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The field of technology is one of the most competitive in the world. Massive improvements are made more and more frequently in the technological world. These new advancements are rendering computers obsolete within ever shortening time spaces. Considering the aforesaid factors, one would assume that releasing a computer with specifications from 1999 is an act of lunacy. However, Asus computers did just that. The Asus EEE PC is a subnotebook which weighs less than 3 pounds, and is a bit wider than your average $20 bill.

This micro notebook is taking the computing world by storm. The name EEE is an advertising slogan for the laptop which is, “Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play” (Asus, 2007). The laptop runs a free and easy to use operating system called Xandros, which is a version of Linux, and comes with pre-installed applications such as Firefox, and Open Office which is a replacement for Microsoft Word (Asus, 2007). With the addition of a built in webcam, microphone and SD card reader, the idea of a laptop with such primitive specifications does not seem so absurd after all.

Developers were taken aback at the popularity of the Asus EEE, which has already sold over 1,000,000 units (Softpedia.com, 2008), and many hardware companies are starting to worry about what the popularity of this PC will do to the notebook market. Many leading companies in the field of computing are particularly vexed about the future of the laptop. Sony’s senior vice president of IT products, Mike Abary, is especially worried what will happen to notebooks with the popularity of the Asus EEE. “If (EEE PC from) Asus starts to do well, we are all in trouble. That’s just a race to the bottom,” (Softpedia, 2008). This concept will have a massive effect upon the computing market – and will make computer developers decide in very different ways – even in the consumer markets of developed nations. The fright has gotten to many big developers, and many are coming out with their own micro notebooks already. The trend in ultra-small notebooks will only gain momentum, as many bigger computer developing companies are combating Asus and producing their very own ultra-mobile PCs, such as HP (softpedia.com, 2008). This clearly indicates that the developers are taking serious interest in the field of subnotebooks. The production of these new ultra-portable PCs gives people the options of buying something that can comfortably fit inside any bag that they have, and do everything that they need to do on the fly. Of course, people who are interested in graphic design and other professions where computing intensity is of utmost importance have no use for these laptops, but this is not the market for the EEE. This new Asus is meant for easy internet access and will prove especially practical for notes and other spontaneous uses. This phenomenon of subnotebooks will undoubtedly create a huge market in the field of education, and will make the laptop more accessible for those who could not previously afford it.

-Robert Kuncewicz/Nigel Sequeira