Between the Lines

Larry Dignan, Andrew Nusca and Rachel King

Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

By Sam Diaz | July 20, 2010, 10:34am PDT

Summary: Reports today say that Asus has chosen Android over Windows to power an Eee tablet that could be released as early as the first quarter of next year.

When it comes to the operating systems that will power tablet computing, it’s still anyone’s game.

Today, there are reports that Asus has dumped Microsoft’s Windows in favor of Google’s Android OS for its Eee pad tablet, which could be out by early next year sometime. Apple, of course, is in the game with its own OS for the iPad. And now that HP has acquired Palm, it’s likely that it will choose to develop around WebOS.

Microsoft, of course, previously killed the Courier tablet it was working on and said there are currently no plans to develop such a product. Still, even without its own product, Microsoft could be a tablet player on the software side - but the excitement is around Android. The Dell Streak, for example, is a small slate tablet that is powered by Android.

A Wired blog post sums up nicely why Android may become the next de facto operating system for tablets:

Android is likely to be the OS of choice amongst tablet-makers (apart from HP, with its newly acquired webOS and Apple, of course). It’s free, it is designed for mobile devices and above all it doesn’t have to fight against an incumbent Windows market. One of the problems with the first wave of Linux netbooks was their lack of familiarity: people buying cheap computers were used to Windows. This problem doesn’t yet exist with tablets, so Android may in fact become the next Windows.

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Topics

ASUS, Google Android, Operating System, Microsoft Windows, Tablets, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Sam Diaz

Sam has been a technology and business blogger for more than 18 years.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct

Unbelievable, that is certainly just what I accustomed to be scanning for! This submit just saved me alot nfl jersey of browsing about

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

Rahul Mulchandani 20th Jul 2010

Microsoft is being attacked & is floundering on all fronts, except Windows and Office.

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I would not say that MS is being attacked.. Just that

James Quinn 20th Jul 2010

@Rahul Mulchandani
There is more choice then there once was. i remember the mom and pop computer store I use to work in. They carried the major brands of that time Apple, Commodore and a host of computers from vendors such as Epson which had CP/M installed on them. Then IBM gave MS it's blessing and virtually over night all the misc vendors with the exception of Apple and Commodore were running MSDos on their systems. Commodore eventually killed itself and because IBM had such a huge and powerful rep in those days the vast majority of businesses big to small thought MS was the way to go. So for the longest of times there was very little actual choice. God or IBM said we choose MS and everyone said OK then it's MS.

I don't think MS is being attacked there is just more choice available more options. IBM's blessing is long ago and it's power has faded. In fact MS took over IBM's position in the public's eye long ago. Now even that has faded. It's been a very long time and things change. Now that Apple is seen as being very strong all the worries about purchasing an Apple product have faded as well. If you buy Apple you don't have to fear you'll be left with an unsupported product because the company has failed. There is Google now, Linux and Open Source and of course MS. Depending on what markets there is also RIM and WebOS in the game or soon to be. There is not one or two choices today there are at LEAST a half a dozen or more and all viable. It's a different world.

Pagan jim

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

John Zern 20th Jul 2010

buy Apple you don't have to fear you'll be left with an unsupported product because the company has failed.

I don't think that was ever an issue. And the power of MS products is the same: you're dealing with a company with power, that isn't going to fail, so you'll never be left unsupported.

You really have to brush up on history. The issue with IBM was that they were pushing PCs as a compliment to their server business, while MS viewed and marketed the PC as a personal, stand alone, you don't need a server desktop. IBM didn't give MS it's belessing, MS out-manuvoured IBM.

Seriouslly, you don't have to make up stories in a lame attempt to steal away MS's prowess by trying to place their sucsess on IBM's willingness to help MS along.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

curph 20th Jul 2010

@John Zern
"You really have to brush up on history. ...
Seriouslly, you don't have to make up stories in a lame attempt to steal away MS's prowess by trying to place their sucsess on IBM's willingness to help MS along."

You really should know your facts before accusing others of ignorance.

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A Little History Lesson

trentreviso Updated - 20th Jul 2010

@John Zern: Perhaps you could brush up on some history yourself.

IBM was not pushing their early PC "as a compliment to their server business." They called it the "IBM Personal Computer" because they intended it to be used as a personal computer.

And Microsoft never "marketed the PC." MS has not, of course, ever manufactured its own PCs. For a long time, MS didn't even market its software to consumers. You could only get it with the purchase of a new PC. Microsoft began its corporate life effectively with an IBM-sanctioned monopoly. IBM gave MS-DOS away "FREE" with the purchase of a PC. Everybody got MS-DOS, whether they wanted it or not. (You could buy CP/M-86 from IBM if you wanted, but that was a costly add-on to an already-expensive purchase).

