Digg Townhall now online!
Check out the latest Digg Townhall, where Kevin and Jay answered the top questions from the Digg Community!
ASUS Eee desktop named EBOX: still has Linux, intros in June
electronista.com — ASUS' E-DT desktop take on the Eee PC has been given a final name, launch date, and specs, according to a new leak. Now just called the EBOX, the system is due to be unveiled at the major Computex show on June 3rd and will run Linux -- and it'll be priced at $300 or less.
Commodus- 745 diggs
- digg it
- shrewduser, on 05/26/2008, -4/+33i expect microsoft isn't too pleased about the further comodotisation of pc hardware, its making its operating system too expensive for the next generation of low cost PC's. Perhaps a low cost version of windows is in the works, as its unlikely that microsoft would give up and portion of its business without a fight....
- mrsteveman1, on 05/26/2008, -1/+20Thats the thing, Microsoft has this set amount they think they deserve for Windows, and its too high. Even the OEM prices i expect are way too high for what you get out of the deal.
And at retail, forget it. Seriously, $250 for vista ultimate? for what, bitlocker? that should be in every version.
This is the problem Microsoft finds itself in, they wasted 4 years screwing around before they even got serious about developing the successor to XP, thinking that no one could POSSIBLY step in and hand them their ass in ANY market, and now they are passing on the cost of their own failures to customers in the form of jacked up prices on Vista.
They could compete if they wanted to but they don't want to compete, they want to own the market on their terms, and that is slowly becoming impossible.
They could probably crush this interest in Linux on embedded-type systems by releasing a good, stable minimal system with just a web browser, an IM client, email, and some limited support for 3rd party apps like Skype.
But anyone who knows the situation, knows that this doesn't even remotely describe anything Microsoft has ready to release in the near future, they have Vista which is out completely, XP which is a horrible OS and is too dated to be seriously considered (really, use linux instead if those are your options), and then they have Windows CE, which has failed miserably on embedded-type devices in the past, and would require significant work on the part of both Microsoft, and developers to make it a serious contender for this market.- ammundsen, on 05/26/2008, -0/+2I agree. But also consider that Microsoft's main revenue stream is from business. So far business has accepted having to overpay for PCs and the software they run on them. If they stop accepting this situation Microsoft might be forced to respond.
- maybeway36, on 05/26/2008, -1/+14What Microsoft needs to do is make a fast and reliable version of Windows that runs well on older PCs. Oh wait, I just described Windows 2000 :P
- wbgo, on 05/26/2008, -1/+5Best OS Microsoft ever made. It been one long downhill since then.
- jasongbc, on 05/26/2008, -2/+0i'm running it on this dell p3 1ghz/256mb laptop, it's swell. boots real quick, does what it needs to. a little bigger than a EEE, but it only cost me $150 used.
- wbgo, on 05/26/2008, -1/+5Best OS Microsoft ever made. It been one long downhill since then.
- PrivateRolf, on 05/27/2008, -1/+1A digg for this comment. ^_^
Anyway, I say screw Windows....anyone who's buying this form factor PC is either :
A)A Free software freak/modder
B)The average consumer who wants the next cool thing
C) (HOPEFULLY!) A business owner who is using this just as a workstation.
So who really needs Windows out of these three? I'm going to have to go with user C, but many business's employees could scrape by on a full suite of OpenOffice.org office software.
As for games? This is probably going to have IGP with a lame amount of shared RAM. If you thought you could do hardcore (or even decent) gaming on a $300 consumer-based PC, you had better think again. Although, I will hand it to the eeePC fans who have gotten more graphical games such as Half Life 2 to run on the eeePC. (Note: Just what I've seen on Youtube. Whether it's possible or not, you're going to be running low frames).
But back on the subject of who needs Windows.
Most people can use a Linux distribution (I recommend Ubuntu to those interested (Yes, I know, UBUNTU. But am I just going to tell my mother, who can't even restore view to normal whilst browsing web pages, to go and take 6+hours to compile their own kernel? No. I know there are other Linux distros out there, such as Fedora and openSuSE, but I've found Ubuntu is the easiest for the people I (personally recommend)). It has everything the basic consumer needs (back to general Linux, NOT JUST UBUNTU)
1)an iPod manager/media player (I recommend Amarok)
2) a Movie/DVD player
3) A vast multitude of BitTorrent clients
4) Office Productivity software (Think OpenOffice, the Open Source version of M$ Office.)
