$ did the oc community a favour by universalizing the operating environment for software. but they also did us a great harm by gaurding their status as the sole universalizing entity with such viciousness that there is only one other commercial product in their market, and that is the mac OS, and now apple is submiting to M$ by allowing it to be installed on their machines, and by not licensing their software out to PC's, i have always thought that apple was pushing the "conformity is cool!" agenda, (same w/ M$), but i give them credit for a few things (really nice monitors, quiet systems...) and going against M$ was one of those things, key word WAS. linux is getting better and better imo, but it will always be at the whim of other companies to provide support for advanced hardware (most stuff like dvd drives will all work with the same driver, side note: my dvd drive won't work w/ the windows driver (no-name brand, can't find drivers online) but the linux drivers works PERFECTLY). i think that M$ should strip windows all the way down, to the point where it is little more than a desktop and then sell diff parts of the OS, offer subscriptions services for their auto-driver services and stuff, things like that. this would be the 'advanced user' version of windows, they would still sell their bloated, out of controll, monstrocities to the average user, but let the people who really know what they want have more controll.

Comment by yougotkicked at 10:14pm 13th May 2008

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For one of the world's biggest companies MS simply don't deliver the goods.

Comment by ricka at 12:26pm 13th May 2008

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@crazyceo

has anyone proved this, the free upgrade will be fully appreciated. I noticed you said trial, if we are taking this literally how long does the trial last exactly? either way, nice work *virtal hi 5*

Comment by lunarus at 10:58am 13th May 2008

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Linux nearly but not quite

I really do hope Linux could be a true competitor to Microsoft. But lack of windows program compatibility, the need to learn the command line and the total lottery of installing extra programs' (will it instal by itself or will you spend hours chasing dependancies) all conspire against it. At the end of the day an operating system should be something you just use, not a major long term learning curve to grade A geek standard. The Asus Eee linux install was very like it or loath it.

Comment by wilfy at 7:04am 13th May 2008

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whats really needed

While the cheap XP pricing is good, it does not really tackle the problem head on. Whats really needed is a Microsoft operating system that genuinly designed to run on PC's of the Asus Eee type. I mean by this low ram requirements and small footprint on the hard drive, also cheaply priced. Ideally it would just come with the basics and any extra functionality would be optional plug ins. Xp on an Asus Eee 4Gb hdd is marginal at best. I have yet to try running Xp on the Eee from a SD card. If its possible then that would solve the HDD space issue.

Comment by wilfy at 6:48am 13th May 2008

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De, ja, vu

Didn't i read once that microsoft like to ram technolgy down people's throats. (or something similer)

Comment by tigerlewis85 at 1:25am 13th May 2008

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De, ja, vu

Didn't i read once that microsoft like to ram technolgy down people's throats. (or something similer)

Comment by tigerlewis85 at 1:19am 13th May 2008

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@yougotkicked

Just get the best VISTA laptop you can buy for the amount you want to spend and do the following for a fully licensed copy of OFFICE 2007. Just pretend you are an IT consultancy. (XP Pro never did come with a full version of OFFICE) You need a windows live login such as hotmail account or sign up for one. Click here and following through the microsoft questionnaire and then you get the CD key. https://login.live.com/login.srf?wa=wsignin1.0&rpsnv=10&ct=1204641157&rver=4.0.1534.0&wp=MBI_SSL&wreply=https:%2F%2Fconnect.microsoft.com%2FInvitationUse.aspx%3FProgramID%3D1787%26InvitationID%3DMPAN-YQQX-7G7H%26SiteID%3D509&lc=1033&id=64416 it will ask for company/firm name, but I just entered my own name as firm then my own address then you download the trial software: http://trial.trymicrosoftoffice.com/trialukireland/product.aspx?re_ms=oo&family=officesmallbusiness&culture=en-GB use the product key given in your Microsoft Connect account per the first link – should be a thumbnail on left of screen and voila you have office 2007 with Suite Includes: • Microsoft Office Excel 2007 • Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 • Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 • Microsoft Office Word 2007

Comment by crazyceo at 11:02pm 12th May 2008

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Microsoft don't fear Linux or Apple

Microsoft couldn't give a rats a$$ about Linux or Apple for that matter. $32 for XP is fantastic. For that you get a FULLY COMPATIBLE OS. Anyone with an apple product or the Asus eeeeeeeeeeeepc will know that compatibilty is a big issue. You have to download patch after patch or convert files after files just to read a document your friend sends you. Microsoft just see an opportunity here and will clearly exploit it to make even more billions. WellDone Microsoft for saving us and making all of our lives COMPATIBLE!

Comment by crazyceo at 10:44pm 12th May 2008

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M$ is a attention starved money-whore.

every time i look into something that involves getting a operating system, i am reassured in my opinion. M$ claims that they want to help people get exactly what they need in a computer? what a load of BS, my mom needs a new laptop because her old one got stolen, and because she is the co-founder of a company, she needs to have a copy of M$ office on her computer. the company is not big enough to get bulk licenses and such from M$ so we need to get a laptop that comes with it or pay M$ an absurd amount of money for their pathetically made programs. as it would turn out; there is no version of vista that includes office!!!! xp pro came with it, but not even vista ultimate comes with a full suite. not even vista buisness does!! in what world does this make sense?!?! so we are left with little choice other than to buy from dell because they are still selling laptops with xp pro installed. gates claimes that unhappy customers are a good source to learn from, is M$ have a learning disability? i happen to have three and i can still see how incompetent they are being.

Comment by yougotkicked at 10:28pm 12th May 2008

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Hmm

I don't like Linux, it's a personal preference. It's not that I can't use it, I just can't take the incompatibility. I'm a computer scientist, it's not like I'm computer illiterate, I just prefer Windows (or even OS X). Personally I use Vista, but I think all operating systems have their (dis)advantages. This is good news for people wanting to run XP, but at first I thought the article was going to say Microsoft are making a new version of XP specifically for the small laptops.

Comment by aceizace at 10:10pm 12th May 2008

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XP Has good points, but so does linux

Let's be honest, average desktop user, XP is king of the castle. However for small machines, like the Eeepc, linux makes more sense. It's free, doesn't require as much in the way of hardware, and is infintly customisable for the machine in question. The Eeepc truely shows what linux can do when done right for a machine.

Comment by Rkiver at 9:15pm 12th May 2008

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GO LINUX!

Why pay extra for an OS thats not as good as Linux, not to mention Linux is much more tweakable, has hundreds of free programs and needs less system resources. Go Linux!!!

Comment by danielsnelson at 6:27pm 12th May 2008

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