Comments on: Why Android (probably) won't work on Netbooks

Examining the short history of the unexpectedly popular Netbook market, it seems unlikely that Android will be able to gain a foothold.

[iPhoneUser]

When you're talking about sub $500 and even sub $300 netbooks, price is the largest factor. Period. Ok, there is a small percentage concerned with other items, but price is king for netbooks. The next factor I'd say is functionality with all my other devices. As long as the netbook could behave well with my Mac at home, my PC at work, my iPhone, iPod, and any other devices, then I could care less what OS is on it.

People that are tethered to Windows because "they're familiar with it" are going to get passed up in the cloud computing era. Learning a new OS is not difficult these days - my 59 year old dad and 55 yr old mom both bought Macs over a year ago, took no classes, and don't have any real issues with using them. They had been Windows users their whole lives, since the MS-DOS days.

Google is arguably as recognizable a name as Microsoft these days, it will just take a little time for the general public to understand that Google does more than a search engine. Their products seem to work as advertised, and you can't beat their prices! I welcome a stripped down, open source OS for devices like a netbook.

My only question is why has Microsoft not attempted to come up with an open source OS? Still sell Windows (corporate markets, etc) just offer a stripped down version for netbooks and laptops...??

[jrlii]

Recently, at work I was "upgraded" to Office 2007, in order to have a version of Outlook approved for use on our network, because the web interface for Exchange really, REALLY stinks.

All of a sudden I didn't know how to use Word or Excel. The user interface was so foreign I downloaded Open Office 3.0 and now what writing and spread-sheet work (I'm a programmer, I don't do a lot of people readable stuff) I do is all in Open Office.

How is this germane to Android on netbooks? As Microsoft alienates users, more and more are going to be looking elsewhere.

As for me, I have been wanting a netbook, and haven't been able to find one locally with Linux. I think Gnome is a much, MUCH better desktop environment than Vista's is, never mind XP's, and gives OSX a run for its money, at least once everything is set up.

What I want to know, why are OEMs allowed to insist that I pay for an inferior operating system sold by a convicted monopolist, when all I want is their hardware?

"Microsoft delenda est!"

[akravets]

I think the author has limited knowledge about Linux and this is dangerous because people who are not well versed in technology might just write off Linux as inferior OS.

I agree with pizzapanther on the issue of Mac OS X. This OS is less than 10 years old and has gained tremendous popularity, mainly because of great marketing support mind you. Linux does not have this luxury, yet. My dad had an old Mac that needed to be replaced by a faster machine. Instead of spending upwards of $1000 on a new Mac I convinced him to get a Dell at half the price, installed Ubuntu on it (with XP on other partition) and he totally loves it.

An argument that Linux is inferior because of need for a command line is weak, please try out Ubuntu first and then come up with a better argument.

On the issue of porting Android (Linux) to other devices. Not too while ago I purchased Lenovo S10 netbook, it obviously came with XP so I naturally install Ubuntu (even changed the sticker :) ). I liked the Ubuntu on netbook very much but having only 512 MB it was a bit slow. Well, what do you know, Ubuntu has a Ubuntu Remix distro made just for netbooks, I tried it and it works great. Even UI is tailored for netbooks.

So, all this talk about Android not making it onto notebooks is nonsense - it will be ported if there is a need for it. And please, don't post information that is not accurate, higher better authors.

[rkimmitt]

The "crippled" version of Windows 7 that will ship with most netbooks (probably later this year) will ultimately frustrate most users. And price-sensitive netbook buyers will be angered by the need to pay more for a fully usable version of the operating system. Microsoft's marketing strategy could end up driving netbook buyers towards Android or some other Linux-based alternative. I've now owned 3 netbooks, and price was sure a factor in my purchasing decisions.

[JimCallahan]

The Android interface can be configured to resemble an iPhone -- people use iPhones and iPods don't they? Some of the commenters have not seen the Android demo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJHYqE0RDg&feature=channel_page#


Google will have choice of browsers including their Google Chrome, Firefox or an Android browser based on Webkit. With a browser, Google Mail and Google Maps are available. So is Google Chat which now has plug-ins for voice and video chat.

So, even without Skype, Google alone has enough software to provide voice and video chat.

As for Office apps, even without Open Office, Android users can use Google Docs.

As for music,
"music recognition firm Shazam has announced a version for Google?s Android platform. There are differences though - the biggest being the fact that the Android version (naturally) doesn?t connect to the iTunes Store. * * * However, it has a similar feature, integrating instead with Amazon?s MP3 Store - itself available as a preloaded Android application. Shazam also links in with MySpace for Android allowing users to ?connect with artists?."

So the key question is how well Android works with WiFi and cellular providers. Since it was designed for mobile phones Android should play well with cell phone providers.

Given e-mail, chat voice, video, music, Google Docs and Google Maps, I would not write-off Android on Netbook platforms.

Jim Callahan
Orlando, FL

[cmcenearney]

Microsoft's days are numbered. The fact that they've been able to maintain dominance of the market with inferior products, in an information age no less, for so long is one of the greatest feats of marketing in human history. Users are wising up. Linux learning curve? My microwave is harder to learn.

