The 15" laptop will probably come with Windows and therefore will require an investment in AV and similar software. Plus hassle of maintenance. The Eee runs Xandros IIRC and comes pre loaded with FF, Open Office etc. It's a quick boot and go device with lower maintenance costs. Over the life of the product I would expect that it's much cheaper.
Sure, you could load Ubuntu on your 15" laptop, but how many people actually do ? Very few in the general population. I certainly wouldn't feel that confident in doing so. But the Eee is preloaded, pre-formatted and <grits teeth> it should 'just work'. This could be where Linux really first penetrates the desktop.
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The 15" laptop will probably come with Windows and therefore will require an investment in AV and similar software. Plus hassle of maintenance. The Eee runs Xandros IIRC and comes pre loaded with FF, Open Office etc. It's a quick boot and go device with lower maintenance costs. Over the life of the product I would expect that it's much cheaper.
Sure, you could load Ubuntu on your 15" laptop, but how many people actually do ? Very few in the general population. I certainly wouldn't feel that confident in doing so. But the Eee is preloaded, pre-formatted and <grits teeth> it should 'just work'. This could be where Linux really first penetrates the desktop.