12.21.08

Is ASUS Deliberately Discouraging GNU/Linux Now?

Posted in GNU/Linux, IRC Logs, Microsoft, OLPC, Windows at 11:14 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

For a little bit of background, see:

Here is a portion of the IRC conversation that took place some minutes ago (some typos were manually corrected):

kentma	Talking about eee, I’m looking at eee and acer aspire in Guelph	Dec 21 15:35
schestowitz	Microsoft EEEed the EEE too	Dec 21 15:35
schestowitz	Now they push for up-speccing	Dec 21 15:35
schestowitz	ASUS said they were closely tied up with Microsoft	Dec 21 15:36
kentma	There’re EEEs at a local store, but 678 for win XP version, and 778 for linux version	Dec 21 15:36
schestowitz	First they put Windows (like with the OLPC), then extend to pull out the ‘Linux;	Dec 21 15:36
kentma	That’s Cnd$	Dec 21 15:36
schestowitz	Why the price difference?	Dec 21 15:36
kentma	But there’s an aspire for 378 which looks good	Dec 21 15:36
schestowitz	That’s the leading one.	Dec 21 15:37
kentma	I don’t know, the Windows version has a bigger SSD as well	Dec 21 15:37
kentma	80g versus 40g	Dec 21 15:37
kentma	Still, I’m in on my N800 this morning.. With pidgin.	Dec 21 15:38
kentma	I’m amazed at home much the maemo repository has grown.	Dec 21 15:39
kentma	There’re so many apps for the N800 and n810, it’s extraordinary	Dec 21 15:39
schestowitz	Wait, but why is the Linux version more expensive?	Dec 21 15:40
schestowitz	It’s worth investigating because Microsoft is playing dirty	Dec 21 15:40
schestowitz	This is not exactly new.	Dec 21 15:40
kentma	I don’t know, and worse, it even has the smaller drive, too.	Dec 21 15:40
[...]
schestowitz	So ASUS may then say that people don’t want Linux.	Dec 21 15:40
schestowitz	[maybe cause it's made more expensive and hobbled]	Dec 21 15:41
kentma	You have to pay a premium for the linux version, now. It stinks of corruption.	Dec 21 15:41
schestowitz	Microsoft pressured ASUS a while ago and if they totally sold out, then it needs to be said.	Dec 21 15:41
schestowitz	The corruption occurred a while ago.. a form of kickbacks, IMHO.	Dec 21 15:42
kentma	Certainly, the prices are rising fast for the asus machines, and getting the linux ones is becoming yet more difficult. It might be at the distributor level, though.	Dec 21 15:42
schestowitz	They raise if for Intel and Microsoft	Dec 21 15:43
schestowitz	With Linux they targeted low end.	Dec 21 15:43
schestowitz	As they go upwards with the specs, they punish Linux and pay more to Microsoft’s partner, Intel.	Dec 21 15:43
[...]
kentma	It’s daft, because the performance of windows on high end machines is not better than linux on low end machines.	Dec 21 15:44

Share this post: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Permalink Mail Send this to a friend

If you liked this post, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or join us now at the IRC channels.

Pages that cross-reference this one

8 Comments

SubSonica said,

December 21, 2008 at 11:32 am

True. Some months ago, the AA1 linux version was 349€ whereas the windows XP version with same specs was 399€, now they sell both at 349€. I bought an AA1 linux version, though (the one with SSD and half the ram) for 219€.
pcolon said,

December 21, 2008 at 11:47 am

OEMs have already seen and in ASUS case, tasted sales success, with preinstalled Linux machines. Now they seem to be caving in to MS running higher spec machines for less profit because windows can’t run on the lower spec ones. If OEMs want to continue appeasing a dying monopoly, they’re welcome to gut themselves. Others will just slide in and take their place.
Diamond Wakizashi said,

December 21, 2008 at 1:38 pm

It seems ASUS might be one of Microsoft’s bitches.
Roy Schestowitz said,

December 21, 2008 at 3:36 pm

It has been for a long time, but some believed got reformed.

Microsoft is throwing away a lot of revenue just to choke GNU/Linux and pressure OEMs not to offer a foothold to better operating systems.

“They [Microsoft] have the deepest of pockets, unlimited ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make sure that you don’t make any money, either.”

