Linux is the first choice when it comes to pre-loading an operating system onto ultra low-cost PCs, but not for long. Microsoft is making a move to make Windows XP an option as an ULPC OS, and it should be good news to those looking for more options in their budget laptops. More details in the full article.

People prone to putting their laptops in precarious situations (such as dropping it into water, or onto concrete) may want to consider getting one of NEC's ShieldPRO tablet PC. It's rugged build promises to offer some resistance against water, dust, and other harm that may befall the poor laptop. More details in the full article.

Boo yeah! Now we've got more reason to trade in our Eee PC 701s, and it's because a beefier 900 is definitely forthcoming. Official specifications have been spilled from ASUS itself, and to it we've added other tasty delights such as regional launch dates and target price range. Learn more about the next in line for the million-selling Eee PC series at the full story.

Presenting the ultimate in compact technology, the newly-released Asus Eee PC 900 is small, sleek, and just too darn cute not to snap up. But for those of us a bit more tech-minded than most, it's been discovered that the processor churning inside the Hong Kong/Taiwan retail versions of the Eee PC 900 isn't what they originally promised it would be. All the details after the jump.

Being affordable is one of the main features of Asustek's Eee PCs, and many believe that this is due to the notebook's use of the open source Linux operating system. However, it doesn't seem to be the case: Windows XP Eees have been spotted in Best Buy, and guess what? They have the same price tag as the Linux-flavored Eees. More details in the full article.

Wondering what ever happened to Microsoft's original plan for Live Anywhere? For some, it's been taking the company a while to fully finish the integration of the service across many platforms. Xbox Live Executive John Schappert said that the service is till going to push through. Know more after the jump!

When Microsoft's David Hufford said that the ideal price for a console was a buck below US$ 200, he never thought that one of Taiwan's biggest hardware manufacturing moguls could match that price... on a laptop.

Introduced at the 2007 Computex showcase, the wee (yes pronounced "wii") ASUS EeePC 701 caught the eyes of many a techie not because of its size, but because of its starting price.

The product manager at the ASUS booth also revealed that each laptop would come pre-installed with a flavor of Linux, although the demo product was seen to have performed well with Windows XP. Users still hooked to Microsoft's OS will be given XP driver support, however.

SSD support now expands to 32 GB, while the manager hinted at a possible 3G module that would either be attachable as a dongle or built-in to the final model. A separate version of the "English speaking countries" has been estimated to be available as soon as August, but that remains to be seen. Engadget, however, eyed the demo unit in perfect, near-completion condition and speculates that the ETA could become a near-distinct possibility.

EeePC 701 Specification

• Display： 7 inches
  
• CPU & Chipset: Intel mobile CPU and Intel chipset
• OS: Linux/ Microsoft Windows XP compatible
• Communication: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; 56K modem
• WLAN: WiFi 802.11b/g
• Graphic: Intel Unified Memory Architecture graphics solution
  
• Memory: 512MB, DDR2-400
• Storage: 4/ 8/ 16GB Flash
• Webcam: 300K-pixel video camera
• Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC; Built-in stereo speaker; Built-in microphone
• Battery Life: 3hrs (4 cells: 5200mAh, 2S2P)
• Dimension & Weight: 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1~3.5cm, 0.89kg

Blizzard Entertainment, as we previously reported, is planning to wreck havoc in the mobile arena. With a news like that, one's thoughts can't help but wonder if World of Warcraft (WoW) will ever appear on a handheld device. It sounds impossible at first but YouTube user viaarena123 has shown that it is actually very plausible.

The videos below show how the user was able to install WoW on OQO Model 2. The device was first shown during this year's Consumer Electronics Show back in January. Model 2 is actually a six-inch PC with a five-inch screen that runs either Windows XP or Vista.

Some of its technical features include 1.2 GHz or a 1.5 GHz processor, up to 1GB of RAM, up to a 60 GB hard drive, has Bluetooth 2.0, and tri-mode WiFi (802.11a/b/g).

WoW on OQO Model 2 Part 1

See the other video after the jump!

The Aero Glass interface is what Vista uses to implement the pretty animated transitions and clear windows when switching between applications. Now, this could also be the reason why Vista has been draining laptop batteries faster. When Aero isn't active, it's been said that the battery consumption is comparable (if not better) than Windows XP.

A technologist from Hewlett-Packard John Wozniak has spoken about the inherent problem of the system, saying "They've really made it complex from a power management standpoint. The potential is there to do some good things, the bad thing is that it comes with the canned settings... and we didn't like any of them." This is a pretty common reaction because even Lenovo has done the same thing with their laptops.

Microsoft is unfazed by this. They are actually encouraging PC companies to customize the power settings saying "We actively encourage (PC companies) to customize the default power profiles so that users get the most out of their hardware." in their statement about the current "power draining issues" of Vista. Now, we have to remember that Vista had been marketed as being more power efficient before, unfortunately a lot of people feel that this isn't true and want more from the OS.

A lot of other distinguished people have spoken on the current problem and how they are addressing it. If you want to read more, you can see the full article via our read link.

There has been talk that The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and Microsoft has teamed up to put Windows XP Starter Edition on the systems. It was inevitable that some people would have drawn this conclusion given the fact that Microsoft has joined the some 1,500 developers who will be working on this project; the company having access to the XO prototypes only added more fuel to the fire. However, all these rumors were debunked by the Software and Content president of OLPC Walter Bender.

Bender spoke to ars technica saying that "we are a free and open-source shop. We have no one from OLPC working with Microsoft on developing a Windows platform for the XO.  MS doesn't get any special treatment from OLPC." It's good that he clarified this because the program at its core has been about open source.

The program has really gotten a lot of attention, and rightly so. This US$ 100 laptop seeks to bring affordable systems to children around the world. The laptop features a 400Mhz AMD Geode processor and an SD slot. The project has been met with some skepticism but looks to be on its way.