Apricot yanks Linux option for PicoBook Pro: it's for your own good

Just last week, we heard that Apricot Computers would be offering its PicoBook Pro with Linux or Windows XP, but evidently its marketing department caught wind of the same trend that MSI picked up on earlier this month. If you'll recall, MSI found that Linux-infused netbooks get returned four times as often as units with Windows XP, and while the official word is that Apricot "made this decision to ensure customers had a smooth installation of their operating system," our bets are that it's just sidestepping the potential headaches associated with selling something outside of the status quo. As of today, the Windows XP version (or only version, as it were) is going for £299 ($483) -- a full £20 ($32) more than the previously cheapest edition.

[Via Yahoo!]

[StalematE @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:16PM]

for some reason, i really like the way this thing looks... i don't really know why.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:23PM]

I think it's a nice, simple businesslike design. I think it's clean enough. It's a value notebook and it looks the part. Nothing wrong with that.

[who? @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:25PM]

Really? It reminds me of those old LEGO model sets. The vents on each side especially- just like my spaceship!

[who? @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:26PM]

Really? It reminds me of those old LEGO model sets. The vents on each side especially- just like my spaceship!

[who? @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:29PM]

Ok, I'm never posting from WinMo again. My iPod Touch won't let me down! ...cough.

[iEye @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:02PM]

It is because the design and color scheme is that of an IBM thinkpad...

[lowdef @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:02PM]

we don't know why either.

[KilgoreTrout @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:09PM]

They are not "vents" you genius, they are speakers, and actually pretty good ones too.
In fact I must admit that those speakers are definitely better than the ones I found in my beloved MSI wind.
In every other respect though my wind is far superior to this thing specially after a bit of pimping up its innards.

[bebop @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:01PM]

It has a military, gritty sci-fi look I find appealing. It looks like a movie prop from Starship Troopers or Alien ... or (dropping several quality grades here) Doom.

[Greg @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:46PM]

Looks like a toy to me.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:47PM]

It's not bad looking, I agree.

I wouldn't mind comparing it to my Dell Mini 9.

[gt2378b @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:06PM]

I think it's got a cool '80s thing going on, like an Atari 800 or Commodore +4.

[diode3diode @ Oct 23rd 2008 12:21AM]

@ gt2378b,
I was thinking the same thing. If it was colored like the 'ol amiga color, peach, I surely would love to buy this thing.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:29PM]

Thats one FUGLY looking laptop

[Fusion Fuzo @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:32PM]

and that tiny trackpad looks unusable

[Aguiluz @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:34PM]

But hey, it's cheap!

[OCEAN 'CLAK' 20th @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:46PM]

bah, bad apple clone, copying apple aqua backgrond, then calling them selfs a fruit

[JohnTitor @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:14PM]

seriously all these tiny trackpads have got to go, bring back the pointer sticks!

[sr @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:15PM]

^^^ I agree seriously. the first netbook to do so, gets bought.

[ben @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:38PM]

I actually think this is pretty good. I'd feel guilty/apprehensive about putting Ubuntu on a netbook if it already came with linux, but if they put Windows on it? Easiest decision ever.

[ethana2 @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:40PM]

I'd settle for a heavily streamlined window refund process.

..for a while..

[ethana2 @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:42PM]

windows*

That is to say, offer everything with windows, but give me a number to call if I don't want it, to instantly arrange the whole ship it back and get a refund thing. The way it's all hard now is just messed up. I don't want to give Microsoft my money, I've got better things to do with it than subsidizing mediocrity and patent litigation, thankyouverymuch.

[Mark Anderson @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:55PM]

@ethana2

What? Like typing shite on tech blogs?

[OCEAN 'CLAK' 20th @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:57PM]

i agree with you two getting rid of linux and windows for OSX is a good decision, as that would make the machine more usable

[OCEAN 'CLAK' 20th @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:01PM]

id prefer to use xp or vista everyday of the year over linux, linux is a poor operating system tthat looks very dated

[matt @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:36PM]

@ben - It took me a whole 30 minutes to be fed up enough with Xandros on my Eee to replace it with UbuntuEEE. The only reason it took that long to be willing to switch to Ubuntu was because I couldn't download it any faster. It's perfectly acceptable for a good Linux geek to be unhappy with an OEM distro and want nuke it out of the box. The only reason for said Linux geek to get a Linux machine is to avoid paying the MS tax and to be fairly confident all of the hardware is Linux compatible.

