Asus Puts the Blame on the Lack of Linux Eee PC 901 in the UK to Intel’s Supply of ATOM CPU

July 14, 2008 8 Comments

Linux-powered Eee PC 901 has quickly run out of stock in UK stores and that only the Windows version is still available. Before irate Linux fans who’ve been looking forward to getting their Eee PC 901 with the Linux OS, start thinking that Microsoft may have something to do with the scarcity of supply of the Linux models, Asus was quick to announced that they’ve got nobody to blame but Intel.

Register Hardware is reporting that Intel is faltering on the supply of Atom CPUs and that shipments of the Eee PC 901 to the UK has become too limited. In fact, the first shipment of the Eee PC 901 with Linux has already been sold out and Asus UK is now awaiting for the second shipment to arrive, sometime late July.

Now who says that Linux is not the key to the Eee PC Product line’s success?

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9inch, ASUS, EEEPC
  • Angus77

    So what’s the excuse for not even bothering to release the Linux version of the 901-X in Japan?

    Especially weird given that you can select support for “Eee PC 901/Linux” at http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=ja-jp [in Japanese]. ( found this at http://arkouji.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2008/06/eeepc_901_fd92.html [also in Japanese] )

  • anon

    I think it has more to do with the 20 GB vs 12 GB than linux.

  • Luke H

    A lot of people who are waiting for the Eee 901 Linux are saying that Asus are not being truthful here. The issue is that the same Atom processor is used in Linux and XP flavours of the 901.

    Maybe the XP ones got shipped and they ran out of atoms to send the Linux? you might argue. Well that is possible, but Helen Ling at Asus claims that Asus has built an equal amount of XP and Linux 901s. If that is true then where are all the people in the UK saying “oh, my Linux 901 is so great, bla bla bla!”?

    There aren’t any people with UK Linux 901s as far as I can tell. If you have a UK Eee 901 then please write about it here or elsewhere and relieve the suspense.

  • pascal

    It’s clear there’s something fishy going on here.

    I’ve yet to find a reference anywhere about an end-user reporting they have the Linux version, not just the UK.

    The only units referred to are review machines. It’s nothing to do with Atom shortages in light of Ms Ling’s comment about production in equal numbers or there would be at least one person somewhere saying they have a Linux one.

    It makes more sense that delaying the Linux release helps bolster (flagging) XP sales figures. I’ve read innumerable posts by people wanting the Linux version and giving up and buying the XP one only to erase XP and install Ubuntu etc. Don’t hold your breath for a (truthful) official response from ASUS on this one though; they’re between a rock and a hard place given how much they depend on Microsoft across their entire product range.

    Acer is the only company I have read saying “stuff you” to Microsoft and we’ll see how long that lasts.

  • Angus77

    @anon

    WEll, given that the only ohter Eee PCs (the 4G-X and 4G-XU) to be released in Japan were only released in Windows versions, and at a time when Windows was not available on the Eee PC anywhere else, I really doubt that is the answer.

  • David

    I have trouble believing that it’s a component supply. If it were, surely there’d be a drop in supply of both XP and Linux models? Unless of course the XP ones are available because nobody really wants them. Operating system preference aside, why would you want it, when it costs the same but has half the storage?

  • daz

    Im waiting for the Linux version cash in hand…. If they don’t hurry up what is one to do try another product… HP Acer if Dell can supply oh well maybe not go there hey …. Dell free n staying that way….

  • daz

    edit that i am waiting foe the black Linux version….


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