Go to Toys 'R Us for your Linux netbook needs

Not the first time Toys R Us sold computers

Back in the the Pre-Windows days, I had a side business where I maintained mailing lists for some small companies and prited out mailing labels whenever they wanted. I was using an Atari computer which about 6 years old when it died.

Since I need a new computer immediately, I went shopping and the only place in town that carried Atari computers was Toys R Us.

Shortly thereafter no one carried Atari computers.

The Asus 900A is indeed the

The Asus 900A is indeed the Atom version (that's why they put the letter A after 900), the Celeron one is a plain 900. I am not a Tech ninja, in fact I am a MD from Venezuela, but I just happen to like linux. I own an Asus 900 (Celeron) which came with Linux Xandros preloaded, as i said before, in spite i like linux a lot, i found the Xandros that came preloaded so basic and simple, as if it was intended to be used by a person who had never touched a computer before, kind of childish i might add (the advanced desktop mode was very basic too and without support for most debian based apps). Since the support for Ubuntu was not ready when i bought it, more than a year ago (i mean the plain vainilla one, not eeebuntu, ubuntueee, or similar) i used it with Windows XP for almost a year, until my SSD got full, and the low memory messages got extremely annoying. When Ubuntu Jaunty came out, and everything worked right away, without the need to tweak it much, i changed to Ubuntu, and i must say that i like it a lot (i've been using it since 2006 as a dual boot on my main desktop PC though). My suggestion to Asus in reference to netbooks, put a linux distro with capability to compete with Windows, such as Ubuntu, not a crippled one. And to all the grammar critics here, my native language is spanish, so if i made any mistake in the above exposed, i beg you excuse me.

I Love Microsoft

I really love Microsoft a lot. If it was not for them I would not make all the money I do. If it wasn't for all the virus' and other problems that I have to fix every day I would have to look for a new job. Keep up the great work MS.

As a side note, I wouldn't put another MS product on any of my systems. I like using computers that I don't have to worry about. Thank you Linux for this.

MS's Fear Looms Large

It's become a morbidly fascinating exercise to read each new posting by Steven: before I even see it, the astroturfers have been out in force raising the sameo flag for MS.

So far in this exchange the only argument that seems missing is the tired old, "I need Photoshop. Until Linux runs Photoshop I can't use Linux." Of course Wine runs PS and the astroturfer has never purchased a PS license, but the argument is almost always raised.

Yo folks! This isn't about MS making bucks on Windows licenses. It's the palpable fear that people will actually discover that they can buy a fully equipped software/hardware system without paying an additional 400-600 bucks for applications.

Instead of a machine with a crippleware version of an OS that costs $100 to upgrade, and piles of trialware and crapware that takes hours to nuke, they could have a fully functional system without an additional cent of cost.

Even losing out on the netbook market would not by itself cause MS to quake like they are right now. What they're quaking in their boots over is the fear that netbook buyers will learn something about Linux that will cost MS in future computing purchases down the line. If the netbook customer can get by without buying antivirusware, officeware, accountingware, CD-burningware, photoeditingware, yada yada yada--then he can get by without that spendy stuff the next time he buys a desktop or a small business system or....

Why did MS raise up XP from the dead and essentially give it away for an estimated $7 a pop? Clue-time: not for the $7. They did it because they don't want folks to discover the difference between a helpless, "naked" Windows system and a full-up, ready to go Linux system. It is that discovery that they are trying to smother.

MS wants you to buy Windows so you will be stuck with the platform for your other apps. They make money from payware (most of which is more like subscriptionware these days). They're willing to take a hit on the OS in the hopes that they'll make it back in Office, Money, etc.

If any of our astroturfers are just honest MS fanboys, then they should give us an idea of what they think the netbook buyer wants to spend on proprietary software to make the Windows OS useful? Lessee, about $249 for the netbook, and how much for making it work?

Linux netbooks at Toys'R Us

What was probably meant was to refer to netbooks (Linux netbooks specifically) as toys, not worthy of serious use. It's interesting to know that todays' toys are a lot more sophisticated than they used to be. So, if a netbook loaded with Linux is a toy, not worthy of attention, is the same netbook, loaded with Windows, no more worthy of attention, still a toy?