The real reason

I didn't bother reading all the comments to apologies if it has been said..

Asus wanted to release a small form factor laptop with limited RAM & SSD. Asus wanted XP on it but Microsoft wanted to kill XP and was pushing Vista. Vista was too pricey and bloated.

So Asus threatened to ship them with Linux installed. Messers Ballmer and co laughed and said "go ahead, it'll flop".

Asus sold EVERY SINGLE One. Returns were on a par with any windows offering. It was a runaway success.

Microsoft had to back peddle before Linux got traction with the public. So they extended the life of XP and gave Asus the deal it had wanted originally.

Now a campaign of disinformation was started.

ie:

Why would you want a tiny 8mb SSD when for the same price you can have a 130gb ? In other words, the usual Ms tactic of newer, faster, bigger (more expensive)

This of course completely defeated the whole concept of the Netbook being a cheap but robust (no spinning HD) computing device.

Asus were no fools either. They deliberately chose Xandros instead of any major distro so as to not completely alienate MS.

Yup, Microsoft wanted this little upstart dead. Looks like they finally won.

Maya

@ Sisk

The Mayans ARE still around

Methinks they'll party hard this year having rickrolled the entire planet !!

Maxwelled

The so government rips off our pension funds and wants us to give them more. At least Maxwell had the decency to top himself.

I was made aware of the new pension crap last year, I'm 50 years old so I'll be opting out <-- They'd probably want a grand a month from me !!

R.Send

I live in Peterborough.. Local news here..

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/traffic-transport/latest-travel/rowan_atkinson_s_horror_crash_in_240mph_car_1_2942670

Cows with Guns ?

Ok.. So instead of becoming fish food it gets to become (several) burgers.

Scalextric

So make roads like Scalextric tracks. That'll make sure the buggers are in the correct lane at the correct time and if they aint then they'll wait for the appropriate correction point !!

Or... Use that electric toothbrush charging idea. iirc Tesla ( Nikolai) discovered a way to send a charge over the airways.

Where's the electric shock icon ? Ok I'll use Paris instead as she probably uses something rechargable !!

Bah amateurs

Protext FTW

Where are they ?

I just wish they'd hurry up and release the damn things.

Where are the ARMS ?

Well they wanna bloody well hurry up and make the ARM Netbooks available. I've had £300 burning a hole in my wallet for the past 3 weeks. I've been waiting to see whats announced at CES. Well thats been & gone.

Where are the ARM Netbooks ?

/Stomps feet

Images

I feel that stores should be forced to sell computers os free.

In the box could be 3 discs with images of various os's. 1 of them could be a trial version of Windows.

Argue amongst yourselves which distro's should be chosen.

Excellent

Microsoft next ?

Anyone else

Getting suspicious that a certain company from Redmond are leaning on manufacturers to delay release until they have an ARM port ?

@ Martin 19

I have been a wagon driver for 23 years mate. I'm well aware of the restrictions and when they were implemented. (I Aim 44 tonners for Langdons)

You didn't take into account the skateboard effect going downhill. There are many times on the motorway when CC is enabled that the gradient lets the vehicle get up to 57 ish. @ 58.5 the exhaust brake kicks in to retard the speed but the clock is still ticking on the overspeed.

This is why you see the brake lights come on, on a perfectly clear motorway. You have to pull it down to 55mph for about 2 seconds to reset the timer. Many times I haven't quite held it at 55 long enough to reset and....... DING... DING.... DING.. OVERSPEED logged.

Now consider that OUR motorway limit for HGV's is 60mph then why have I just recorded a speed infringement ?

Preparing us for

Digital Tachographs in private vehicles.

Insurance companies will love it. They will detect who the furious drivers are and charge them extra extra

Two extras because they will charge us all the first extra anyway.

Next step will be "Auto nicking" via Digital tachograph. When a wagon exceeds 56mph (90kmh) for more than a minute a warning sounds and the driver then has 30 seconds to get below 56mph for an "Auto infringement" is recorded on the digital card. This is then downloaded at the depot (or at roadside VOSA checks). Slapped wrists are on the way (even though UK motorway speed limit is 60 mph we still get a bollocking because EU rulings state we have exceeded the wagons designed speed limit).