[PtMx]

Your questions: Can a non-Windows OS win over Netbook users?

Apple has specialized versions of OS X for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and AppleTV - running with effective interfaces on similar or low powered hardware.

If the NetBooks become a enduring feature of the market, and Apple does not jump in at the hardware end - I believe we might see a low cost OS X version with a small screen interface, periodic fee based updates (like the touch), iTunes integration, and access to the AppStore. That product would challenge Microsoft.

[beej90]

As bad as i hate to say it, i don't think Linux has a shot on Netbooks. As much as i like Linux, there is no way the non technical minded people can use it. The only way i think you will see another easy to use OS on a Netbook is if Apple decides to release one with OS X on it. This is what i am personally holding out for.

[ofmyony]

I think netbooks need something like Android. Window XP is to complex and hard to see on the smaller screen. Netbooks need a icon based operating system like the Iphone or Android. Trying to run a desktop os on such a small screen is to cramped.

I think netbooks are great they just need to evolve.

Laffs Windows just works!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA What a joke. I am a Microsoft Certified Professional and I would have never made a comment like that. Yes it just works if you can keep the malware and virus's off of it. Jeez I wonder how much M$ paid that person to make that statement.
I use both Ubuntu on my Toshiba Laptop and Debian 5 on a workstation here at the office and and for every problem I have with my Windows box I have zero problems with those two machines. Ubuntu is getting so much better with each release that I feel more and more vendors should start developing more software for it.
I think Android will be a great little program for net books, just needs a bit of polish. It will blow M$ clean out of the water!

[topgun966]

Heh wow you dont read do you? The point is yes, Linux will run Firefox and Openoffice no problem. However when you start getting into other programs, theres a problem. Also, troubleshooting is a lot easier on Windows. Don't get me wrong a I am a Linux guy. I run tons of Linux servers. But as a everyday desktop, Windows just runs better.

[Forked_Tongue]

What has hurt linux on these machines is the crappy simple interface instead of the full interface you see on most distros. Most of these machines initially when it came out of the box would not allow a person read/write to other media, would not allow a person to uninstall programs, and in some cases (Asus 900A) was so poorly implemented it crashed out of the box (4GB ssd and couldn't download the first set of updates because it ran out of space!). Linux is resilient, give people the full interface just make certain all the drivers work out of the box, give them a gig plus of ram so they can multi-task, and choose an appropriate distribution for the hard drive you put into it or have a dual boot option (they should have put some version of Slax, or tinier versions of Debian like damn small linux, or even puppy on the 4GB ssd or the 512mb ram models for example). What will impress people is simply the presentation, if they put a lightening quick version of linux on these netbooks it would help in the satisfaction of the purchase, just make certain the browser is configured to be able to view the popular sites such as youtube, hulu, yahoo, cnet video, etc or else it will lead to returns.

I think another thing that will help this out is MS idiocy of restricting Windows 7 netbook version to three multitasks while being used on the netbook, if they really intend to do this it may cause an even greater adoption to linux. Netbooks will be more powerful (I think Via will open the initial door and force Intel to up the amount of memory and improve the graphics for example) in the future, as competition to the bottom escalates one of them will introduce a dual core, more ram, or better integrated graphics at this entry price point, when they do then all the companies will have to just to keep up. I think we haven't seen how this will turn out, I can see people accept and expect to see different things on a netbook when so much of future will reside in the cloud, but that doesn't mean people don't want bragging rights, to get the speed and eye candy what will separate the products with the same hardware won't be MS offerings, it will be linux and what is matched with the hardware.

[gerrrg]

It's a netbook, not a notebook...but that's lost on most people wanting to use the netbooks as notebooks.

[tvphil]

Windows is a swiss cheese operating system......it's full of holes and it stinks! Windows is more secure? Really? That's why every time you start it up, it has to scan for viruses, spyware, malware and other crap for 10 minutes. Meanwhile your ram is being sucked to nearly nothing by the virus scan and you can't do more than email until it's done. This is life with Windows on a netbook. Linux is leaner and for the average user, is free of viruses. I use Ubuntu Linux and it's very user friendly and driver friendly. Linux does have some maturing left to do in general.For example, Linux is still in search of a video editing software app that works for HD video. However, for a netbook, it's the best OS.

[FH1042]

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[t8]

For me Netbooks are device that operates in a different and more futuristic paradigm. They are not so much about software accessing proprietary API's as it is about running a browser and running Web Apps which run on any browser and are getting richer by the day.

The fact is that there hasn't been a great hit on Windows for years, yet the Web offers services that are valued at billions of dollars and they seem to appear every month. And if you miss old style Windows programs, well they too will run on the Web. I can play Quake on a browser today and it seems that Moores Law in hardware coupled with the advancing Web, will make PCs look like the old Brick Cell phones of the 80s.

In this scenario the browser is the OS and they are simple and most people are familiar with them. I don't care about having Paint Brush, Wordpad, and Excel, because I have the Web. And besides Windows is still too confusing for many, and when they get a virus, the don't know what to do.

[obvio-capitao]

One of the main advantages of Linux in the first generation of netbooks was price.

