Wow. That's a really good price. However, those other notebooks are cheap to operate and very lightweight as well. The specs are better but the Dell is heavier -- and can't the XO run by hand crank? LOL -- I don't think the Dell has that. Don't get me wrong - given the choice - I'd pick the Dell - but still...the XO is a novelty it seems.

WOW... that seems like a really nice offer!... dual core?! 1gb ram?

Well, it's not exactly 399$ yet.....
[www.dell.com]

Starting Price $499
Instant Savings $70
Subtotal $429

holy bejeebus. nice.

Actually the price is already $399, just bought one. Here is the link:

[www.dell.com]

@Y2KGTP: You're on the wrong page buddy. [configure.us.dell.com]

@y2kgtp: nope, they're $399. follow the link in the article. click "buy now." $399.

@Y2KGTP:

Yeah I think ur on the wrong page.

Starting Price $709
Instant Savings $310
Subtotal $399

@Joseph:

Sweet! Thanks....too bad I just got the wife a compaq from bestbuy when it was on sale for 450$ from 600$.....

Now only if they can get those specs in the body of a eee.

Man, I can't wait for NutBastard to read this article... he loves when folks compare the ultra portable easy to use / open Linux OS ASUS EEE to the bargain basement laptops... forgetting the whole point is portability with ease of use / 12 second boot time / good battery life, etc.

He does it better... Nut?

A bigger display doesn't automatically make that particular specification superior. For those that want a cheap microlaptop, this Dell is just too big. If they wanted to impress me, they'd come out with a miniature computer with this same pricetag. So far, the only really small laptop they have is also very expensive (runs around and exceeds Macbook territory)

HEY GIZ!

FIFTEEN POINT FOUR INCHES IS NOT COMPETITION FOR THE EEE!

im not saying this isn't a great deal for a full size laptop - it's pretty tits - but the only comparison the to the Eee is the $399 tag. which is a promotional price, not an MSRP. this wont dent Eee sales, but it will dent full size laptop sales. (in the same way that a hummer price reduction doesn't affect the prius market)

@OldSchoolGadgetLover:
yeah im here motherfucker. i went easy on em, since im getting tired of saying it. they arent making a direct comparison, so it doesn't chap my ass quite as roughly as when some commentard chimes in with "the eee is gay sauce. you can get a [insert shitty laptop model] for like $200 more"

and for the record, it's just "nutbastard" all LC.

this is a great deal. Sadly wont make Asus go down to their original $199 estimate for Eee.

i think the title is what pissed me of here, "Dell matches Asus Eee and XO Laptop w/..."

How about "Dell matches price of Asus Eee and XO Laptop w/..."

thats the ONLY thing they match. Well, that plus, their face and my ass.

I never thought I'de own a Dell, but man, if they didn't just totaly out do the Eee. I think I'll wait some more, till tax season and see what happens. Maybe Toshiba is next.

Not to bust anyone's bubble, but right on the website it states "expires 11/26/07 or while supplies last". This is just their Black "Friday" deal, like the email they sent out said. This isn't going to last long.

Yeah, it's cheap but not really the same market as the Eee PC. This thing doesn't fit into the ultra-portable category. Definitely a machine that could be a users only computer, though.

@nutbastard: Thanks man. Do your friends just call you bastard?

Wow, thats a really nice deal.

... too bad its probly 3x the weight of the 2 lb eee.

Superior specs? You mean INFERIOR. The thing is a boat anchor and monstrous to boot. My Eee PC fits in my day-pack, while that thing needs a trailer to tow it along. The only thing equal is the price ... if you neglect the cost of chiropractic treatments after you carry it for a while.

Some friend of mine is in the market for a new laptop.
Now, if only these deals would make it to the Old World...
Seriously, with the dollar being what it is now, they're still matching price tags by glueing an € in place of the $. So sad. Makes ordering stuff in the US and buying an extra power cable more profitable than getting it from retailers around here.
Will they ever learn?

Isn't this the same price as that Amazon Kindle? Amazon may need to rethink thier pricepoint.

