Small is the New Chic
Small is beautiful again. This time, we're talking about computing devices.
The Asus Eee, due out this month, probably has as many fans in waiting as the Google Phone. Another product getting attention is the green-friendly minimalist PC from Zonbu. The common themes among these devices include low cost, small size, and an open source platform. Those of that have been watching as Linux tries to make headway on the desktop may be witnessing an end run around Microsoft. (This is not to dismiss Ubuntu's impressive work and success at getting more interest in desktop Linux.)
The Forbes reviewer was impressed with the Zonbu:
The folks at Zonbu, a tiny firm in Menlo Park, Calif., think they've produced the answer: a $99, 2-pound computer about the size of Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people )'s Mac mini. It comes preloaded with a modified version of the free Linux operating system and a set of basic applications, none of them from Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ). There's no power-gobbling microprocessor from Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) or AMD and no optical or hard drive, just 4 gigabytes of flash memory so you can store a few files locally. The bulk of your files are stashed on the Web, thanks to a deal Zonbu struck with Amazon's S3 online storage service.
Is a remotely controlled PC for the masses the answer to million-bot botnets enabled by poorly secured PCs?
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