A $100 difference in a $300 product was enough to make people buy Linux instead of Windows.

And Linux won the first netbook battle.

Then, Microsoft cut the price of XP to $25, and manufacturers started to adopt it. For a $25-$50 difference, people don't bother to learn something new.

And Microsoft won the second netbook battle.

Now we're about to see the third netbook battle.

Linux/ARM netbooks will not only be cheaper than Wintel, but will also offer a huge differentiation factor: longer battery life -- 15 hours or more.

This will be a decisive battle in the netbook war.

[tipoo_]

I dont know about Android, but i for one would LOVE an ARM based netbook with some Linux distribution on it. Netbooks are supposed to be cheap, have great battery life, and be lightweight. With an ARM processor you could acheive all of those, although you wouldnt be able to run some programs. But hey, its called a NETbook for a reason.

[never74]

Here?s what I?ve gleaned from this article and all of your comments; kind of a big-picture overview. . .
Linux, and Linux based operating systems like android, scare the heck out of the uninitiated. They look different, feel foreign, and require a bit of a learning curve to get used to. For some, that learning curve is small, for others its insurmountable (bear in mind, I work with folks that use XP every day and still have problems doing simple things like connecting to a network printer). But, Windows 7 has the same freakout factor. I remember migrating from Windows NT 4.0 to XP years ago, and the ensuing melee that occurred as a result. People don?t like change. But, they get over it quickly when presented with no other option (this is part of Microsoft?s overall marketing technique, is it not?) The fact is, when shipped with the proper software apps, Linux based Netbooks can run Windows apps, run faster, are more secure, and can be more user-friendly.
But what about the learning curve issue? Well, XP is going to be taken away from us anyway. And, and stated here by Dan in the article, Microsoft is hoping that Windows 7 will be the netbook OS champ.
Here?s how I think the debate can be closed. CNET needs to try this test as a prize fight. . .
Gather ten people who use XP on a daily basis, but feel they have bad cases of Logizomechanophobia. Obtain three netbooks of the same hardware configuration. Wipe them clean, and then install XP, Ubuntu, and Windows 7 on each respectfully. Have the individuals use the XP netbook for a week with no tech support. At the end of the week, swap out the netbooks for the Windows 7 devices. The following week, have them use the Ubuntu netbook. At the end of three weeks, ask the group which device they liked the most and which they would be happy to use on a daily basis. Then take away the XP machine and tell them they can?t have it anymore (Microsoft will do this with the release of Windows 7). Now, ask again. I?ll put down one year of my ridiculous salary that Ubuntu wins all three times.
Windows 7 may be great for netbooks, but it too looks and feels different than XP. On an even playing field, in terms of form and function, Windows 7 will still be clunckier, less secure, and just as ?complicated to use? as Linux based machines. But, the Linux machines will cost less, be cheaper to maintain, more worry free, and come with more useful applications pre-installed.

[never74]

Edited. . .

Here?s what I?ve gleaned from this article and all of your comments; kind of a big-picture overview. . .

Linux, and Linux based operating systems like android, scare the heck out of the uninitiated. They look different, feel foreign, and require a bit of a learning curve to get used to. For some, that learning curve is small, for others its insurmountable (bear in mind, I work with folks that use XP every day and still have problems doing simple things like connecting to a network printer). But, Windows 7 has the same freakout factor. I remember migrating from Windows NT 4.0 to XP years ago, and the ensuing melee that occurred as a result. People don?t like change. But, they get over it quickly when presented with no other option (this is part of Microsoft?s overall marketing technique, is it not?) The fact is, when shipped with the proper software apps, Linux based Netbooks can run Windows apps, run faster, are more secure, and can be more user-friendly.

But what about the learning curve issue? Well, XP is going to be taken away from us anyway. And, as stated here by Dan in the article, Microsoft is hoping that Windows 7 will be their netbook OS champ.

Here?s how I think the debate can be closed. CNET needs to try this test as one of their prize fights. . .

Gather ten people who use XP on a daily basis, but feel they have bad cases of Logizomechanophobia. Obtain three netbooks of the same hardware configuration. Wipe them clean, and then install XP, Ubuntu, and Windows 7 on each respectively. Have the individuals use the XP netbook for a week with no tech support. At the end of the week, swap out the netbooks for the Windows 7 devices. The following week, have them use the Ubuntu netbook. At the end of three weeks, ask the group which device they liked the most and which they would be happy to use on a daily basis. Then take away the XP machine and tell them they can?t have it anymore (Microsoft will do this with the release of Windows 7). Now, ask again. I?ll put down one year of my ridiculous salary that Ubuntu wins in all cases.

Windows 7 may be great for netbooks, but it too looks and feels different than XP. Think about how many people went nuts when Vista came out! How many enterprise IT folks fell to their knees and shouted to the heavens, ?give me back my XP!? Why was that? On an even playing field, in terms of form and function, Windows 7 will still be clunckier, less secure, and just as ?complicated to use? as Linux based machines. But, the Linux machines will cost less, be cheaper to maintain, more worry free, and come with more useful applications pre-installed.