ASUS Plans to Ship Embedded ''Splashtop'' Linux with Every Motherboard

[malware]

Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS is to embed a lightweight open source version of Linux called "Splashtop" into all its motherboards it was announced recently. On Wednesday, DeviceVM, the company behind the distribution, said the hardware manufacturer would be putting Splashtop — which ASUS calls "Express Gate" — into a million motherboards a month. Splashtop boots from a flash chip on the motherboard before the main OS is loaded and includes a Firefox Internet browser, e-mail client, Skype and the Splashtop desktop. At first the Linux-based software will be available immediately in the new Intel P45 based P5Q Deluxe, P5Q-WS, P5Q3 Deluxe and P5Q-E series motherboards, due to be out by the end of June. After that the Splashtop OS is planned to be integrated into numerous other ASUS motherboards and even some notebooks in the near future. "In response to great user feedback, our plan is to proliferate Express Gate across our entire motherboard product portfolio, starting with over one million motherboards per month," says Joe Hsieh, General Manager, ASUS Motherboard Business Unit. "Consumers want to turn their PCs on and off like any other appliance, and Express Gate has made that possible."

Source: Splashtop Blog

[Basard]

Splashtop is just weird sounding, they could have come up with something better.... I dunno, but its a good idea. I'd get one... maybe.

[panchoman]

whoa awesome! never thought i'd be saying this anytime soon but ASUS FTW! and of course linux FTW

[HTC]

What happens when, using this feature, you get virus infected by opening an e-mail?

[ShadowFold]

Originally Posted by HTC

What happens when, using this feature, you get virus infected by opening an e-mail?

RMA time

[Rebo&Zooty]

will the linux be running in root mode?

[jocksteeluk]

I think this is a great move, it will give more and more people another option and squeeze MS in the process, if it does become standard practice for all manufacturers we could see games and software development companies catering more for linux.

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

Originally Posted by malware

Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS is to embed a lightweight open source version of Linux called "Splashtop" into all its motherboards it was announced recently. On Wednesday, DeviceVM, the company behind the distribution, said the hardware manufacturer would be putting Splashtop — which ASUS calls "Express Gate" — into a million motherboards a month. Splashtop boots from a flash chip on the motherboard before the main OS is loaded and includes a Firefox Internet browser, e-mail client, Skype and the Splashtop desktop. At first the Linux-based software will be available immediately in the new Intel P45 based P5Q Deluxe, P5Q-WS, P5Q3 Deluxe and P5Q-E series motherboards, due to be out by the end of June. After that the Splashtop OS is planned to be integrated into numerous other ASUS motherboards and even some notebooks in the near future. "In response to great user feedback, our plan is to proliferate Express Gate across our entire motherboard product portfolio, starting with over one million motherboards per month," says Joe Hsieh, General Manager, ASUS Motherboard Business Unit. "Consumers want to turn their PCs on and off like any other appliance, and Express Gate has made that possible."

Source: Splashtop Blog

no props malware?

[Luke]

this sounds like a good idea to me

[imperialreign]

Expressgate is a waste of space as far as I'm concerned . . .


it's a great idea and all, for those that want or need to hop online in only a few seconds of turning their rig on - but I don't like it.


I also find it frustrating having to disable the damn thing after every new BIOS update. Re-Flash the BIOS and I'm like ?! on reboot . . . then I remember . . .

It's a good Concept!
If you got a Laptop and small time to use a wifiport (in an airport, or bus station, or coffeehouse) than it's perfect to chat with pals and family!
For the home it's not so useful.

[lemonadesoda]

5 second boot time. Stored on 512MB flash onboard mainboard. Has a separate, dedicated, linux partition. NTFS should be safe... (-ish). I hope there is sufficient security lockdown.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splashtop

http://www.splashtop.com/index.php

AWFUL voiceover on the video.

[Basard]

once they start integrating the HD with the motherboard, i'll have something to get excited about. a 64gb ssd shouldnt be too hard to integrate, in about 2 years or maybe even less....

Or how bout a socket 7 for your hard drive. You're hard drive plugs into the socket.... and it comes with windows embedded into it... cuts piracy a bunch, and windows loads instantly. Everything else would be installed on a seperate add-in drive maybe? Who knows what the future holds. maybe the entire computer will be a holographic cube, with a mobo printed inside, and everything else printed in 3D, circuits, video card, HD, ram, all printed into this big cube, and it works with light instead of electricity..... i dunno

[captainskyhawk]

Originally Posted by HTC

What happens when, using this feature, you get virus infected by opening an e-mail?

You don't get viruses through email on Linux...

[Darkrealms]

Originally Posted by Basard

once they start integrating the HD with the motherboard, i'll have something to get excited about. a 64gb ssd shouldnt be too hard to integrate, in about 2 years or maybe even less....

Or how bout a socket 7 for your hard drive. You're hard drive plugs into the socket.... and it comes with windows embedded into it... cuts piracy a bunch, and windows loads instantly. Everything else would be installed on a seperate add-in drive maybe? Who knows what the future holds. maybe the entire computer will be a holographic cube, with a mobo printed inside, and everything else printed in 3D, circuits, video card, HD, ram, all printed into this big cube, and it works with light instead of electricity..... i dunno

As much as the idea of buying Windows on a special type of HD sounds good, think about what they've done with pricing on Xbox HDs. I'm sticking with what I can install.

As long as it has the ability to modify files on my Windows partitions I'm all for it. That would make things a lot easier ; )