You don't have to make up stories in a lame attempt to give MS credit for prowess it has never had. MS bungled into a monopoly position by virtue of IBM. MS hung onto that monopoly by virtue of particularly ruthless business practices. That is what made Microsoft the company it is today.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

brble Updated - 20th Jul 2010

@James Quinn I haven't spoken to any IBM executives directly, but various books and other sources have said that IBM management didn't really take the PC market seriously, and envisioned their PCs ending up being used as terminals to their mainframe systems. That's one of the reasons why they let the development team have a bit more leeway than normal, and allowed Microsoft to keep the licensing option for MS-DOS, vs. PC-DOS, which is what IBM bundled with their PCs.

Once Compaq managed to reverse-engineer the IBM BIOS and produce a compatible system, MS-DOS became more common than PC-DOS, and, as they say, the rest is history.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

dave95. Updated - 20th Jul 2010

@John Zern

"I don't think that was ever an issue. And the power of MS products is the same: you're dealing with a company with power, that isn't going to fail, so you'll never be left unsupported."

Think it's very obvious Microsoft have lost some of its strong-hold on the industry. It's only so long they can continue to milk Office and Windows, especially when many are doing more things with the web (cloud), smart phones and tablets like the iPad that don't require Windows. Not saying Windows and Office is going away or wont continue to bring in loads of money for MS, but there's just lots more option for consumers to choose from today. And the trend is not in MS favor.

And Microsoft had no problem dropping support for devices and services in the past. MSN Music were closed down in 08 leaving unhappy users with DRM music that became unplayable after a certain deadline.

They've been trying to kill support for XP how long now? Trying to get business and consumers to move to Windows 7?

No Support for Zune HD in XNA 4.0. Which means recent ZuneHD owners won't have the ability to share the same App Store as Windows Phone 7. And after just a year on the market, ZuneHD may be dead.

Regarding Apple, It took them quite a while to get ride of that "Apple is a failing company" perception, during the height of WinPC's. The iPod definitely helped open some barriers there.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

trentreviso 20th Jul 2010

@brble: IBM did NOT "envision their PCs ending up being used as terminals to their mainframe systems."

You don't design, build, and market an entirely new computer system because you think it's going to make a really great replacement for a dumb terminal. The IBM Personal Computer was so-called because IBM intended it for use as a personal computer. It was IBM's attempt to enter the new market of personal computers pioneered by Apple, Commodore PET, Kaypro, Osborne, TRS-80, etc. Ads even promoted the cassette version of the PC for "home use" with a television set as a monitor.

When the IBM PC debuted in 1981, it cost $2,000 to $4,500 (in 1981 dollars!), depending on configuration. You would not have gotten very far in 1981 by trying to sell people a bunch of $2,000 terminals!

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History lessons

symbolset 21st Jul 2010

There was some talk about a Microsoft branded PC in India some years ago. Forbes had this story: http://www.forbes.com/2007/06/28/India-microsoft-pc-markets-equity-cx_jc_0628markets5.html which may be related.

And of course we have the Microsoft Kin phones as an example of them competing with their own hardware partners, as if the Sendo thing and owning the system specs and user experience were not enough for them.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

x I'm tc 20th Jul 2010

@Rahul Mulchandani

From what I can guesstimate from the data, although I am no analyst and concrete numbers are hard to come by, they are doing very, very well in the cloud. Certainly Google is falling way behind and Apple doesn't even play there yet. That is the realm of VMware and IBM and HP and Oracle and the likes.

Of course, these are the early days and things can change quickly...

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Not really. That same thing was said about Netbooks

John Zern 20th Jul 2010

and it became a whole different ball game after time went on.

Its really going to depend on what the tablets do in the end, and what a user is looking for in a tablet.

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Netbooks look like little laptops

Michael Kelly 20th Jul 2010

@John Zern

So people expect them to behave like little laptops. Tablets look like oversized smartphones. So it seems to reason most people will expect them to act like oversized smartphones.

Of course I'm not most people. I'd rather have a PC OS so I can run PC software. Mainly because I see no need to have to rewrite all the software I need for a new platform.

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Netbooks look like little laptops

dave95. Updated - 20th Jul 2010

@Michael Kelly

Well, true people were expecting Netbooks to perform like laptops, only smaller. But instead many found out they were for the most part frustration, lacking the power expected and cheaply built to keep the price down. Now sales on Netbooks have cooled off as a result. It's only so far you can build on a Netbook before it encroaches on the laptop space. At which point, wouldn't it be better to just get a laptop?

For tablets to take off (as the iPad is proving now), they need to have the same light OS and functionality of a smart phone. The trend is moving away from full blown OS on these devices. Windows won't be able to come along and stake its claim as easily as it did with Netbooks.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

Cylon Centurion 20th Jul 2010

@Dave95,

For tablets to take off (as the iPad is proving now), they need to have the same light OS and functionality of a smart phone.

I'd still like a tablet that can give me more than just a crappy "mobile" experience. I've never been a fan of mobile operating systems on anything larger than a phone. Personally, tablets can be more than over-sized smartphones.

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Sorry John I was there....

