Forbes tells the tale of the Eee PC

Although it's just beginning to trickle out to consumers, it already looks like the Eee PC is going to be a hit -- and just like all potentially game-changing devices, the Eee has a backstory featuring fits of inspiration, handshake business deals, pressure-packed development, and, of course, some late interference from Microsoft. Forbes got the whole tale from Asustek CEO Jonney Shih and other executives, and it's good one: inspired by the interest in the OLPC, Jonney decided to develop an inexpensive laptop for adults, and Intel enthusiastically jumped onboard when it realized the market for all its Classmate PC tech could be much bigger than educational sales. A late offensive from Microsoft -- which realized that Asus was about to sell between three and six million Eees in the first year without Windows -- resulted in the option to boot XP, but Jonney still pushed to perfect the Linux build on the device, saying, "We want to create a revolution. We can't afford to put out a bad product." In the end, it seems like that Jobs-like push for perfection paid off, since we've yet to read a bad review of the Eee -- now if only Asus would ship a few more.

[zorg @ Nov 3rd 2007 9:11AM]

It seems to me I read a book about this project year ago. I think it was called the Fountainhead and, in the end, Microsoft got its Cortlandt Housing Project, er, Windows build.

[Montvale @ Nov 4th 2007 2:46PM]

Microsoft will no doubt begin a taste of Linux competition.
With the success of this little device everyone is watching and is now realizing that they can make pcs that don't have WinOS and yet people will still buy them.
The mobile community always wanted to have a slim down streamlined version of Windows with this request falling on a def ear of Microsoft. Wonder how quick Msft is goint to change it's mind now.

[BobTurbo @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:06AM]

This is cool. What are those bars to each side of the screen? Why isn't it all screen? Why did Steve Jobs have to be referenced?

[Mile @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:09AM]

Those are speakers to the side of the monitor.

[gamefoo21 @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:43AM]

Jobs had to be referenced because underneath the guise of journalistic non-biasedness, you have a core of Apple zealots running engadget.

You will notice the Pro-Crapple and very strong anti-MS sentiment that oozes out of every news post they can push it into. Sony is public about their viral marketing...

As for perfection, last time I checked Apple has been pushing out a lot of very shoddy software and hardware recently. Blind fanboys make corporations very happy all the way to the bank. ;p

[The ZeroCorpse @ Nov 3rd 2007 12:03PM]

You're a fool. I happen to be a Mac user (former PC technician), and I'd say I'm a fan of Apple's hardware and software, but I have been interested in the Eee PC since it was first announced. I'm not a computer xenophobe. The Eee seems like a good piece of hardware for on-the-go types who don't want to put a high-end laptop at risk. I mostly use my notebooks for writing, and with the Eee PC, I can accomplish that task and not have to carry around a larger computer or worry about it when I'm in the coffee shop or around the kleptomaniac college students in this town.

I am disappointed by the price, though. If you say "$199 computer" and then almost double that, it's not the greatest thing. I'd have one already if they were $199, but now I'm debating whether it's worth that kind of money for this thing when I could just get a cheap Laptop for about the same price. Portability is nice, but price is where I was counting on the Eee PC to make its mark.

[robjennings @ Sep 26th 2008 12:28PM]

Steve Jobs was referenced because he is a well-known perfectionist who unrelentingly pushes his vision of computing, right or wrong. And whether you like him or not, he is widely seen as an influential figure in the industry.

Or, if you believe the conspiracy theories, Engadget is paid by the Apple reference. Because it obviously wouldn't make any sense for journalists or bloggers to reference influential industry figures with well-known personality traits when they draw a parallel for the benefit of reader comprehension.

[BobTurbo @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:11AM]

omg they are huge!

[Invisiblemoose @ Nov 3rd 2007 2:29PM]

Uh... What?

[snesgirl @ Nov 5th 2007 8:39AM]

Realistic size comparisons:

http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/2220-Apple-iPhone-vs-Pack-Of-Playing-Cards-vs-Asus-Eee-vs-Drinks-Can
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/5365-Paper-A4-vs-Asus-Eee-vs-EeePC-vs-My-Item-vs-CD-Case
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/6573-iPod-Touch-vs-a4-paper-vs-PSP-vs-Asus-Eee-vs-Nokia-N800-1-vs-Sony-PSP-vs-Apple-iPhone

[Andrew @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:44AM]

They aren't actually, if you look at the Eee PC innards (posted here a few days ago), they seem pretty small.

Though they could have easily been integrated into the base, I dont mind them much. I still want one, though Asus has really botched the launch.

[jus10 @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:57AM]

I have one of them sitting next to me. Cool little thing. To give you an idea of size, take a piece of 8.5x11 (or A4) paper and fold it in half. That is about the footprint of the thing when it is closed.

[peternj @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:02AM]

Looks very cool to me. I'm looking for something like this to replace my poorly constructed Apple notebooks. Something for web, word, little video and so small it could be a cool Skype interface. USB data card and no need for a smart phone.
As for shipping all the PC makers seem to have trouble these days shipping.