Just another reason for voting UKIP !!

Of course, the mantra "If your've got nothing to hide then your've got nothing to fear " will be used to justify it all.

Anyone else

had to Google what bing was ?

Tux to the rescue

EXCELLENT NEWS

This should help kickstart the transition to the Penguin in China.

Cheers & Beers MS

Can anyone say..

E³ = The American Way ( it works for Microsoft !)

@ ChrisInBelgium

Here ya go...

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/507903/TOSHIBA-NB100-11R/tab/reviews

[realisation]

Doh! he's in Belgium. Oh well posted just in case anyone else is looking.

Whats its for again ?

Coz I forgot.

Netbooks I mean.

I see people (on geek forums) keep saying they want to run their windows apps on netbooks ?

Really ?

Like what ?

Photoshop ? Are you for real ? Perhaps you want to play Crysis on a netbook too ?

How many Joe/ann publics are going to lash out hundreds of pounds for Photoshop just to edit a few pix on a netbook ?

Office

Are you for real ? Do you have fingers the size of a five year olds ? And how much does office cost (serious question). I bet it's heaps.

To use on a netbook ?

So they are great for Network engineers..

Granted

How many Joe/ann publics are Network Engineers ?

ITunes.. Ok.. Fair comment WTF would you want to use that for ?

Ok.. Granted you wouldn't but joe/ann public would.

So thats a grand total of....

ONE APP

Must be a real Killer app

Personally... I bought my daughters 3 701's and I wanted them as cheap as possible and they are happy with them and what they can do on them.

ONE daughter has so far changed to UNR

Of course

They are bumping up the price of netbooks. Microsoft wants netbooks to be as close to the price of a laptop as they can get for the EXACT reason being that Joe/ann public will say " For that price I might as well get a laptop".

And so the next (more profitable) version of Windows gains acceptance.

Microsoft wanted XP retired. Netbooks gave it a fresh lease of life for a pittance. In fact I dare say Netbooks probably COST Microsoft money.

Asus wasn't stupid, they knew exactly what to do to gain leverage with MS.

Roll on the release of ARM netbooks.

I just wish AmigaOS 4 > would work on them !!

Until then...

UNR RoXx0r

UNR

At least the cursor moves smoothly in Xandros.

My daughter just installed UNR because she like the screenshots and now finds that when the cursor goes over icons it becomes like treacle.

She is sticking with it because she knows it'll get fixed asap but for Joe/ann ordinary it's a real deal breaker.

Good explanation

@ AC 12:29 GMT

Thanks for that explanation

Copied & pasted into Tomboy notes for future ref

Not bad

Seems to be on par with the Starling netbook if you were to drop the 160gb HD

http://system76.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=92

Stay... just a little longer...

I don't want him to resign.. Whoever replaced him may well persuade the braindeads that Labour are worth voting for.

No. The Tories are no better.. They started all this crap.... Remember.

Paris.. Coz i'd rather be... by her than Labour.

@ Martin 15:54 GMT

As a Truck driver myself.. I'm glad someone else understands averages.

Kudos to the White Hats

You just prevented a mass exodus away from Redmond

Wait.......... !!

You mean...

....... it wasn't the lizards ?

:shock:

My daughter

Got no end of grief when this virus got out.

No prizes for guessing her name !!

(She uses Ubuntu now)

Yeah right

£400 + and extra for VAT for half a laptop ?

Lost the plot springs to mind

Only Microsoft ?

No harm done then...

Shame it wasn't the RIAA as well.

Better luck next time I guess.

Warmer Uk

@ Wonderkid

I don't think anyone is doubting the planet has been getting warmer. Heck, I came over to UK from Western Australia (39c) xmas 1976 to major snow blizzards. Haven't many of those since. Aaah yes., there was one in 1985. I put my Capri 3.0s in a ditch because of the snow ( and my muppetry) that year.

What is in doubt is whether mankind has been a major contributor.

I'm all for cleaner air and a better environment. But quit the bullshit and call it for what it is.

Is that really too much to ask.

Wait... This is politics... Of course the truth is too much to ask.

Flame icon coz I'm cold.