I'm glad folks have already said it, but anybody who thinks this is a competitor to the eee PC is missing the point of the device completely. It's portability combined with low cost combined with a flash hard drive. Just having a low cost device doesn't cut it. I can get a 17" Acer on special at Best Buy for $399 if it was solely about the size. We're talking portability/cost/simplicity/flexibility...

...now if Acer could only get that battery life to improve and make good on that 10" screen size.

It won't match the XO until I get TWO Vostro's for $399, and one of them goes to a kid in a developing nation.

Seriously, why am I correcting Gizmodo on this? You get TWO XO laptops for $399. You give one of them away.

But otherwise, good deal for the specs, as long as the machine doesn't brick itself too often.

@OldSchoolGadgetLover:
actually old high school friends call me nut. my meatspace name is Nat.

@devron:
unfortunately, bigger screen == more power draw == less battery life.

i too am holding out for the bigger screen, specifically a galaxy black Eee 1001

i also want to wait and see how the whole extra flash drive in the mini pci slot dealio works out.

@midtoad: someone's a little defensive about their tooooys

If its weight people are concerned about, sure the numbers are dynamic but honestly 7 billion people can carry some 20-30 lbs in their backpack no problem. To trek 20 miles/day. For 20 years.

That Dell's a sick deal. fuck the shitteee pc. It was a good concept that I drooled over when the price was sub $200 (I think $150), now I compare it to 2girls1cup

Did Dell obtain these laptops from the Medison factory? What is the hardware cost before adding in the OS tax? Is Microsoft working with Dell to undermine this wave of consumer Linux devices?

sweet!

I wish they offered this thing without Windows to shave even more off the final price.

I'd take one of these in a heartbeat.

It'd beat the pants off of my b130, but what couldn't?

@strider_mt2k:
you'll take one of everything in a heartbeat.

is there one new gadget that you DON'T like, strider? even just ONE?

Hypermemory != integrated memory. Please correct. It is just the same old integrated graphics. Still not bad, but if it had integrated memory it would be killer hot, as it is, well it is a very solid deal.

(Though not of course in the same class)

Yahh, totally agree with OldSchoolGadgetLover, nutbastard, Devron and everybody else on this one: They're not even remotely the same. I'd be interested in picking up something like this for a desktop replacement/central machine maybe (hope to be doing some travelling soon) -- and it's far too underspecc'ed for that, really -- but it could never replace my Eee. Which I've now had for just long enough, that you would _have_ to pry it out of my cold, dead hands....

@nutbastard: I'm pretty sure that Strider _doesn't_ want that fembot that slaps you for grabbing some robotic boobie....

@yasth: Oh I'm sure there's one out there somewhere... ;)

@strider_mt2k: Whoops, sorry I was replying to NatBustard

I'd definitely still go for a Eee PC. The Vostro weighs over 6lbs vs. 2 lbs for the Eee PC. I just want something simple that I can surf the internet with, do homework, and take notes in class. I also want it to be ultraportable so my shoulders won't hurt from lugging it around all day.

I have a queston about the Eee. Can we use flash-drives, extra storage (e.g. 500G external drive)?

If so, then I'm getting me a new laptop for Christmas.

ALSO, why do people say that SONY laptops are bad? Why are they so bad?

@SAIFDS: I wouldn't say Sony laptops are bad per se.
But at the premium you pay for the VAIO brand name, you may as well just get a Mac. I used to own a VAIO, and right after my 2 year warranty was up, it started falling apart. First the DVD-Rom drive, then the ethernet card, eventually the harddrive gave out. All within 6 months of the warranty running out. Bad luck, maybe, but not a chance I'll likely take again.

@saifds:

yes, the eee can use flash drives, external USB drives (it has 3 USB 2.0 ports) and SD cards. I've just ordered an 8GB SD card for my eee - plan is to dual boot Xandros on the internal SSD with Linux Mint on the SD card.

@Hvedhrungr:
yeah, i saw a 11" vaio at the sony style store on sunday, it was cool, but it was also $2300, 8-10 X the price of an Eee. It was not 8-10 times cooler. therefor it is FAIL.

Not content to let Linux-based laptops and bargain-basement boxes  steal all the thunder this holiday season, Dell (and by association, Microsoft) have struck back with a smattering of excellent deals.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ^^^^