5)Image Editing (The GIMP is free, but Adobe Photoshop CS2 CAN run in WINE
6) Of Course a web browser and Instant Messaging Client
7)Easy to use User Interface
8) A decent amount of games (Running Via WINE, or native Linux games), but I think this one doesn't apply as much as many people just play on their consoles.
You're also not going to be wasting money on anti-virus or anti-spyware software. The only way you're going to mess up a Linux system is by typing in malicious code to the terminal.
Best of all? Linux will work on almost ANY machine, and will make almost any old machine you have just lying around faster. - ilgaz, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2I seriously considered a EEE PC with XP Preinstalled. Why? Because I am OS X/PPC user and don't need to upgrade to Intel Mac.
Here is the problem. Every once in a while, Nokia or Sony Ericsson idiots ship a Windows only critical software like Firmware updater. I have to run MS Virtual PC with XP SP3, even on a Quad G5, it is nightmare.
So, I thought about getting that Asus XP installed option until... I saw specs.
That thing has 512M RAM, Intel Mobile CPU and no real hard disk. What will XP say when you first boot it? It will say "Your system is insecure, install an anti virus". There goes 50-80 MB of that 512 MB memory and 20% of CPU. After a while, you will also feel paranoid since Spyware can happily run on that thing too. Add Anti Spyware, there goes another portion of memory and CPU.
See the deal? You lose half of the non existent (compared to laptop) performance.
Microsoft hasn't got a chance on such devices because of that. I also believe they did some IT mafia tricks to convince poor Asus to provide XP/Vista. If you are planets largest PC mainboard manufacturer, you wouldn't want to piss off producer of Windows.- agaudet, on 05/28/2008, -0/+1The reason why its a nitemare is because its a G5 PPC emulating to x86 hardware
Take a dual core core duo at 1.86ghz and I have no problem running 4-8 different versions of linux and/or windows at all- ilgaz, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Of course emulation is evil but I am not changing my Quad G5 just because some idiots at Nokia with MSCE can only code for Windows.
- agaudet, on 05/28/2008, -0/+1The reason why its a nitemare is because its a G5 PPC emulating to x86 hardware
- mrsteveman1, on 05/26/2008, -1/+20Thats the thing, Microsoft has this set amount they think they deserve for Windows, and its too high. Even the OEM prices i expect are way too high for what you get out of the deal.
- Stonekeeper, on 05/26/2008, -3/+36Microsoft get money off this anyway, via the deal they have with Xandros regarding patents. Unbelievable - i know.
- mrsteveman1, on 05/26/2008, -3/+3I could be wrong, but i believe Xandros is a company located where software patents apply.
Novell for sure is located in the US, and software patents very much apply to them, so they aren't stupid for wanting to protect their own customers.
Rather than bitching about Xandros and Novell protecting their own company and customers, people should be actively invalidating Microsofts patents. None of them are secret, by definition a patent is highly public and can be obtained by anyone. It shouldn't be hard for some project or group, such as the FSF or the EFF, to begin looking over Microsofts patents, invalidating the ones that are stupid, and clearing up for the world which ones, if any of them, are violated by GPL software.
The next step is to either force the issue, get software patents off the table entirely by getting some court to rule them unenforceable, or suck it up and get over the fact that companies using linux in places where software patents are valid, may end up paying for patent licenses from the owners of whatever patents happen to be valid.
Perhaps all this work will cost more than any possible patent licensing, but then you can see why companies are willing to go that route instead of spending million on court battles with no sure outcome.- Stonekeeper, on 05/26/2008, -0/+3"Rather than bitching about Xandros and Novell protecting their own company and customers, people should be actively invalidating Microsofts patents. None of them are secret, by definition a patent is highly public and can be obtained by anyone."
Yes. If only Microsoft would tell us WHICH ones it thinks Linux is infringing on...- mrsteveman1, on 05/26/2008, -1/+1You completely missed the part where i said you can already get their patents, and check them against Linux software....
- Stonekeeper, on 05/28/2008, -0/+1Oh ok. You want to play like that? Ok, I believe you stole an idea from me and I want you to pay me for it. Now, ball's in your court. Prove you didn't.