@ocean - that's probably because you are a computer illiterate moron. I doubt you've ever used either OSX or any of the many flavors of Linux. And if it's looks that matter to you, go search Youtube for 'Compiz'

[happy_penguin @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:39PM]

The problem with your assessment, clak, is that Linux is not one look. There are many window managers and you can customize each in so many different ways that you can't make such a broad sweeping commentary on how Linux looks. In fact, OSX is essentially the same in the background as Linux.

Hugs!! Let's do lunch sometime, eh? :)

[No1 @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:28AM]

There are other reasons not to want to buy a netbook with WinXP Home. You could use it for remote desktop access under XP Pro, and not want to pay double M$ tax :-)

[allislost @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:38PM]

Holy mother sans Jesus! That thing is ugly as sin.

[ethana2 @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:39PM]

There are ways to offer linux without confusing the sheep.
Hide it in a deep dark corner of your site that can only be found with Google, for one.

[Skyride @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:51PM]

Couldn't agree more. Infact they are ruining these things. The linux distro on my EeePC (i got the 701 and sold it before it was cool) was the worst piece of crap I have ever used. I had to fiddle about with a heap of stuff to even bring up terminal. It was easier to just install XP on the thing and be done with it. However if it came with ubuntu, now thats a different story. Give people a 100% vanilla install of ubuntu and they will be happy. It was harder to connect my EeePC to a wifi network with the built in tool than it was to do it manually via terminal (no exagerration, i did revert to that for some time). It was buggy as hell with ubuntu (no drivers, etc,,, it wasen't open source gear on that) and only XP had proper compatibility (ubuntu + athereos = FAIL).

[matt @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:36PM]

@skyride - you should try UbuntuEEE. Its kernel is built just for the Eee, it has a number of tweaks to the distro, and everything works perfectly right out of the box.

[ethana2 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:38PM]

Actually, Ubuntu 8.10 Just Works with Atheros, but yeah, anything before that's going to be a nightmare.
I'm one of those lucky enough to own no unsupported hardware at all.

[Familyguyrokz @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:48PM]

Am I the only one the noticed the MSI Wind pun? Or just the only person that it pissed off?

[digitallysick @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:50PM]

Here is my issue, why not give the option to sell it with xp, or without an os at a discount. I will supply my own os

[Skyride @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:53PM]

I agree mate, but unfortunately, some people are dumb beyond belief and the legal department at any company seem to be incapable of putting a plain english disclaimer on these things.

[peter @ Oct 23rd 2008 1:51AM]

I don't think it's an issue of dumbness. I rather suspect that Linux users are more likely to just wanting to check the machine out.

[bebop @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:43PM]

There is no discount, Microsoft effectively gives XP licenses to netbook OEMs for free.

[Connor @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:54PM]

...and you thought ThinkPads were boring looking...

[sr @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:16PM]

Yeah keep looking at your shiny POS. Thinkpads are not for looking at so much as getting things done.

[rita hainsworth @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:12PM]

Is Apricot a spin off of Apple?

[briancharous @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:13PM]

Oh, another netbook. Yea!? I see this one comes with OS X wallpaper.

[zmjjmz @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:21PM]

Well that's one netbook I won't be buying.

[Luigi193 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:36PM]

10^-12

[Michael @ Oct 24th 2008 1:17PM]

Yes, pico, we get it...

[nintendo.luigi @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:05PM]

I'm avoiding this for sure, now! I wonder how it'll run XP not to mention Vista. :)

[bmcdorman @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:27PM]

I think that people's own idiosyncrasies anything non-microsoft is causing this whole mess. Once a generation that is a little more open to other Operating Systems (that I why I love the iphones/macs selling so well) has reached adulthood, we should see change in the form of linux.

Thank You,
catron

[Bauer @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:34PM]

Does that thing have a tiny trackpad or is it just me?

[Radan @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:19AM]

PicoBook Pro which has an old Mac OS X desktop picture and is made by a company called Apricot? This doesn't happen to be Chinese?