James Quinn 20th Jul 2010

@John Zern
IBM was at that time the business word's GOD. They could do no wrong so when they went with MS Dos then MS Dos was the way to go. IBM is HUGE now but back then IBM was the end all to be all. MS was a flee in comparison. They became an elephant over night and that is the history that I lived through. IBM underestimated the power of the Pc and it's potential and paid it little head until it was to late. End of story.

Pagan jim

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

Brett.Blatchley@... Updated - 2nd Aug 2010

I agree James, I was there too!

AND they didn't call them "servers" back then, they were (and still are) "mainframes" and their little step-children were "mini-computers."

AND, terminals *were* quite expensive back then - you had to **lease** them from IBM. RS-232 was an "upstart" and microcomputers made it possible to make terminals that were flexible and relatively inexpensive.

Also, you also had to *lease* IBM's operating systems and system software in an a la carte way: people paid through the nose for software on the order of Edlin!

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

Loverock Davidson 20th Jul 2010

Asus chose wrong.

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"IF" this Android based Tablet is a hot seller for them

James Quinn 20th Jul 2010

@Loverock Davidson
will you admit to being wrong? I don't know myself so I'll make no prediction. I actually did not think much about the iPad when it was announced but then again I did not think much about the iPod when it first came out. Turns out I was wrong about both. The iPad is HUGE for Apple go figure so I don't make predictions. I would advise you to consider this tact.

Pagan jim

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

Eduardo_z 20th Jul 2010

As always, Loverock is absolutely right.

Look folks, it's very simple. Microsoft is best. Every product it makes is best, it is best in every possible way, it always has been the best, and it always will be.

Keep that in mind and you will never go wrong.

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Loverock wants a stifling MS monoculture

Don Collins 28th Jul 2010

Innovation and plurality of OS are good for technological progress. His ancestors no doubt protested when the wheel was invented, because it was an open source invention that anyone could use without having to pay license fees. Open source is not perfect, but I would rather have that (occasional) imperfection than be crushed under the jackboot of Ballmer.

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RE: Asus likes Android over Windows for Eee tablet

HalfAKilo 20th Jul 2010

The article is inaccurate. Asus may be dropping Windows CE 7 (compact edition), but the Windows 7 tablet is coming, nevertheless.

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You're right

Cylon Centurion 20th Jul 2010

@HalfAKilo

That's interesting considering CE7 is the more mobile option out of the two.

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We've heard that about a lot of products.

matthew_maurice 20th Jul 2010

@HalfAKilo When it comes to Windows 7 tablets, until I hear "shipping now" I'm very skeptical.

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One size does not fit all...

TheWerewolf 21st Jul 2010

I've said this repeatedly - the idea that there is one model implies there's one uniform customer. For light weight users - the iPad model is fine - but for others, a more powerful platform with more flex is desirable.

The slate discussion is absolutely saturated with a lot of simplistic analysis and opinion driven by preferences rather than by fact. iOS is not a lightweight OS, contrary to what everything thinks. Win7 is not a heavyweight as people think. Nothing that iOS does cannot be done with WinCE. People consistently confuse the UI with the OS (the endless misrepresentation of Windows Phone 7 as a 'new OS' when in fact it's a shell on WinCE 6.5 is a beautiful example of this).

To make a serious competitor for the iPad, Microsoft merely has to make a shell that runs Silverlight apps.. basically an extended version of the Win Phone 7 and host it either on WinCE or Win7.

But for some, they want full access to the Win7 environment and that can be made more easily usable on a slate with a surprisingly small number of size tweaks you can do on any copy with existing tools included in Win7.

Android is based on Linux - and is another perfectly fine solution lineage for slates, as is WebOS.

There will never be just one system or laptop or slate.

And that's a very good thing.

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AMEN!!! Very well said and extremely reasonable.

James Quinn 21st Jul 2010

@TheWerewolf
Pagan jim.. Choice, it's the good thing.

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What's funny about Windows 7 on a slate

symbolset 21st Jul 2010

@TheWerewolf To make a serious competitor for the iPad, Microsoft merely has to make a shell that runs Silverlight apps.. basically an extended version of the Win Phone 7 and host it either on WinCE or Win7.

Inserting Windows 7 into the slate form factor is a silly and unnecessary struggle that Microsoft is going through just for bragging rights I suppose. The slates are thin clients. They can present the Windows 7 interface of your desktop or laptop in an ARM powered, light device with good battery life. It doesn't need W7 in it to have the W7 experience on it. The whole idea is pointless. You can use your W7 desktop from your iPad already, and that's one of the most popular app families available. Look, here's a YouTube of somebody playing Crysis on it when the iPad had just come out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4aLmHxqhI8

Full windows on a tablet has been done to death and roundly rejected for 15 years. The amount of money hardware partners have poured into hopeless platform development, manufacturing and marketing on this is absolutely astounding. That Microsoft can keep going back to vendors and get them to try it again when they've sunk so much money into it already boggles the mind.