Is this something Dell can do? ASUS' Motherboard Comes With Linux Embedded

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Is this something Dell can do? ASUS' Motherboard Comes With Linux Embedded

180 points posted to Dell, Linux, Sales Strategies by phubert 10/09/07

ASUS' Motherboard Comes With Linux Embedded

lets you surf the web without installing anything!

http://news.softpedia.com/news/ASUS-039-s-Motherboard-Comes-With-Linux-Embedd...

phubert 10/09/07	P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-Ap@n A new motherboard from ASUS has hit the market. The P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-Ap@n has some features that other motherboards don't have: an integrated Linux distribution and instant access to functions like surfing the Internet, VoIP and Web emailing without entering the operating system. If you want to buy it, then you should spare $360, because that's how much it will cost.
cosh 10/09/07	I don't care how much it costs. I want one!
nachotronics 10/09/07	It's a cool feature for a geek but kinda useless, why wouldn't you use any complete featured OS?
phubert 10/09/07	For a geek or a non-geek? Sounds like almost a turnkey approach... not for mom & pop???? Or just the ticket??
jorge 10/09/07	Man get that (all the features minus the PCI slots) on a Micro Board and all your local fans will turn brown! This is what will kill Windows! Who needs a hard drive or to install an OS! Some are already using the web to save their data so for those wondering what they'll do to save their precious files, there's your answer. I've been considering upgrading to a new motherboard to get off the P4 with Heat burst technology, this may be the solution!
jorge 10/09/07	@phubert: its perfect for mom and pop! There will be no need for a hard drive or something to screw up your config, it will boot the same all the time no matter what! @nachotronics: its perfect for the average person just browsing the web! Heck thats more than half of Dell's customers!
catalyst 10/09/07	Sounds a lot like OLPC.
phubert 10/09/07	Yes, jorge, exactly my thoughts... but I hoped someone else would express it. You did it so well! Thanks!
phubert 10/09/07	OLPC on steroids, I think...
pentox 10/09/07	I think that the idea is a very nice one, but I wouldn't use it for regular usage. I think that it would be a perfect place to put a diagnostic OS. Simply put a locked down version of linux that will run assorted diagnostics on the computer if the customer is having problems. Make it usable just for that purpose so it's not accidentally messed up by someone (although you could just leave it open for those who really want to), but i'd say for the average user leave it untouchable. Considering the ASUS motherboard is 350 dollars though, this might be a very expensive option to consider.
jorge 10/09/07	You mean like Knopix! Which would include a browser and a long list of apps to work on the web! Oh yea!
catalyst 10/09/07	Perhaps this MB has some special purpose functionality, For example a network appliance to facilitate the rollout of these technologies? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/04/bt_fon_wifi_kibbutz/<
pentox 10/09/07	jorge: to a certain extent yes, but I think that the functionality should intentionally be limited so people don't just use that for their operating system. I would say to limit it purely for debug/testing/diagnostic purposes. Don't let them use it as a general purpose OS.
jorge 10/09/07	Why not? That makes no sense, you can debug, diag. and test but not use? Imagine if the hard drive crashes you could still use your computer! Like to download drivers off the Del website, save them to a USB stick and then re-install your OS of choice on a new hard drive. Lets say you want to quickly check the weather or e-mail, if you boot into the special boot OS and never have to have your hard drive spin up, you would be saving energy! Not to mention time, for shutdown you just turn the computer off!
aikiwolfie 10/09/07	I think if you're going to go to the trouble to build the OS directly onto the main board you might as well go the whole hog and give people a proper fully featured distribution. Flash sticks now come in 4GB and 8GB versions. So cobbling together enough flash isn't a problem. 8GB is plenty for a full Ubuntu install and the add ons and the 2GB swap space. External flash sticks can be used for storage of personal files. I'm not too keen on ASUS building it though. Their hardware in my past experience suffers from too many bugs.
pentox 10/09/07	When you add more and more features, it's going to take more and more space. Which is more and more money for something you aren't going to use regularly. I'd think it be better to stick with a minimal installation for now, keep it for debug/test/diag/etc. And then when memory becomes futher cheaper then expand it. Looking at the price tag on the ASUS version makes me take a step back and question if I want something equivalent to a 350 dollar motherboard being put into my computer for the question of what to do if my hard drive dies.
jorge 10/09/07	I'd pay and most likely will for that feature now!
cosh 10/09/07	@aikiwolfie - "I'm not too keen on ASUS building it though. Their hardware in my past experience suffers from too many bugs." looks sadly at faithful old ASUS motherboard....
aikiwolfie 10/09/07	Who said we're not going to use it regularly pentox? If I had pre installed Ubuntu I wouldn't bother with XP at all. The cost of 8GB of flash is easily covered by sacrificing the hard disc. 8GB of flash doesn't actually cost a great deal anyway. It's another £100 tops.
pentox 10/09/07	At which point you're looking at a whole new product here. I'm pretty sure the version on the ASUS motherboard is not nearly as robust as you think, most likely using only a few megs of memory. 8 gigs of CF flash mem doesn't cost that much, or maybe a usb drive, but for some reason when you look at SSD prices 8 gigs is quite expensive. I'm not sure why though. I imagine it is part of the cost of the controller for it. Personally I wouldn't want to have my computer in an 8gig box just for the sake of boot speed.
phubert 10/10/07	Again, this sounds like something that would work better for a more-or-less turnkey operation - all a user with simple requirements would need.
phubert 10/10/07	I wonder what ASUS has to say about their product?
aikiwolfie 10/10/07	A PC in an 8 gig box? For all the basics it would be perfect. For more complex stuff it would be easy enough to expand it's capabilities. If you really need hard drive storage then that's as easy as plugging in a USB drive or we could still have internal drives for those that want them. I think it's about time someone really shook up the way PCs are designed and built. Both Intel and AMD tried and ended up with the same basic layout. All they really did was remove legacy ports that aren't really used any more. The more memory people purchase the more the price falls. If a big company were to sell a product like this in bulk then the price would come down.
phubert 10/12/07	Splashtop: Embedded Linux For Your Motherboard An InfoWorld review of the ASUStek motherboard http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/10/splashtop_embed.html

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