Peter

[Kevin @ Nov 4th 2007 12:25AM]

Only thing missing is Skype webcam support - seems it's a linux API problem :/ something like that. I know too little linux to describe it well. - some programming problem between drivers and software. Maybe...

[gamefoo21 @ Nov 3rd 2007 10:46AM]

Look further down on the engadget, someone took apart the Eee PC. The speakers are about the size of quarters and there are two of them, one on either side. Most of that space is there to act as a spacer, to allow the use of larger hardware/keyboard.

[justlikejsh @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:06AM]

i want one sooooooooooo bad.

[Reid B. @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:28AM]

"Jobs-like push for perfection"??

What an absurd joke. Everything Apple first releases is barely beta quality. I wouldn't call that perfection. I call that raping the fanbois. Of course the fanbois like it.

[Carlos @ Nov 3rd 2007 4:01PM]

thats just not true - you're obviously not talking from personal experience. I can speak for myself and say that all my 1st gen apple products have been solid. If anything did go wrong apple care warranty repaired it for free. Good luck trying to get that kind of service from Dell.

This Eee PC looks interesting but I just dont understand the lack of a larger hard drive. 8GB solid state max? I would still have to carry my iPod around in order to store music, videos and photos while on vacation or long trip.

[Jason @ Nov 3rd 2007 6:56PM]

I bought an intel 1.83Ghz iMac at launch - had a bad soundboard - replaced under warranty.

I bought a macbook at launch - got all yellow fast, and the battery died within 6 months. Both replaced under warenty, but it's now yellow again, and it shuts off randomly for no reason.

I will NEVER buy version 1 from Apple again.

[Geoff @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:30AM]

Just got mine yesterday and I love it. Some people say that it looks cheap and plastic-y but I think it looks just fine. Tiny, but some how quite powerful. I can run Firefox, skype, pidgin, openoffice and the same time with out any hiccups. Its also pretty good for watching videos, the screen quality is more than descent(borderline amazing). Just remember to grab yourself an 8gb sdhc card to go along with it. I bought them together at Newegg and it came to about 480$ with rush 2day shipping. No buyers remorse here.

[OddManOut @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:39PM]

That's cheaper than the Zaurus C-1000 I bought new back in early/mid 2005 WITHOUT the 8GB of storage. And I'll add I bought it for pretty much all the same reason as you bought this.

Well the Zaurus is long gone via eBay (though I did get a fairly good return on it), but it becomes quite tempting to sell my 2 Sigmarion IIIs to finance the purchase of one of these. I must admit, since I've finally upgraded from an Ipaq 2215 to a HX4700 that having wifi INTEGRATED in your devices is SWEEEEEET (not to mention in the case of the EEE PC an RJ-45 jack...something totally unheard of in the realm of WinCE handtops like the Sigmarion).

But I might ask, how is the startup time and resume from sleep or hibernate ? Instant-on is one of the best features of WinCE based products and for what I need the EEE PC for it's kind of important...

But given that, a black/grey chassis and an extended life battery option, and I'm pretty much sold...though I do mourn the lack of a CF slot (but with wifi, ethernet, and modem integrated...I can deal...)

[Geoff @ Nov 3rd 2007 4:05PM]

Cold boot time is in the 15-20 second range. I haven't actually sat with a stop watch and average it out, but it is fairly quick (lets just say that my mobile phone takes longer to startup). Resume from sleep is about 6-8 seconds.

[justlikejsh @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:41AM]

well incase you want one, it says they are in stock at newegg.com Id buy one but i just dont have the money right now.

[Jeff @ Nov 19th 2007 8:13AM]

This is as big a win for Linux as it is for Asus with this form factor.

[Frank @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:49AM]

Walmart already announced that they will be selling a $350 laptop before Black Friday. Something tells me it will be this machine... Which is a great deal!

[Blackster @ Nov 3rd 2007 11:55AM]

wait a second, that article states that "For instance, the 2- to 8-gigabyte memory cards can be upgraded to 32 gigabytes and the RAM from 256 megabyte to 1 gigabyte by simply taking out two screws on the back of the machine, something that Shen demonstrates but isn't including in the marketing materials."


i thought the ssd is hardwired to the pcb?

[Michael @ Nov 4th 2007 11:37AM]

The SSD is hardwired yes, but there's a an expansion slot hidden under the panel next to the RAM slot. Course currently doing that voids the warranty... :(

[jkahan @ Nov 3rd 2007 12:15PM]

OK, all of you bashed PALM for the Foleo project, now you love this crap?

At least the Foleo had a decent sized screen, could connect the the internet via your mobile and did not look like something that comes in a happy meal.

What gives?

[labrats5 @ Nov 3rd 2007 12:29PM]

Because this is what the foleo would have been if Palm was still a creative company.

