We’ve all heard of the EeePC, Asus’ flagship netbook running Linux that took the world by storm and forged a whole new market for open source software (potentially).
Ta daa.
It was a huge success! A singular consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines.. ahh, hang on a sec.. ok yeah, a new race of machines. Now every man and his dog are making them.
Seeing how successful Linux could be as a part of a commercial product, Microsoft stepped in. Although Windows XP was scheduled to be discontinued, the success of Linux forced Microsoft to extend its life for netbooks. Microsoft proceeded to do what it does best, get/convince/pressure/force/blackmail these manufacturers to use Windows, instead of Linux.
I held off buying an original EeePC as the keyboard was just a tiny bit too small (and cheap) for my liking. Instead I chose to wait for the larger 10″ model that was to come out further down the road. Well, that road has supposedly arrived with Asus releasing the EeePC 1000 series months ago.
Now with the release of the new mind-bogglingly large range of EeePC netbooks (900, 901, 904HD, 900A, 1000, 1000H, 1000HD) we find the advertised preferred operating system is, wait for it.. Microsoft Windows. That’s right folks, even Asus, who took a ‘risk’ on Linux (which paid dividends) have jumped ship with each EeePC model’s page proudly proclaiming “Asus recommends Windows for every day computing” or “Asus recommends Windows Vista..“.
What a crock.
Still, the model that I want comes with Linux – the EeePC 1000. It has a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1Gb RAM, 10″ screen, wifi-N, bluetooth, decent 6 cell battery and a 40GB solid state disk. The Windows equivalent is the EeePC1000H which comes with a regular non-SSD hard drive and of course, Windows.
I went into my local JB-Hifi store months and months ago and saw the 1000H. I asked them when they might be getting in the 1000 Linux-only model, to which they replied
Should be a month or so, they are releasing this Windows version first.
“Typical”, I thought to myself and said I would be back in a month or so to check.
Still no 1000.
The other day I went in and asked again, this time the reply came;
Head office has decided not to sell the Linux model.
Well that’s sux.
Since then I have not yet been able to find anyone who sells the 1000 model. Does anyone have one of these? Do they even really exist? Hello? What’s going on here, dammit.
6 thoughts on “Knock, knock. Who’s there? EeePC 1000. EeePC who? Exactly.”
Unfortunately no one in Australia does. I just broke down and bought the 1000h nuked windows and put ubuntu-eee on it.
Mostly what got me was that JBHifi was selling the 1000h for $10 less than the best place I could find stocking the 901 Linux version.
The thing about Asus “recommending” Windows is that in order for them to sell computers with Windows installed, they have to – it’s in their OEM contract with Microsoft. It’s the same reason that “Dell recommends Windows Vista”, and “HP recommends Windows Vista Home Premium”, and “Acer Recommends Vista Home Premium” and, well you get the idea. Personally I think it’s a crock – just because Woolworths sells Coke doesn’t mean they recommend it, so why is Microsoft so special that they have to be recommended by anyone who sells Windows?
Is this what you want me to buy in HK?
Yes, that’s the laptop I wanted you to check if they have them in HK. But I might be able to source them overseas on the net, so don’t worry.
-c