Microsoft and Asus are partnering up in an effort to stifle the already declining Linux netbook presence – as if Microsoft needed a better market position, or another ad campaign for that matter. The two companies have launched a website propagating an unsurprisingly irritating mantra: “it’s better with Windows.” The promotion revolves around the concept that Windows will deliver a dependable and familiar experience, free of major incompatibility issues.

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Now my reasons to dislike Asus have just gotten their 'q.e.d.'

Asus was building junk devices anyway.

Unfortunately, free software like Linux will never stand a chance against commercial alternatives, no matter how bad they may be, for the simple reason that it has no business drive behind it.

The argument over which OS will/should dominate will increasingly become more irrelevant. Web browsers and web-based applications will ultimately become the platform people will use. With HTML 5 API's that include HD video and 3D graphics API's without any plugins, why would anyone care what OS they're running underneath. That will make the cost of hardware more important, so the cheaper the better. That just means more and more people will be using Linux undearneath, even if they don't see it. No one will care as long as their web apps work. :-)

Want proof that Free Open Source Software (FOSS) that is Interoperable with any platform is better than proprietary software?

Look no further than http://www.itsbetterwithwindows.com ... which uses the FOSS - FLOWPLAYER from flowplayer.org. This software is FOSS and is licensed under the same type of license as GNU/Linux the General Public License (GPL).

Microsoft has it's own proprietary media players... like Mediaplayer and Silverlight... so why are they using the GPL'd flowplayer ?? I'll tell you why, because they know it will work with just about any operating system.

Proof that the GNU/Linux ideals and FOSS are better than Windows.

Learn more, go to http://getgnulinux.org

Don't get me wrong; I disdain MS/Win/* and much prefer other systems -- HOWEVER, there are other applications that are not WEB applications and will never be due to the resource requirements. If you assume that "write code once and run everywhere" really works with Java, then we still need more migration FROM the OS specific development to platform agnostic source languages.

In addition, major issues will be present to get gaming to be platform neutral.

Please,

I approached the purchase of a new PC as a Microsoft "positivist", until I found
that the "symbol table" I needed to isolate some sort of hardware/software
mismatch was not available -- to me at least. Installing software sequentially
did not work, and if looked at -- rationally -- as a combinatorial problem
would not work at. The only practical solution was to approach the problem as a
programmer and trace processes by name. That's where the symbol table came in I
guess. Fortunately, I was able to save years of work at a time that I was low
on cash because I happened to have a Linux CD around. Linux allowed me to
circumvent the MS system and actually use my PC. Not so mysteriously I'm
afraid, the original problem disappeared after a year or so. Go figure.

Tim

Gee i am glad my latest PC has a Gigabyte motherboard,running a couple of home desktops,yesterday my wife said maybe i should pack one away to make some space
and pointed at one, " that is running Ubuntu i told her" no argument because every time we read about some new virus scare i will find her at this machine paying the bills etc etc.
and try getting her to use Internet Explorer,not a chance! Firefox and Thunderbird run the show.
The wife is no expert,but she has no trouble getting her head around Linux,and best of all it all comes FREE,dont need to find any apps they are all packed in.
Ask my mate Mo he has ten kids and is in his early forties,not a lot of cash,keeps up with the latest
distro's, and put me on to Linux all those years ago,and if Windows cant handle it, guess what....

@Matthew DeCarlo: "While I’ve dabbled with various Linux distributions myself and have always crawled back to Windows – am I the only one who is irked by "it's better with Windows"?"

And you crawled back because ... ? I'll say it with you: "It's better with Windows."

I wonder how long it'll take to break the Gates/Microsoft/Windows-bashing habit. Even when they're right, no one will admit it.

BTW, I'm not anti-Linux, but for the majority of people, under the majority of circumstances, Windows simply IS better.

Very pleasing to see that Microsoft see's that Linux is very close to fulfilling its potential of providing a free or very cheap and better alternative to their effective monopoly on the market.

