14 DAY TRIAL // It hasn't been long since Microsoft launched Windows with Bing, a release identical with Windows 8.1 which comes with a twist.
The OS arrives with Bing as default search engine. The scheme is part of Microsoft’s grand plan of gaining more share in the mobile market. Windows with Bing costs less and allows device manufacturers to keep the costs of their end product low which is what more consumers want.
While so far this strategy is aimed mostly at the tablet market, which has been led so far by Android devices, Microsoft is no ignoring the laptop category.
And one particular category that really seems to be threatening Redmond’s position in the ecosystem are Chromebooks. Microsoft has been bashing them, calling them useless Internet devices, but we all know there’s a little more to Chromebook than that.
Apart from being cheap, portable and decent laptops, they also provide a safe and competent environment for you to do your daily tasks without much fuss being involved.
Deep down Microsoft appears to know this as well, so it has come up with a new strategy that aims to annihilate the competition, permanently.
Not so long ago, the tech giant announced super cheap Windows 8 light and portable notebooks are going to be making their way on the market just in time for the holiday season.
Microsoft talked about an upcoming Toshiba laptop which will be sold with an 11.6-inch screen and 32GB SSD.
As we wait on that, Clubic has noticed that one of the first Windows with Bing budget laptops has appeared on the website of a French retailer.
The device goes by the name ASUS Vivobook F200MA and its outer shell looks very similar to the Vivobook X200 laptop. The product sells for €250, which will probably translate into $250 when it hits the US shores.
The laptop is fitted with 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive at 5400 rpm. Other specifications include 1 USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI out, VGA, 3.5 audio jack, Gigabit Ethernet port, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Basically, the ASUS Vivobook F200MA is extremely akin spec-wise to a Chromebook. For example, earlier we detailed the Hexa Chromebook Pi which has the exact same screen size, resolution and processor but is coupled with 4GB of RAM instead of just two.
Microsoft’s assault on the Chromebooks has begun and it’s going to be a fierce battle!