10/13/2008, 9:50am, EDT
Monday, October 13thASUS iMac rival on pre-order, to hit $450 in US
ASUS' first attempt at an all-in-one desktop will cost even less than expected and is already surfacing online, according to multiple sources. Previously known as the Eee Monitor, the Eee Top is now said by PC industry contacts to be scaling down in size and will include both a version with a 15.6-inch display as well as an originally planned 19-inch model. The reduction, combined with the use of Linux and Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor, will reportedly lead to just a $450 US price when it goes on sale in the near future. Previous leaks had hinted a figure closer to $500.
Separately, a UK pre-order page has surfaced for a mid-range version known as the ETP1602, which includes the 15.6-inch display as well as 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows XP Home. It also reportedly includes a touchscreen as well as 802.11n Wi-Fi for its £400 ($685) post-tax price and implies a November 20th ship date for the Eee Top line.
The system has been pitched as a lower-cost alternative to the iMac and is already known to include media features not often present at the price on any desktop, including Denon-made speakers and a 1.3-megapixel webcam. A rumored TV tuner has yet to surface in existing leaks.
In addition to the Eee Top, ASUS is claimed by purported insiders to be developing an Eee mainboard for users hoping to build their own desktops using the basic platform. No technical data has surfaced, though the board is likely to be based on Intel's desktop Atom mainboard and parts and is believed to be shipping in early 2009.
Filed under: computers, Apple
Other story tags: Intel, Linux, Atom, ASUS, Eee PC, iMac
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Probable outcomes et.al
A few things come to mind when you try to compare this machine to the iMac.
"Imitation is the highest form of flattery," or maybe the well-done all-in-one machine is a market they see a lot of growth in.
You pay for what you get. Somehow, I doubt these could be put to the same uses as most people buy iMacs for (processing power, etc.).
Most importantly, it doesn't run Mac OSX.
who would buy this?
It's designed for teenage girls but running Linux on an Atom.
Unless you're a geek, the Linux part is going to big a big turn-off... and if you are a geek, then the lousy hardware is going to turn you off.
This just seems like a misguided OLPC for the rest of us :)
imac rival?
does it come with OS X, if not: no rival.
If it was touch
I got to play around with the HP "touch" version of the iMac, and have to admit that it was pretty cool. Not many want Linux even free. Look at what happened to those Linux machines Walmart sold for $99-$200, the biggest complaint was... NOT Windows... bla bla bla.
linux
Geek or not, installing and running linux for everyday tasks is pretty strait forward. In fact I had to reinstall XP the other day and it took almost all day, Where as the past few years of linux installs happen just like the mac ones. Very little interaction until its up and running. Ubuntu and freespire are dead simple.
Here's the main thing, if you need to run windows programs then linux no matter how simple is not for you. But most casual users do not need windows. Let me say that again. I had to explain how to use xp to my parents. I have shown them how to use ubuntu and it was basically the same. The learning curve is about equal now. The thing they really like was "extra" programs that just come with linux.
The only big hang up I get with linux any more is program consistency. Like window, the UI is all over the place. So from a usability standpoint I see linux and windows are about equal now. And nothing is coming close to the mac in that department.
I just wonder...
How many of you guys giving the knee-jerk "Linux is for geeks" comments have actually tried using the version of Linux installed on the Asus? No, I don't mean you tried an Ubuntu live CD 2 years ago, or installed RedHat 6.2 in college. I mean actually picked up an eeePC and checked it out?