Just passing through and found this site via a Google Alert. I'm not an experienced Linux user but have dabbled in Ubuntu and am looking into getting an Asus Eee PC. I also think Linux will drive more and more of the low-cost (<$500) PC segment over the next 5 years and beyond.

Hi and welcome to LinuxQuestions.

I stumbled here through Google too and this site has been very helpful to me.

The Asus Eee is quite nice lappy. I've seen it almost work with OpenBSD, still had some random crashes but hopefully it will get stable soon.

"low cost" < 500$ ? Come on, you can get a brand new Windows Vista (which is _not_ low cost) for less than 500$...I'd say low cost is < 300$. But yes, Linux might have a way to go with the low-cost computers, altough it's up to the buyers in the end..some people don't like to buy a "cheap" computer, even if it was just as good (or even better) than the more expensive one; some people just think that paying more automatically means getting "more" or "better".

I'll ask the same question I'd like to ask every Xbox/PS3 owner who goes about installing different kinds of Unix-like operating systems on those things: why on earth would you want to install something like that (say an OpenBSD) on it? Not for the price, and if it crashes occationally, not for the stableness neither..so what? If you pay the money for it, I don't get why you wouldn't use the OS that is designed to work with the specific hardware in case..especially with that Asus thingie. If you want a cheap laptop with OpenBSD, buy a cheap laptop pc without OS/with DOS or something, then install OBSD on it. You'll definitely get it cheaper than buying an Asus Eee (even though it is "cheapish" compared to some Windows mates). And if you owned a PS3 or Xbox, you would have paid a lot of money (considering the device's use) to get a working solution, so again I don't see a reason to waste disk space by installing another OS that is not designed to work specifically with that hardware, and have a regular computer with that OS, which is more expensive than a regular non-game-console-computer with the very same OS. Maybe you do have your reasons..

Well, there's not many laptops with the features Asus Eee has. And some people prefer to use OpenBSD over Linux. Or I would think same reasons apply as some people install Debian instead of Slackware.

And for the record I don't own a Asus Eee. I think it was some OpenBSD developers who was trying to port OpenBSD on it. I couldn't get quite close enough to hear properly as the device attracted quite a crowd around it