–Robert X. Cringely
amd-linux said,

December 21, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Roy,

I dont know why you did not moderate my last comment, but again in brief:

MS is paying per-license marketing subventions that make manufacturers use Windows – as they essentialy get payed from MS for every Windows license they sell.

MS charges them lets say 19 USD per Windows XP Home license and pays them about 30 bucks per sold machine with Windows via a marketing contract. In essence, they they to crush competition via kick-backs.

Bad thing for MS and shareholders: Even MS will run out of money one. day….
Roy Schestowitz said,

December 21, 2008 at 3:55 pm

amd-linux, did any of your comments get trapped? I released one of yours about 2 days after it had been posted (we get lots of spam and false positives).

Regarding Microsoft’s bottom line, they are close to debt (maybe they are already in it).
amd-linux said,

December 22, 2008 at 4:17 am

Dont know, maybe because I posted 2 comments within 20 minutes ? Anyway.

BTW, a spokesperson for Asus Germany told a reader of an EEE PC blog via email that Asus Germany is forbidden by a marketing agreement to sell Linux machines cheaper than Windows equipped machines so you can not get the same model with Windows or Linux – because then, the kick back trick would be transparent to the competition authorities ….

With Acer, there seems no such deal in place, so you can choose the same model with Win XP or Linux, and getting the Linux version for the well known 30 Euros less…. which is the current Windows tax here in Euroland.

In the US, MS obviously does not dare to do this – otherwise they would also bribe Dell the same way, which they are not doing, me thinks, when I see the last Dell Linux offers.
Roy Schestowitz said,

December 22, 2008 at 4:28 am

Dell is based on kickbacks. it had them going with Intel too.

The corruption in this industry is rampant and it’s time for intervention.

What Else is New

Chairman of the Board of Red Hat Explains He Was Introduced to GNU/Linux When It Helped His Regime Change in Haiti

General Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Board of Red Hat, explains (keynote in 2011 Red Hat Summit/JBoss World) that he was introduced to the system as part of a military campaign; it basically helped war, not antiwar
The Faces of 'The Cloud' (Surveillance in Clown Computing/Clothing)

Consolidation of the world's computers/servers and the stories told by photo ops; we're particularly interested in IBM's relationship with Condé Nast, which owns The New Yorker and Wired
Microsoft is Now in the Technical Advisory Board of the Linux Foundation

Techrights politely takes note of the growing role (or roles) of Microsoft employees inside the Linux Foundation; there are now at least half a dozen people
Two Things IBM and Microsoft Have in Common: Layoffs and Fake Hype Like 'Clown Computing' and 'Hey Hi' (AI) as Perceived 'Opportunity' for 'Growth'

The infamous pair of monopolists, Microsoft and IBM, are both suffering during the COVID-19 lock-downs (no matter how hard they try to spin it and/or distract from it)
IBM (Red Hat) Lectured FSF That It Needed More Diversity, But Was It Looking at the Mirror? IBM and Red Hat Are Even Less Diverse.

Techrights examines Red Hat’s (IBM’s) hypocritical claims about the Free Software Foundation, founded by Richard Stallman back when IBM was the “big scary monopolist”; IBM employees were prominent among those pushing to oust Stallman from the GNU Project, which he founded, as well
IRC Proceedings: Friday, June 05, 2020

IRC logs for Friday, June 05, 2020
Guix Petition Demographic Data, by Figosdev

That old anti-RMS letter, which called for his removal (or resignation) from GNU (RMS is the founder of the GNU Project), as characterised by metadata of signatories
When You Realise People Who Don't Support RMS Do Not Really Support GNU, Either

The (in)famous letter against Richard Stallman (RMS), which was signed by many Red Hat employees with Microsoft (GitHub) accounts, doesn’t look particularly good in light of recent revelations/findings; it increasingly looks like IBM simply wants Microsoft-hosted and “permissively” licensed stuff, just like another project it announced yesterday and another that it promoted yesterday
The Gates Press (GatesGate) -- Part III: What Happens When You Tell the Truth About Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation

One might not expect this from a so-called 'charity'; the Gates Foundation's critics are often met with unprecedented aggression, threats and retribution, which make one wonder if it's really a charity or a greedy cult of personalities (Bill and Melinda)
Links 6/6/2020: Bifrost Meets GNOME, Wine 5.10 is Out