- jay019, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1> so they aren't stupid for wanting to protect their own customers.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me how a CUSTOMER can be sued for software patent violations comitted by their supplier????
If I bought a counterfit bag from china (like a million others) and they got found out, does that mean that a million counterfeit bag buyers are able to be sued for patent violations? I just dont get it.- mrsteveman1, on 05/27/2008, -1/+1I have no idea, its fairly ridiculous.
- Stonekeeper, on 05/26/2008, -0/+3"Rather than bitching about Xandros and Novell protecting their own company and customers, people should be actively invalidating Microsofts patents. None of them are secret, by definition a patent is highly public and can be obtained by anyone."
- mrsteveman1, on 05/26/2008, -3/+3I could be wrong, but i believe Xandros is a company located where software patents apply.
- Sammi84, on 05/26/2008, -1/+68Historically we've never seen MS make a new OS that was lighter than the one before. But now they need to do this, or else low cost PCs with Linux will turn out to be their Achilles heel.
Competition is good.- andsalvatierra, on 05/26/2008, -1/+7I agree.
So far, the only lighter version of windows I've come across from MS is basically a crippled version of it. Given that and the free price tag of open-source alternatives, those looking for low-cost machines will undoubtedly turn to the more reasonable, more functional options.
Open source gets the work done on the lower end; Microsoft doesn't, more often than not... and the market will decide thusly. These new wave of ultraportables is the first step to that end.- wbgo, on 05/26/2008, -0/+3Additionally, here 'lighter' means 'stripped of features' more than 'smaller' and, in particular, 'faster'.
I don't know enough about Microsoft's architecture to say for sure, but there has been no indication that they've invested any time in developing a modular architecture that would allow the OS to be scaled down for more limited hardware and applications the way Linux and OS X can be.
- wbgo, on 05/26/2008, -0/+3Additionally, here 'lighter' means 'stripped of features' more than 'smaller' and, in particular, 'faster'.
- andsalvatierra, on 05/26/2008, -1/+7I agree.
- anshuman, on 05/26/2008, -2/+14its a "penguin in a box" . :D
- Rowan187, on 05/26/2008, -8/+2its tiny liek ebox
- jeuhrn, on 05/26/2008, -0/+11In related news (link in article), the eee 901 is probably gonna end up around $600-650 USD.
I was busy cursing myself for just ordering two 900s until I saw that pricetag. - eavesdrop, on 05/26/2008, -5/+3If it has 2gb, I'd buy one.
- DigitAl56K, on 05/26/2008, -1/+1If it has 50cm^2, I'd buy one.
- prophetpimp, on 05/26/2008, -1/+6buy five. tape them together and play crysis. :p
- DigitAl56K, on 05/26/2008, -1/+1If it has 50cm^2, I'd buy one.
- r4ge, on 05/26/2008, -0/+1Awesome, this is the way forward.
- kinship, on 05/26/2008, -0/+17Please, oh please, don't use Xandros, its a pain to use for installing more apps and for general customisation. Neverthless the EEE is awesome =D
- andsalvatierra, on 05/26/2008, -1/+4They could try and see if they can implement Ubuntu's Notebook Remix for ultraportables. I'd like to see how that turns out; it should be really light and fast, if expectations are met.
- MattBD, on 05/26/2008, -1/+13Ubuntu are really on the ball about that - there are already Eee-oriented distros but they are all community ones like EeeXubuntu and PuppEee. By being the first major distro to create a version designed specifically for ultraportables, as well as capitalising on Ubuntu's well earned reputation as a distro that's easy for beginners, they'll really help the burgeoning ultraportable industry.
- DreadKnight, on 05/31/2008, -0/+1Ubuntu FTW!
- andsalvatierra, on 05/26/2008, -1/+4They could try and see if they can implement Ubuntu's Notebook Remix for ultraportables. I'd like to see how that turns out; it should be really light and fast, if expectations are met.
- ThePhotoBoy, on 05/26/2008, -0/+7Please start forming the line behind me
- eklem, on 05/26/2008, -2/+4Ebox as a media-pc? I've tried a 800mhz mini-itx w/ no fan, but it was too slow and got too warm. Then I found the perfect match: HP Compaq t5725. It works like a charm w/ 2.5" external usb-disk. But when a friend of mine wanted the same, it was discontinued. So: Will this box manage to play DVD's (iso-files) with Mplayer or VLC?
