Asus Embed Linux OS Into All Motherboards

After being overwhelmed with good feedback from their customers, Asus are now planning to embed a lightweight version of Linux dubbed ‘Splashtop’ into all of their motherboards.

DeviceVM, the company behind the distribution, announced on Wednesday that the hardware manufacturer would be putting Splashtop (which Asus calls “Express Gate”) into more than a million motherboards a month. Joe Hsieh, General Manager of Asus said,

“In response to great user feedback, our plan is to proliferate Express Gate across our entire motherboard-product portfolio, starting with over one million motherboards per month…….

“Consumers want to turn their PCs on and off like any other appliance, and Express Gate has made that possible.”

Splashtop/Express gate is an instant-on “secure web-surfing environment” which can be booted in seconds as an alternative to a full operating system. Applications incorporated into Splashtop include a Firefox-derived browser and the popular Skype internet telephone application.

Splashtop first appeared on high-end Asus motherboards in October last year and was later added to the more mainstream M3 motherboards series. Splashtop will now be extended through the entire range of Asus motherboards.

Four new motherboards carrying Splashtop/Express Gate will appear this quarter: the P5Q Deluxe, P5Q-WS, P5Q3 Deluxe and P5Q-E.

DeviceVM hopes to have “numerous Splashtop-enabled motherboards, desktops and laptops available internationally in 2008″, the company said.