So after the story of netbooks becoming a threat to Microsoft next week, another story has emerged via Lilputing that opposes it. No, Bill Gates hasn’t ordered the destruction of Linux, but Asus has decided to eliminate the Linux Eee PC option in the Philippines.

An Asus official has said that response to Linux in the country has been poor, so the company has decided to eliminate the option and make the Philippines a Microsoft mad nation, with all of Asus’ efforts from now on set to be put into Windows machines.

One of Asus’ original reasons for using Linux, like other manufacturers, was the extremely cheap cost of loading computers with them, but Microsoft – ever conscious of the market – is now offering discounted Windows XP licenses for netbooks and other “ultra low cost PC” makers. If this is a sign of things to come across the world, the story on netbooks threatening Microsoft’s profits may be made null and void quickly. But who would expect anything less of Microsoft than to quickly solve a problem?