ASUS's blatant iBook clone

Just thought I'd announce ASUS's newest laptop, the SN5 series. http://usa.asus.com/products/notebook/s5series/s5200n/s5200n_overview.HTM

It's a blatant ripoff of Apple's iBook, without a doubt. Even the power switch looks the same. The only difference is that it's MUCH more expensive and not as powerful by far. And it doesn't even have an optical drive.

What do you think of the el-cheapo-crap-clone?

m1k said:

Just thought I'd announce ASUS's newest laptop, the SN5 series. http://usa.asus.com/products/notebook/s5series/s5200n/s5200n_overview.HTM

It's a blatant ripoff of Apple's iBook, without a doubt. Even the power switch looks the same. The only difference is that it's MUCH more expensive and not as powerful by far. And it doesn't even have an optical drive.

What do you think of the el-cheapo-crap-clone?

Click to expand...

HAHA, looks like someone photoshopped an iBook

Well, I guess they are just following an old marketing rule:
If you can't beat the best, imitate them, and you will earn the same money...

Unfortunately, this is a very bad imitation...

I hate to break it to you, but ASUS builds the Apple laptops. So it makes sense that one of their own would look like an Apple.

Smeggy said:

I hate to break it to you, but ASUS builds the Apple laptops. So it makes sense that one of their own would look like an Apple.

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wat u mean?

http://h50025.www5.hp.com/hpcom/sg_en/11_29_64_2892summary.html

now that really looks like an imitation..

Smeggy said:

I hate to break it to you, but ASUS builds the Apple laptops. So it makes sense that one of their own would look like an Apple.

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Aha...nice story...
Where did you find that rumor?!?

If that was the case, why aren't they able to put the optical drive inside?!? If they can do it on the iBooks they build (according to you), why can't they do it on their own model then? and sell it at a higher price than oh-so-expensive- Apple?

Sorry, but your comment doesn't make any realistic sense...

I doubt that rumour...

Asus and Apple have no history of cooperation that I know of, so this just doesn't fit...

I guess one of those obscure taiwanese factories makes apple's computers, just like the iPods that are made over there by some no-name factory to fit apple's specifications...

I bet if that laptop was black no one would call it an ibook clone.

Avalon said:

why can't they do it on their own model then?

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That asus laptop is more than 2lbs lighter than a 12in ibook, in order to be light you have to give up some things.

Like a decent OS, maybe? Even a retarded pineapple could build a better OS than the nice folks at Microsoft Development.

And no optical drive is a no-no, for a greater price than a PowerBook 12".

It has a crappy Intel integrated graphics controller...

Blah. If I was buying a PC laptop, it would be toshiba. Not Asus.

m1k said:

And no optical drive is a no-no, for a greater price than a PowerBook 12".

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It is a different class of laptop, it is a lot smaller and lighter, you can't really compare them.

If you don't like M$ you can always run linux.

mynameis said:

It is a different class of laptop, it is a lot smaller and lighter, you can't really compare them.

If you don't like M$ you can always run linux.

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nux looks scary..

It isn't if you use Mandrake, Fedora or SuSe. all very friendly versions of linux.

For the scary linux experience you'd want Gentoo Linux - it takes almost a day to compile if you don't get any problems

Anyway you can get Linux for the mac to play with (including gentoo infact)
They even have the gentoo linux portage system (very cool way to custom compile things to a system rather than installing) on Mac Os X

And maybe in the future the Asus clone could run PearPC...

It's not a rumor, its fact, almost!

No history of Apple dealing with ASUS?
Whats this? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/06/apple_ipod_supply/

As for iBooks, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) currently manufactures them, but ASUStek in June announced it plans on purchasing five of ECS' plants, one of which is a major notebook plant that produces, you guessed it, Apple iBooks.

missyvortex said:

It isn't if you use Mandrake, Fedora or SuSe. all very friendly versions of linux.

For the scary linux experience you'd want Gentoo Linux - it takes almost a day to compile if you don't get any problems

Anyway you can get Linux for the mac to play with (including gentoo infact)
They even have the gentoo linux portage system (very cool way to custom compile things to a system rather than installing) on Mac Os X

And maybe in the future the Asus clone could run PearPC...

Click to expand...

The days of tweaking are over for many users. Until Linux is truly FRIENDLY (ie. no compiling and crap required) it can't hold a candle next to OSX. The computer at this stage should be a tool, not a pet.

Well I think I like Linux because it takes the control back of my pc - It reminds me of the DOS days.

But I do concede that for Macs atleast Mac os x cant be beaten (until they get mac os 11), but if you are used to linux on your pc then it can be nice to have choice of that and mac os x.

For example openoffice is not yet native to mac os x - though you can run x11 in background to get it working. So for second hand ibooks that don't have appleworks with them, then openoffice under linux for mac is decent.

you say it is not as powerful - do you have ANY idea how fast the pentium M processors are? obviusly not. A pentium M 1.6 is about as fast as a p4 2.6-2.8 ghz CPU.

edit: cant read