Links for the day
Links 5/6/2020: LibreELEC (Leia) 9.2.3, Rust 1.44.0, and Hamburg's Pivot to Free/Libre Software

Links for the day
This Article About GitHub Takeover Never Appeared (Likely Spiked by Microsoft and Its Friends Inside the Media)

And later they wonder why people distrust so much of the media (where paying advertisers set the agenda/tone)
Raw: How Microsoft and/or the EPO Killed an Important EPO Story About Their SLAPP Against Techrights and Others

Spiking a story about spiked stories about corruption
The Linux Foundation 'Bootcamp' -- Badly Timed and Badly Named in June 2020 -- Only Uses Linus Torvalds Like a 'Prop' (for Legitimacy) While Promoting Militarised Monopolies

Sometimes a picture says a lot more than words, especially in light of political events in the US and a certain Chinese anniversary we cannot name (Microsoft censors mentions of it)
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, June 04, 2020

IRC logs for Thursday, June 04, 2020
The Gates Press (GatesGate) -- Part II: When Media That You Bribe Calls All Your Critics 'Conspiracy Theorists' (to Keep Them Silenced, Marginalised)

The assault on the media by Bill Gates is a subject not often explored by the media (maybe because a lot of it is already bribed by him); but we're beginning to gather new and important evidence that explains how critics are muzzled (even fired) and critical pieces spiked, never to see the light of day anywhere
GitHub is Not Sharing But 'Theft' by Microsoft

Microsoft buying GitHub does not demonstrate that Microsoft loves Open Source (GitHub is not Open Source and may never be) but that it loves monopoly and coercion (what GitHub is all about and why it must be rejected)
The Huge Damage (Except for Patent Lawyers' Bottom Line) Caused by Fake European Patents

The European Patent Office (EPO) keeps granting fake patents that cause a lot of real harm (examiners are pressured to play along and participate in this unlawful agenda); nobody is happy except those who profit from needless, frivolous lawsuits
Red Hat/IBM Got 'Tired' of RMS. Is It Getting 'Tired' of GPL/Copyleft Too?

After contributing to the cancellation of Richard Stallman (RMS) based on some falsehoods perpetuated in the media we're seeing the sort of thing one might expect from IBM (more so now that it totally controls Fedora and RHEL)
Links 4/6/2020: Proton 5.0-8 Release Candidate, GNU Linux-libre 5.7

Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, June 03, 2020

IRC logs for Wednesday, June 03, 2020
Social Engineering of Free Software, Based on Corporate Criteria

What "professional" nowadays means in the context of coding and honest assessment of technical work
Weakening GNU/Linux by Disempowering Its Leaders and Founders, Replacing Them With Microsoft Employees and GNU/Linux-Hostile Moles

The coup to remove (or remove power from) Stallman and Torvalds, the GNU and Linux founders respectively, is followed by outsourcing of their work to Microsoft’s newly-acquired monopoly (GitHub) and appointment of Microsoft workers or Microsoft-friendly people, shoehorning them into top roles under the disingenuous guise of "professionalism"
Sword Group Violates Its Own Commitment by Working for the EPO

The European Patent Office (EPO) keeps outsourcing its work to outside contractors (for-profit private entities) to the tune of hundreds of millions if not billions — all this without any oversight
In 2020 Canonical No Longer Fights for Freedom

Freedom requires a GNU/Linux distro other than Ubuntu, which seems unwilling or unable/incapable of speaking about and promoting the ideals of GNU/Linux
We Need to Use the F Word (Freedom) to Promote Adoption of GNU/Linux

"People get the government their behavior deserves. People deserve better than that." -Richard Stallman
People Who Want to Explore GNU/Linux With Ubuntu See This Today

"Wait, am I in a GNU/Linux blog or another Windows blog," a visitor might think... or, is Microsoft 'taking over' messaging at Canonical? (Same with code)
Links 4/6/2020: Septor 2020.3, Nextcloud and Blender 2.83

Links for the day
Hey, Where's Red Hat (IBM)?

Red Hat is conspicuously silent at these critical times (in its home country); Must be too busy hailing and cashing in on Trump's military (state) while dishing out shallow and self-contradictory diversity PR/fluff…
Microsoft's Latest Vapourware About Supercomputers

Microsoft has spent almost two decades dropping supercomputers vapourware on the media, but those misinformation dumps always turn out to be 100% hot air, no substance