Asus halts Android netbook project

I'm still wondering what Microsoft did to make this happen. Did they buy off Asus or did the use strong-arm tactics? Considering that other vendors, including Acer, are moving ahead it really makes me believe that the "apology" for even daring to show such a system by the Asus CEO standing next to a Microsoft exec makes me think this really stinks.

I know a lot of people are solely blaming Microsoft for this, and I would agree they are mostly to blame, but there is another player in all this. It's Intel. I expect they are putting as much pressure as MS on the OEM's to not use a competitor's CPU. In many ways they have done just as nasty things as MS.

Gotta love all these titans of free enterprise.

cabreh: You may be right, but three MS execs were there with Asus. Intel wasn't there. Yes, Intel has an interest in stopping the ARM and MIPS based netbooks. OTOH, all evidence points to Microsoft exerting pressure on the manufacturers, something they have a long history of doing.

tuxchick: Yep. This is why I am writing so much about alternatives.

> Gotta love all these titans of free enterprise.

Aw, TC, it's just the corporate version of the golden rule. You know, he who has the gold makes the rules.

However, getting results like this takes lots of money. Fortunately for them, that's something Microsoft has plenty of, but for how long? Even they can't keep giving XP away and paying large sums of money to buy off vendors forever. It was just a few years ago that Microsoft had almost $50 billion in cash and investments on hand. Google says that's down to $25 billion now.

jdixon: I'd bet if you search for the info on Microsoft cash reserves on Bing you'll get a different result.

-ducks-

> ...you'll get a different result.

That wouldn't surprise me at all, Caitlyn.

Probably a link to order a digital download copy (docx of course) of their latest financial report for only $500, or a printed copy for only $1500 (plus shipping). :P