ASUS Eee PC Face-Off: Windows XP vs. Xandros Linux

ASUS shook up the mobile computing world with theEee PC, the pioneering mini-notebook that inspired manufacturers across the board to jump onto the lightweight, low-costlaptop bandwagon. Theinitial modelswere powered by a tweaked version of the Xandros Linux operating system, but now ASUS is offeringWindows XP on the Eee PC--at the same $399 price tag as the Linux version.

With the Eee PC available in two distinctive flavors, potential purchasers have a tough decision to make: Linux or Windows? Both operating systems have their pros and cons on this hardware, so we pit them head to head in an eight-round brawl to see which version of the Eee PC comes out on top. It's a potential OS war the likes of which haven't been seen sinceMac OS X vs. Windows Vista. Let's get ready to rumble!

	ASUS N43SL The unusual design of the ASUS N43SL Jay Chou Special Edition isn't for everyone, but it offers better graphics performance and audio quality than the
	ASUS Zenbook UX31 The ASUS Zenbook UX31 is a gorgeous Ultrabook that offers snappy performance and strong audio.
	ASUS U46SV The 14-inch ASUS U46SV offers good graphics performance and long battery life in an attractive design, but the ergonomics could be better.

Interface

Productivity

Performance

Peripherals

Multimedia

Adding Applications

Boot and Shutdown Times

Battery Life

The Verdict