- iRelinquish, on 05/26/2008, -0/+2yes, and easily!
- eklem, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Ahh, thanks iRelinquish! The future is bright...
- iRelinquish, on 05/26/2008, -0/+2yes, and easily!
- charbo187, on 05/26/2008, -8/+2i think for these things to really become viable they need to be dual-core or better.
- DigitAl56K, on 05/26/2008, -0/+5All PC's before a year or two ago were single core and perfectly viable. Dual core is nice but not a necessity. All current software runs just fine on one core, obviously the faster the better so long as power consumption and heat output doesn't go off the scale.
- charbo187, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1ya "a year or 2" in computing technology terms is a long effing time.
- carlosos, on 05/26/2008, -0/+3Like DigitAl56K said, is this good enough for many people. The only people that need more are the ones that want to use the PC as media center, gaming machine or video editing. This PC is good enough for 90% of the people that use computers.
- charbo187, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1and what is that other 90%? word processing, reading e-mail, and surfing the web? u can do that on a cell phone now. if u arent using your computer for gaming or watching high quality media you are just wasting your money in my opinion.
- zongamin, on 05/26/2008, -1/+1You stupid
- jay019, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Dual core was only invented cause the chip industry knew tht the next version of windows was going to be big fat turd :P
- DigitAl56K, on 05/26/2008, -0/+5All PC's before a year or two ago were single core and perfectly viable. Dual core is nice but not a necessity. All current software runs just fine on one core, obviously the faster the better so long as power consumption and heat output doesn't go off the scale.
- atliberty2say, on 05/26/2008, -3/+6Watch this story. A company exists which does PR/spin for another company and is tasked with finding any Linux stories and undermining them **in comments** online. A key term is 'Linux zealots' and the addition of soft but negative tales (FUD) based on the story. It's very real and that's all I can say.
- mashedup, on 05/26/2008, -0/+7@atliberty2say
I went and had a look at the recent Liux stories and there are indeed comments from a handul of the same users using "linux zelaots" with tales of experience of mishap with Linux . The linux ubuntu laptop story on front is full of them.
So what's the name of the company??
- mashedup, on 05/26/2008, -0/+7@atliberty2say
- tama00, on 05/26/2008, -6/+1honestly if asus half the price they are selling these things at, they will be making absolute BILLION. ESPECIALLY if they include the new 3G mobile support for internet across mobile towers, not sure if you have that yet in america, considering how slow you are at adopting telecommunications but in Europe and everywhere else we have it! So you will be able to browse the net at up to 14.4mbs per second (max) on your e desktop you brought for nothing!!!
- ThE0eNiGmA, on 05/26/2008, -0/+4So, what, you want Asus to cram in more features and then just... give it away?
- mossblaser, on 05/26/2008, -1/+8I hope they look like they do in the pictures! Almost looks like those HP blackbird things!
- dadioflex, on 05/26/2008, -1/+1Um, it looks ridiculous. If it's like that so air can circulate around it then they'd be better off under-clocking it. I want something I can shove on top of my cable box not sit in a trophy cabinet.
- theadvinci, on 05/26/2008, -0/+6This looks awesome...
- sk545, on 05/26/2008, -10/+3surprised that no one has said that it looks like a wii ripoff. I bet if it was made by MS everyone would be saying that.
- Megatog615, on 05/26/2008, -0/+5It looks nothing like a Wii.
- iRelinquish, on 05/26/2008, -0/+1if it had a remote that looks like a wii mote, it would sell even more!
- jawdog, on 05/26/2008, -2/+2This is going to be HTPC
- YodaJones, on 05/26/2008, -0/+4Great thin clients for the new world order of business networking: Linux.
- infernal6, on 05/26/2008, -0/+5For only 200$... this could put an end to the Mac Mini.
- ilgaz, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Mac Mini is a thing which people misunderstand. Most of the time, Mac Minis are used as a "real Apple TV" next to very expensive HDTV LCD/Plasma bigscreen. Mini is something for living room or a company. I know an advertising agency bought 50 Minis for their PR etc. staff as semi-dumb terminals.
- ilgaz, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Mac Mini is a thing which people misunderstand. Most of the time, Mac Minis are used as a "real Apple TV" next to very expensive HDTV LCD/Plasma bigscreen. Mini is something for living room or a company. I know an advertising agency bought 50 Minis for their PR etc. staff as semi-dumb terminals.
