"While the Linux option may seem quirky and non-standard to
users accustomed to running Windows, opting for Linux does have
some advantages. First, there is the aforementioned boot speed;
even accounting for the SSD drive, Linux Linpus Lite boots much
faster than Windows XP. Versions of the Aspire One pre-installed
with Linux also tend to be a bit less expensive (about $20-$30)
than versions installed with Windows. Microsoft has had some
success in painting the price differential between PCs running
Windows and the Apple's Macintosh computers as an "Apple tax", but
Linux devotees could arguably make the same claim here: isn't
paying more for a netbook running Windows essentially a "Microsoft
tax"?"