At Asus’s official pre-launch event, I had the opportunity to have a quick chat with Lars Schweden. My original 10q-Interview was soon ripped up completely and replaced by the “chatlog” below - Lars is truly a refreshing exception from the average, dull-minded project manager! Read on for loads of interesting information on the future of Asus eee lineup:
Dear Lars, please tell us a bit more about who you are!
First of all, hello to all TamsXXX readers. I - Lars - am the product manager for mobile computing. Mobile computing means notebooks, handhelds, and - last but not least - the new eeePC.
Let’s get down to the eeePC immediately…specifically, to its small 7′ screen. Many reviewers have complained about this…what happened to the 10′ version that leaked along the 7′ one?
Based on today’s information, all future products are still under NDA. Keep in mind that we start selling the eee in Germany/Austria tomorrow…so I unfortunately can’t say much here.
However, I can say that we have an eeePC roadmap full of interesting new devices…but as said..that’s all I can say.
Is a touchscreen version planned? A few web sites have already leaked info here.
My answer is very similar to the previous one. I think that this idea is currently being discussed and could very well be in a future product!
Can’t you just give us a few hints on what’s coming next? An integrated phone? A faster CPU(seeing that the one currently in is underclocked)?
I am sorry…I really can’t say anything here atm. But - I can promise you that we will see a load of new, cool models in the eee family sooner or later!
Why is the processor underclocked to approx 650MHZ from the advertised 900(FSB at 70 rather than 100MhZ)?
This is a matter of battery runtime. Testing has determined that this frequency gives customers the best ratio between performance and battery runtime. The underclocking you talk about has increased battery life by approx. 10%.
But why is the machine being advertised as 900MHZ?
First of all…the eee has never been advertised with a specific frequency. We just claim that a “power-saving Intel CPU” is in the machine.
When talking about the eeePC, our main topic is how easy it is to use - detailed hardware specifications are not part of that…
How will the eee lineup become a part of Asus’s strategic portfolio?
I think that the device is already part of the portfolio. We hope that the eee will help us further the market reach of Asus here in Germany/Austria and the rest of the world.
Keep in mind that we have over 1000 engineers working on the eee project - I am sure that the eee family will become a very important part of our future lineup!
Hmm…I actually meant if the eee will be ‘integrated’ into the existing portfolio. E.G., by allowing Asus notebooks to sync data with an eee sort of like Palm’s Hotsync.
All I can say is that we think about ways how to interlink Asus’s different business departments in order to make the products work together better in the future.
How does easy to use/easy to play/… blend in with commercial software. Does Asus plan to create some sort of MicroISV community around the eeePC selling shareware applications developed specifically for it?
At the moment, we want to target first-time buyers(children, housewives,…). We were very surprised to see that Linux freaks and especially business customers were very interested in the eeePC. Thus; we of course have to think about a way to offer them more value - but as much in the interview, this has not been finalized as of now.
You mentioned that you were surprised by the amount of Linux users adopting the device(Lars smiles) - what is your position towards homebrew solutions for his eee(e.g. if someone integrates a HDD instead of the flash SSD)
From my personal point of view, I am very proud to see what currently happens and how well the Asus eeePC is accepted. I am especially proud about all the hype that currently surrounds the eeePC…we have web sites giving step-by-step update procedures.
Additionally, please keep in mind that the eeePC is the first product ever in Asus’s history where we openly support Linux. This still is a new area for us, so expect more to happen here.
Of course, our strategic partner Microsoft is also very interested in the eeePC - it is very possible that we will see eee’s running Windows sooner or later!
OK…but does Asus actually support homebrew guys by giving them access to schematics,.. of the device to aid them in hacking?
We don’t do this currently, but are evaluating this option. In Taiwan, we currently do a survey about eeePC first experiences. This feedback will be used to see what we can do to improve eeePC support in the future. Based on my current information, however, the eeePC hackers figured it all out by themselves…
Do you have an eeePC yourself?
Yes - I have one of the first samples that arrived in Germany. My family and friends are very impressed about it and keep bugging me if I can get them one…
Did you mod your eeePC already
Not yet, no :).
The unit’s price is very close to PDA’s. Do you feel that the eeePC can compete with classic PDA’s
Personally, I don’t think that the eeePC should compete with PDA’s or other handhelds. Yes, the prices are similar - but that would be comparing apples and oranges. A person who buys a PDA usually has experiences on a PC, whereas the eeePC is targeted at first-time buyers.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Well - one last thing I want to highlight once again(slide below; kein is German for not):
For us, the eeePC is NOT a notebook. Even if you offer a laptop for 300€, it is not comparable to the eeePC - the eeePC is much lighter and easier to use. It IMHO cannot and should not be compared with laptops - compare the user interfaces and you’ll see what I mean!
