Microsoft Working on Windows 7 for Netbooks
Microsoft and Google are set for another rivalry, this time in the netbook market.
According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the Redmond, WA software giant is engineering a version of its upcoming Windows 7 operating system specifically for netbooks.
During an investment meeting, Ballmer noted that the netbook sector is one of healthy growth for Microsoft, and that Windows is on approximately 90 percent of netbooks today. "We made a strategy a year ago that said, we will have high market share on netbooks," said Ballmer. "We priced to have high market share on netbooks. We did the marketing work to have a high market share on netbooks... we're now I think over 90 percent attach rate against netbooks, which I'm very excited about."
So what of Windows 7 on the netbook? Microsoft has already said, and many have already proved, that the upcoming Microsoft OS can run on current netbook hardware without major issues. In fact, the Win7 beta takes to netbook hardware much better than it's older brother Vista. As far as a netbook-specific version of Windows 7 is concerned, Steve Ballmer believes there will be a Windows 7 tailored for netbooks. "We have a real opportunity given that Windows 7 fits on netbooks, to think about having a special netbook edition," said Ballmer.
However, Ballmer stressed that consumers should be able to upgrade to a higher version of Windows 7 if they so desire. "Maybe somebody will want home, or maybe somebody will want the business edition of Windows 7 on a netbook. I want to make sure we facilitate letting the OEM or end customer, trade up if they want to trade up."
Many have speculated that Windows 7 Starter or Basic would be the option of choice for netbooks. However, those versions are strictly for emerging markets, and the possibility that Windows 7 Basic may start at $200, is already startling. Furthermore, Microsoft needs a light and inexpensive version of Windows 7 that can compete with Google's Android OS if it makes its way onto netbooks (which it will), and the two lowest tiers of 7 will likely be underdeveloped when compared to Android. Over the next year and beyond, the netbook sector will become a battleground, Windows 7 versus Android, and Microsoft looks like it's gearing up for battle.
For a transcript of the entire investor meeting, follow the link.
either way i hope linux will become more widely used
Because truely only 'nerds' can utilize linux properly to make it a rival for windows. Normal, ignorant, users don't have the knowledge, and rely on windows because that's what everybody else knows, and can help them with.
And Linux will never catch up. Never. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. It's open source: free. Companies are built to do one thing: make money. The money will stay with Microsoft and that's what will be developed for and supported. It's a circular loop. If Microsoft and Windows are finally toppled, it won't be by Linux. And it won't be any time soon, and not without dramatic changes in the marketplace.
imo the only way windows can truely be replaced is if something along the lines of flash and silverlight one day start working as intended. Once any given piece of software only needs to conform to a single standard (a given runtime version of a framework), and the standard is installable on any given platform (read : opensource), then, and only then can windows be replaced.
In english - once you can run your Quake 6 via a sandbox in a future java at the same speed on CentOS7, OSXII, Windows 9, and still run inventor 2014 as well, printing to any printer using a modern evquivalent of the ancient postscript language. Only then can you replace windows. And it still requires that it can be done without modifying the standard setup of that java install (or silverlight, flash etc).
In short - it won't happen as long as applications/binaries are platform bound.
I was using a Centos 5.2 yesterday in fact. But I gave up trying to make the dhcp server work as I wanted around noon, after trying various things suggested on pages found via google, and using the examples in the man pages to no avail.
Also I did implement installing two (different) linux distro's via the wds systems that I am maintaining. So I do in fact have experience with linux. I don't consider myself an expert on it though. I choose to ignore everything between redhat 5.2 (when changing from some alpha's with unix) and present as linux can't do anything a windows server can't do easier.
And I'm afraid if I don't manage to make that damn centos system do as I want next time I'm in that city (next week some time), I'll end up paying another windows 2008 server license and build a proper isa server instead of that stupid centos system. I'm sure linux is fine once you know every little detail. But I just want the stuff to work, and that's where microsoft scores points.
And for me user friendly includes stuff working the first time, and your clipboard not being wiped just because you have to kill a process and start it again....
I work IT in a company with roughly 500 employees and approximetly 11.000 students (not all there at once ofc). I only know one person there that uses his netbook for anything work or education related. More or less everyone I know who has one uses it as a better mp3 player for his livingroom or as a tool to hold naval maps etc for their boat trips (most of our employees are 'old' and have assets like boats).