The netbook craze has created a lot of netbooks that have Windows and Linux versions. This, naturally, creates something or a pricing issue, since Linux is free and Windows is not. The most obvious option is to make the Linux one cheaper, but that is not what Asus, and possibly others, have decided to do. Both Asus’s Eee Box and Eee PCs instead have additional resources in the Linux version.

I can understand the logic: don’t confuse the customers with different prices, while recognizing that Linux is less expensive. In fact, the way Asus did it in the Eee PC, where the Linux version has additional storage, makes a lot of sense. Perhaps not quite as much as just making it cheaper, but that is their decision.

What I don’t understand is the plan for their Eee Box. With the Eee Box, the Linux version comes with 2GB of RAM instead of one. The thing is that 1GB is plenty for Linux. Vista might need it, but most Linux users do not. Putting in a faster processor or a larger hard drive would make more sense.

I don’t mean to attack the Eee Box in any way. I simply want to point out the lack of logic in putting more resources in the one that needs less.