- rodeosmurf, on 05/26/2008, -1/+4It's interesting to see so many people talking about how this means trouble for Microsoft, when the move toward light low-cost hardware could really be a disaster for Apple.
Apple's whole business model is based on using their relatively cheap operating system to sell their overpriced hardware. What will they do when people demand cheap, utilitarian hardware like this?- dadioflex, on 05/26/2008, -1/+5"What will they do when people demand cheap, utilitarian hardware like this?"
Turn up their noses and put up their prices so they make a greater profit per Apple snob that has to have a Mac. - mcmlxxii, on 05/26/2008, -0/+4dadioflex hit the nail on the head. It's a bit like asking what Jean-Paul Gaultier will do if Walmart have a clothes sale.
- init100, on 05/26/2008, -1/+2Apple does not target the low-cost-computer market, and is thus probably not severely affected by it.
- rodeosmurf, on 05/26/2008, -0/+2I'll agree that the low-end and high-end markets are pretty distant right now, but I think it's fair to say that when completely decent, low-cost PCs are available, people might think a bit harder before spending five times as much for a MacBook.
- okto, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Oh come on, really? Still on that overpriced hardware kick?
Compare an Apple and a Dell, spec for spec, and see which one comes out cheaper. Comparing a MacBook to whatever $600 piece of tripe Dell is schlepping these days is like complaining that a BMW 3 Series is too expensive because it costs more than a Kia.
@rodeosmurf: "completely decent, low-cost PCs" won't happen until there's a good, solid, easy-to-use OS out for them. Linux is great, but until the distros let designers start making the design decisions instead of engineers who get off on either how modular or how open-source something is, average people won't use it because average people want to NOT know how their computer works. Terms like "administrator" and "window manager" scare people.
Linux is great at doing everything. Now it needs to learn how to only do what's necessary.- agaudet, on 05/28/2008, -0/+1yea its like comparing two different engines of cars that have no similarities
except in the hardware sense its like 2 notebooks with identical parts made in china, mostly at intels factory and then they added a different case.
So if you feel the difference between 600$ and 1200$ on identical hardware because one is better, then great, what can I sell you so I can get rich?
- agaudet, on 05/28/2008, -0/+1yea its like comparing two different engines of cars that have no similarities
- dadioflex, on 05/26/2008, -1/+5"What will they do when people demand cheap, utilitarian hardware like this?"
- Jordan117, on 05/26/2008, -0/+5My Ebox just blue-ringed. Now I'm going to have to call 555-2MY-EBOX and have it shipped to the repair center in Bluemond before I can use it again.
Thanks a lot, Gill Bates, A Jallard, and Bev Sallmer. Thanks a lot. - jay019, on 05/27/2008, -0/+8Man, I am really starting to love ASUS! First they come up with the barebones sytem so I dont have to pay a windows tax, then they come up with the Linux eeePC and now this. Someone has definately got their brain switched on and in high gear over at ASUS. Top stuff.
Future ASUS zealot. :P - nashvillelaw, on 05/27/2008, -0/+0interesting, good read!
- okto, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2Augh, thank GOD it's not gonna ship with Windows. I mean, seriously, yeah it makes existing machines run okay, but there's no reason to put it on new devices.
We don't still use carburetors on our car engines, even though they were nominally reliable and fairly effective. Why still use Windows? - Woknblues, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2kind of a stupid article, in that it compares the EBOX's spec's as superior to the eee's.... They are completely different products. In spite of the article, it looks great.
"ASUS' E-DT desktop take on the Eee PC has been given a final name, launch date, and specs, according to a leak sent to the Inquirer. Now just called the EBOX, the system is due to be unveiled at the major Computex show on June 3rd and will buck the Eee PC's past use of flash memory for storage: the stock model will carry a 160GB hard drive that provides it six times as much capacity as the 20GB Eee PC 900. The EBOX will also hold 2GB of RAM, or twice as much as the newer Eee notebooks. " - profke, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2Shame about the hd, really. I don't want 160GB. I want quiet! I hope they make one with like 8GB or so solid state.... still, nice it will come with linux!
- eklem, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2Replace the disk with a solid state, and put the disk in a usb cabinet with spin-down
Check out the new & improved 
© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is