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Why Xandros/Linux is perfect for the Eee Pc
Ask yourself, what kind of software do you use? What kind of a user are you? Most people will say they need MS Office, Photoshop, a calender and MSN (Or any other chat client). The truth is, unless your a professional user, Linux has all the same tools for free.
Follow up:
Here is a short list of programs that do the same thing as propriety
MSN/Chat - Pidgin
MS Office - Open Office
Photoshop - Gimp
Outlook - Thunderbird
Calender - Usually built in with OS like Ubuntu. Lots of different calender software out there
The Eee PC runs on Xandros, an Open Source and Proprietary hybrid. Xandros is a Debian derivative that uses KDE. The Eee's Xandros runs a custom tabbed interface, but also has an "Advanced Mode", which switches it to KDE 3. The Eee PC is also able to run other Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and openSUSE.
Eee PCs are very low end when compared with normal laptops. Truth is, you don't need that much power. More expensive computers use more power and heat up much more while having the same exact amount of productivity. Windows, unlike Linux, eats up lots of system resources which means that there's much less left for processing. With Eee's low specs, having Windows means that your going to be wasting lots of time waiting for stuff to start and load.
Linux, with its highly optimized kernel boots and works much faster. Loading Linux with software will not cause such a tremendous slow down as we all see on Windows. Linux, unlike Windows uses minimal system resources when sitting around. This means that your going to have much more batter time.
Another very big advantage of Linux is that most distributions come with very good package/program managers. Xendros comes with Xandros Networks package manager, which will install software after it has been downloaded. As most household and businesses have a high speed internet connection, installing software offline is less and less common.
Linux, when talking about compatability between Windows/Mac/Linux, does a very good job.
Samba - A client for the Windows Network. Samba makes it seem as though there is no barrier between the Windows network and Linux network.
Open Office - In terms of Microsoft Office, most people still do not use MS Office 2007. Open Office can open and save any MS Office format prior to the 2007 version. Very soon, Open Office 3.0 will be able to open even the 2007 version.
MSN/Chat - Pidgin is a chat client very widely used in Linux. It is able to merge the most popular protocols ranging from MSN to ICQ.
So, why not take the Eee with Linux? Its faster, saves more battery power, and does exactly the same stuff. Its also largely compatible with Windows. In perspective, I would seriously recommend the Xandros version of Eee.
For more information on things covered in this article:
KDE
Linux
Xandros