With a tiling window manager it became perfect for me. But I think most general computer users would be utterly alienated with that Linux experience. For the windows experience to also be shitty doubtlessly hurt the product line as well, but I don't think that shitty windows experience was displacing a polished linux experience. I think ASUS was basically between a rock and a hard place.
Yes, hit that problem.
and afaik others too, to flood the market with more "practical" options than the XO, so the XO wouldn't take off in other parts of the world
can't have computer classes without having microsoft computer classes, after all. Gotta get em' while they are young.
https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-... https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17233946/olpcs-100-laptop...
Waiting for windows to boot on that thing is a real exercise in patience. The supplied Linux was OK but I'm pretty sure Debian boots on it without issue.
The real reason they became a toy was that people realised the keyboard is just too cramped for regular use. The 11" laptops that followed were a lot more sensible and not a lot more money.