On Wed, 29 Apr 2009, Tom Carrollton wrote:
Are Linux netbooks becoming extinct?
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/24700/1231/
I'll admit the Asus EEE 901 Xandros Linux I bought demonstrated a
stunning lack of understanding on the part of Asus...
It attempted to look very very very cutesy and windowsy... resulting in
something that had neither the advantages of being windows nor the
power of Linux.
It's now running standard Ubuntu Jaunty.
Much better.
I too couldn't find a "meatspace" dealer for the Linux edition,
eventually going to an online dealer in Auckland.
The package arrived having been used as a rugby ball by the courier
and then left on my doorstep in the rain.
Anyhoo, that rant aside.
I deeply suspect dodgy dealings with OEM's and distributors. I
cannot believe windows has captured the Laptop market 100%. Even if they
had, there must be people with a valid copy of windows that have
dropped their old laptop under a bus. ie. You should be able to buy a
laptop without windows from a meatspace dealer in Chch, but you
can't. Not at all. Believe me, I have tried very very hard.
I suspect these dodgy dealings are doubly afoot with 'netbooks.
It may come back to bite them, in that people might start asking why
they are paying so much for windows on a desk top when it is nearly
free on a netbook...
The other area that may save Linux on the netbook is the arrival of
very low cost, high powered, high battery life Arm CPU based netbooks.
John Carter
