Acer bets big on Linux

[Wallalai]

Acer switch to GNU/Linux. Good news.

Vendor shifts towards open source 'because of Microsoft'

Acer has stated that it will be pushing Linux aggressively on its laptops and netbooks.
The company is already heavily promoting Linux for its low cost ultra-portable netbook range out later this year, but senior staff have said that Acer will also push Linux on its laptops.
Acer has already started selling Linux in its Media PC business but this should now spread, according to Gianpiero Morbello, vice president of marketing and brand at Acer.
"We have shifted towards Linux because of Microsoft," he said. "Microsoft has a lot of power and it is going to be difficult, but we will be working hard to develop the Linux market."
Acer sees two killer apps with Linux on computers: operation and cost. Its flavour of Linux will boot in 15 seconds compared to minutes for Windows, and the open source operating system can extend battery life from five to seven hours.
At the same time, the company expects that the price differential of Linux will make the offering attractive for consumers at the low-cost end of the market.
"Microsoft's operating system typically costs around £50 per unit," said David Drummond, UK managing director at Acer. "On a £1,000 PC that is peanuts, but on a £200 computer it is a major issue."

Acer bets big on Linux - vnunet.com

[Butterfly]

"Microsoft's operating system typically costs around £50 per unit,"

actually estimate of OEM version of Windows are around 200 USD + OEM integration cost for a total of 250 USD,

You can see it on laptop sales here, a version without OEM XP is about 10,000 THB less

[britmaveric]

Well OS makes little diff, think most people have multiple OS cds lying around.

[dirtydog]

I prefer linux, the only reason I still use windows aswell is for one program only, that is acdsee, and the only part of that that I need to use in windows is the multi resize of pics, probably find that linux has that somewhere aswell, and for free.....

[NickA]

^Digikam will do it, but you can probably get a plugin/script for any file manager (nautilus, konqueror, dolphin) to do it.

I use Digikam for downloading and fixing up my photos, and picasa works very well through wine nowadays.

[melvbot]

Linux is OK but a lot of people heard the L word and get a bit scared. Lots of mums and dads who arent that computer savvy will be put off. Bit of a risk for Acer. Nice to see companies offering the options though.

[EmperorTud]

Good news?

Acer PCs and laptops are cheap junk.

[NickA]

Acer PCs and laptops are cheap

The people hear what the people want to hear

[melvbot]

Know a few people with Acers, the cheap and more expensive ones. All very happy with them .Not heard of any big issues with them.

[Wallalai]

Acer PCs and laptops are cheap junk.

As long as it allows to run the OS of my choice it's perfect in my view.

Why is it junk ? Today's computers are all equipped with nearly the same components.

[Marmite the Dog]

Acers are decent machines that are very good value for money. I'm going to run Linux on my new home PC when I upgrade this hunk of junk next month.

[Wallalai]

One more good point is that if Acer machines come with a GNU/Linux OS, all components will be Linux compatible.

No more headaches to have the integrated webcam or wifi chipset running. Native modules included in the kernel et basta.

[Butterfly]

Saw that from Acer at the supermarket, it's a small PC for retards, quite expensive at 10,000 when you can buy a complete laptop for 16,000

ASUSTeK Eee PC

[Wallalai]

^ Apart that it's an Asus product.

Here is the Acer mini laptop. Acer Aspire mini-notebook? Another Asus Eee PC rival | Technology | guardian.co.uk

At least one of them.

[mrsquirrel]

Saw that from Acer at the supermarket, it's a small PC for retards, quite expensive at 10,000 when you can buy a complete laptop for 16,000 ASUSTeK Eee PC

^ Apart that it's an Asus product.

Oh Butterfly. Hear is a song for you.

[Butterfly]

^ ha fuck it, they are both stupid companies, horrible products, they are the same for me

ACER have the worst laptop, and ASUS the worst MB, I am sure MtD will disagree with me, but hey, I have run small server farms with those, what the fuck do I know

[NickA]

what the fuck do I know

It would seem not a lot, but you keep promising not to tell us what you do know.

[Butterfly]

^ and I haven't, obviously

[lom]

ACER have the worst laptop, and ASUS the worst MB, I am sure MtD will disagree with me, but hey, I have run small server farms with those, what the fuck do I know

Not only MtD will disagree, I disagree as well.

My current laptop is an ACER, my first ACER and the bestest of all laptops I've had.
And those are many - IBMs, Toshibas, Compaqs, and a bunch of DELLs.

The best motherboards for me has always been Intel.
Boring they are, without any bells and whistles, but very stable.
And they came with 2 years warranty.
So that's what I recommended to my customers when I was building systems.

For my own computers, I've mostly used ASUS or MSI.
Both of them are high quality motherboards, both of them frequently wins best in test awards.
ABIT is never there , in the top, fighting with ASUS or MSI..

[Wallalai]

ACER have the worst laptop, and ASUS the worst MB, I am sure MtD will disagree with me, but hey, I have run small server farms with those, what the fuck do I know

Apart beeing a hairy troll you don't seem to know much.

Very easy to bash Acer, Asus, etc and the packaged GNU/Linux distros, but you don't have yet proved any excellent skill in any of these domains.

Maybe copy/paste from Google ?

[Butterfly]

For my own computers, I've mostly used ASUS or MSI.
Both of them are high quality motherboards, both of them frequently wins best in test awards.
ABIT is never there , in the top, fighting with ASUS or MSI..

I used to think so, then I had a few MB from ASUS and MSI that died out of the blue, while the stupid ABIT have been extremly reliable. I was expecting the exact opposite and yet I was proved wrong by experience. I am done with ASUS and MSI, and those stupid awards don't mean shit at the end. Apparently a few techies site swear by ABIT, and have very mixed feelings about ASUS and MSI (which used to be fucking great)

Very easy to bash Acer, Asus, etc and the packaged GNU/Linux distros, but you don't have yet proved any excellent skill in any of these domains.

I am only speaking from experience, I don't care about those companies per se. After buying close to 100 of those MB, I can only think the sample size was conclusive enough for me to make those judgment. Of course, everyone experience is different. And maybe those companies have improved since, but I am not making those bets anymore.

For laptops, I am buying exclusively COMPAQ. They are crap but at least they look pretty and stylish, unlike ACER, which looks like crap.

[EmperorTud]

For laptops, I am buying exclusively COMPAQ. They are crap but at least they look pretty and stylish, unlike ACER, which looks like crap.

Agreed. Just by touching an Acer laptop gives me concerns over build quality too. They look cheap and have a horrible plasticky feel.

I use Asus normally but I am thinking about a new Compaq next week.

[NickA]

^The Compaq laptops are so cheap nowadays that they are probably worth a go.

[EmperorTud]

^ 18,000THB for a Core Duo with no OS in Phantip. 21,000THB with Vista.

[Wallalai]

I am only speaking from experience

Experience as an assembler or have you just hired mediocre people to build your machines ? I had only 3 PC with ASUS motherboards (2 assembled by myself and the last one by some computer genius in Panthip Chiangmai) guess what ? The only one who had issues was the Panthip one (integrated Nvidia chipset died), easy replaced by a cheap PCI Realtek 8139 card.

About laptops, I bought a COMPAQ V3000 (V3723AU) 3 months ago and it's far from crap. A nice piece of hardware not intended to play game(Was able to play WoW on it though) but very reliable with a very sharp 14". Installed Mandriva Spring Free 2008 and worked like a charm (ndiswrapper for the wifi chipset).



A nice lightweight (2,3kg) laptop.