Microsoft is scared. I see now part of their logic for trying to expand into other areas of software. Billy had the foresight to see this happening. Microsofts only chance really is to bully and demonize the opposition, a proudly American business tactic. Good luck. Bing means Cocaine.

@JDoors: I crawled back because making the change on a full blown workhorse desktop system, Windows is indeed better (for me). The article - and gripe - is that Windows isn't really necessary on a netbook, and Microsoft basically already has the market *anyway* – making the campaign overkill in my opinion. We’re talking about a device that’s supposed to be used for core ‘Net access and other simple tasks.

Netbooks are (or were) primarily low cost devices meant to be used on the run, mostly for email, basic web browsing etc. By introducing a commercial OS, you unnecessarily increase the cost of the device (though, MS did drop the price of XP substantially for netbooks). The coming Windows 7 Starter will degrade the situation further. It senselessly forbids even the most basic of things - including the ability to change your desktop backrground.

I have a number of machines in my house doing various tasks. My wifes is XP and my daughters is Vista. I have one machine that dual boots so I can play the sims, but I have 5 XP licenses, of which I use only 2. This last push my Micrsoft is to make sure we just shrug our shoulders and pay the money for the hardware. Most Linux savvy people will put Linux on the system anyway. I think Australian consumers need to push the choice more, and start asking for systems without an OS.

The figures only show sales. All my friends with netbooks bought them with XP, and every single one runs either Ubuntu or Mandriva.

Yep, this is very disturbing and I would call it uncompetitive trading practices ... but thats me, that had to pay approx $600 for software I did not want.

I you look at some of the screen shots you will notice they are not on the eee, I think their are some people who are going to be very disappointed. But then that's ok they buy these eee's for the wrong reasons so yea. btw it would appear to me that Microsoft is getting the iches from Linux at the moment given their web presence/dominance towards Linux (Asus, Suse, ect.). I wouldn't be too concerned support by manufactures is getting their and those who are not tech savvy will get burned by widows. Us linux users will still have to learn two or more OS's and the world will still spin.

"including the ability to change your desktop backrground."
Yes, I suspect there will be many "hax" associated with windows 7.

Asus has aligned with Microsoft, a convicted anti-competitive monopolist.

Well then, "we" will no longer purchase any Asus products.

I just returned the last Asus prodcut I had bought, a Radeon HD 3450 video card with HDMI output. Unfortunately, it doesn't work with Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, in spite of including drivers for all of those OSes.

I shopuld have tried it with Linux, but since that's working fine with my *crappy) Intel-chipset video, I think I'd rather have my fifty bucks back.

And I will never, ever buy another computer with any type of MS Windows installed on it. I have a good source for "naked" PCs, and I'll stick with them and used Linux from now on. After all, I can run all my Windows applications in Linux, so why would I want to saddle myself with an OS that has spyware built right in?

It's better with Linux.It's much better.
Bye bye Asus boards.I will not buy Asus again.And till this time I was "Asus boards only" consumer.

I am one of the first to buy the Asus netbook with Linux; since then I bought 1000H. I must say I love the Linux better (not to say that there is no place for Windows in netbooks). I understand Windows motivation, but this is a bad decision on Asus part. I wish that it had continued to develop Linux instead.

This is an obvious move by both sides, Asus can't make liscensing deals with Linux for profit, so they go pure Microsoft. You know what? Fine by me. Anyone who ACTUALLY wants Linux, will not be deterred by that. Most people who got eeePC's with the Linux option still ended up opting for a different Linux anyways, so whats the difference here?

Oh... Big, Bad, Evil! MICROSOFT!

Jeez why do you really care about the marketing campaign? Don't get me wrong, I think on paper linux is a superior OS. The app support for average Joe is the problem tho. Asus and MS are in the market of making money and, despite how much linux fans may not like it, they are incidental to the sales figures. They make it clear that they don't care, and they don't need to.