[YukonDawg @ Nov 3rd 2007 12:30PM]

@jkahan

This is a *real* laptop that can run XP and comes with fully-featured Linux installation, not a "smartphone companion" like the Foleo, which was essentially an underpowered large screen word processor/internet appliance *starting* at $500. Eee's base model starts at $299. Compare the specs and you'll see the difference:

http://www.intomobile.com/2007/08/12/palm-foleo-specs-revealed.html

[jkahan @ Nov 3rd 2007 12:40PM]

@ YukonDawg

I have looked at the specs and would never put XP on that EE thing. Do you have any idea how horribly it would run? Just because it can run XP does not mean it should - it would be a disappointment to anyone with normal expectations.

No it is NOT a laptop for anyone needing to do real work. It is the same as the folio, a lightweight terminal meant for browsing and basic email. I suppose that since it can run XP then you expect to play the latest games too, huh?

[melloncollie @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:04PM]

Actually, I'm running XP on it now. It runs very well; I can have Firefox open on it as well as PowerPoint and Word (both '03), Pidgin, and Winamp, with very little hiccups. I can also play Counter Strike on the Eee(although it was a bit tedious at times due to the lower resolution of the screen). You shouldn't bash a product until you're tried it. Otherwise, you come out looking like a fool.

[jkahan @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:23PM]

@melloncollie

I was one of the first purchasers of the OQO model 1 and the Samsung Q1 (both with better specs than the EE), I have no doubts any adult who buys one of these with the intent of work will have a short honeymoon.

If the Foleo had not been bashed to the point of canceling the product and PALM had been able to lower the price by $150, they would have captured the market the EE is trying to fill.

[perfectionist @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:49PM]

Uhhh... completely different.

Foleo had:
- XScale processor
- 256MB of storage
- 128MB of RAM
- not enough power to play videos
- 802.11b wireless
- costs $599 (with $100 rebate)

EEE PC
- Celeron processor
- 4GB of storage
- 512MB of RAM
- enough power to play videos
- 802.11b/g wireless
- webcam & microphone
- modified Xandros with software bundle
- costs $399

See the difference?

[jkahan @ Nov 3rd 2007 2:05PM]

It is not the form, but the function the device is to fill.

[bk00 @ Nov 3rd 2007 3:12PM]

The Foleo was tied to Treo handsets, meaning all of us that don't have Treos would be out of luck for data access/PIM stuff. This was one of the more dumb-but-attractive-to-clueless-project-manager ideas that Palm had.

[dv8reality @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:24PM]

Yet again, the bias shows itself in an article that really has nothing to do with M$.

[melloncollie @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:35PM]

What are you talking about? Did you even read the linked article? The Microsoft reference deals with Microsoft's push to have Windows on this machine, eventually Asus (somewhat) cracked and will be offering a model with XP (for a cost, though). Read before you right.

[melloncollie @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:38PM]

Aw jeeze. I mean "write", not "right".

[Manuel @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:25PM]

Ok, it´s Foleo reincarnated. Viral Marketing against Palm. This is a Foleo, guys!. Is there any difference? I´m not sure, only Wi-Fi? Not to be connected to the Internet with a phone?

[cmonkey @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:42PM]

Superficially, it looks like the same form factor and market as a Foleo, but it is an entirely different device, stemming specifically from the usage of an x86 CPU rather than an Xscale. There is a world of difference there.

Because its an x86, its fully capable of running Firefox, OpenOffice, and even Windows XP, if you must. An ARM/Xscale however, just does not have that kind of power, and is limited to the kinds of apps you would see on Maemo, or another Linux based handheld platform.

Basically, it means the Eee is a very tiny, yet affordable laptop, while the Foleo was a PDA with a large screen and a touch typeable keyboard.

[toronado455 @ Nov 3rd 2007 3:04PM]

Still not interested until they make the screen fill the entire lid.

[samdha @ Nov 3rd 2007 3:19PM]

They are coming out with the 10" screen in April '08.

[ben @ Nov 3rd 2007 4:51PM]

Don't think foleo, think about intel's Ultra Mobile PC. That didn't take off due to the rediculous price points and the poor economies of scale.

Intel's vision, although just a little skiewed, was actually very insightful.

[sirfelix @ Nov 3rd 2007 8:25PM]

Can someone with one of these confirm that the web browser can run flash games like the ones offered on FaceBook. My wife spends her life on Facebook and this might be a good alternative to an expensive Windows machine.

[Michael @ Nov 4th 2007 11:42AM]

It will play flash games, no sweat. And has all the proper ports to connect to a monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc, so if you really wanted it could take the place of a desktop, after a fashion.

[tnkgrl @ Nov 3rd 2007 8:51PM]

Here's my unboxing and first impressions: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/unboxing-the-asus-710-eee/

[Amanda @ Nov 4th 2007 12:44AM]

I just ordered one of these because I saw New Egg had them. I wish it was just $199.

I, however, have a Raon Vega that I paid $879 for and rarely use. I think this will be more useful. I'm probably wrong.

[Evan Parker @ Nov 4th 2007 4:46PM]

I don't get it. Why wouldn't you just spend the extra $100 to get a full functioning laptop?

[Charlotte @ Nov 5th 2007 6:09AM]

The size, my friend, the size. It'll fit in my handbag, and I can blog or connect to the internet whereever I am. This, coupled with a usb 3g modem, and my life will be complete.

Cx