Full version of Windows 7 on Samsung Netbooks? Maybe
Though Microsoft wants Netbook purveyors to pack future products with full versions of the new Windows 7 operating system, it's going to come down to pricing, as one Netbook maker, Samsung, confirmed.
(Credit:
Samsung)
TechRadar.com sat down with the head of global computer marketing from Samsung, Kyu Uhm, on Wednesday, where he discussed Samsung's development of Netbooks around the new features available in Windows 7. When asked about what versions of the OS the company plans to make available on its Netbooks, Uhm had this to say:
"Currently Microsoft provides Windows XP for Netbooks. For Windows 7 they would like to give us Windows 7 Starter Edition for Netbooks. That's the current plan. [Different versions are a] matter of how much we need to pay to Microsoft. It is an open issue. So we can ship other Windows 7 versions, but it is a matter of royalties."
Microsoft has been saying since before it showed off Windows 7 that it intends for the operating system to reach into the Netbook arena, a segment which Vista largely overshot due to its hefty memory and disk space needs.
The challenge, it appears, has more to do with pricing. Microsoft is offering all of its flavors of Windows 7 for use in Netbooks. The company has said it hopes more PC makers will choose the Home Premium version, but it is also making available a "starter edition" version. Previously, the stripped-down Starter version had only been used in emerging markets.
As Samsung's comments indicate, it appears PC makers' decisions will largely be a factor of just how much more Microsoft wants to charge for Home Premium vis-a-vis Starter.
CNET News' Ina Fried contributed to this story.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica. 
I'm not sure putting Home Ultimate makes sense though- a netbook won't have the hardware necessary to take advantage of Media Center in Ultimate. Home Basic would be more than enough. You don't need DVD recording if you don't have a DVD drive, for example.
Windows will need to get cheaper and cheaper due to people getting use to cheaper netbooks.
If you buy a netbook for $200 with Windows, then it might almost work out cheaper to do that and then put the OS onto a desktop or laptop as opposed to buying a seperate OS from Microsoft.
Also, netbooks with Linux/Android will just increase in capability making a full fledged Microsoft operating system irrelevant. Couple that with Cloud Computing, and I would be selling my Microsoft shares if I had some.
I install Vista on my laptop, but I can not resize the C drive to get more space.
I have to search for an alternative, I got Partition Master, it works perfect even I intall it under Win7, but no more free space, I'm considring upgrading the Sumsung.
I think Microsoft should *pay* Samsung to bundle this piece of crippleware into an otherwise perfect netbook.
Otherwise, Samsung should provide users with two options: Linux for $200, and Windows for $250, so people know exactly what they are paying for.
- by jabailo March 27, 2009 10:31 AM PDT
- I have a "full version" of Ubuntu on my new Dell mini 9...it's worth every penny of the $200 I spent (during one of Dell's specials).
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(9 Comments)Go Linux...Avoid the Noid.