Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 19th Jan 2009 19:07 UTC
One of the biggest problems when it comes to running Windows on netbooks has to do with the type of storage medium the cheaper models prefer: solid state drives. SSDs need to be treated differently from normal, mechanical hard drives because SSDs don't like small write and delete operations. For Windows 7, Microsoft promised performance improvements when using SSDs, so the guys and girls at TweakTown decided to do a preliminary benchmark between Windows Vista SP1 and the Windows 7 beta. The results are clear.
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RE[2]: Windows on the netbook?
by lemur2 on Tue 20th Jan 2009 03:40
in reply to "RE: Windows on the netbook?"
Member since:2007-02-17
"Who pays €40 for Windows on a netbook that cost less than €300?
No-one. Certainly not the OEMs anyway. I've heard rumor that, in some cases, Microsoft may even have payed some manufacturers to ship XP rather than Linux on their netbooks. True or not, they certainly aren't paying much for the old OS. "
That certainly matches with the behaviour of the OEMs. When netbooks first appeared, they had 7-inch screens, tiny keyboards, small SSDs, small batteries and a constrained version of Linux with an easy-to-use interface. Windows (any form) wasn't an option.
There was a customer desire for slightly bigger screens and keyboards, and to have an unconstrained version of Linux (with a full repository). What actually happened is that the netbooks got 9 or 10 inch screens and bigger keyboard and battery all-right, but they also got a hard disk, XP installed and no unconstrained version of Linux in sight. They also doubled in price.
In my country, one cannot buy a Linux netbook from retail stores. Dell Australia won't even bring a Linux netbook into the country. This is how much the local retailers are under the thumb of Microsoft.
RE[3]: Windows on the netbook?
by obsidian on Tue 20th Jan 2009 07:45
in reply to "RE[2]: Windows on the netbook?"
Member since:2007-05-12
(snip)
In my country, one cannot buy a Linux netbook from retail stores. Dell Australia won't even bring a Linux netbook into the country. This is how much the local retailers are under the thumb of Microsoft.
In my country, one cannot buy a Linux netbook from retail stores. Dell Australia won't even bring a Linux netbook into the country. This is how much the local retailers are under the thumb of Microsoft.
Ouch..... That's nasty.
I'm "across the ditch" in New Zealand and there is a reasonable selection of Linux netbooks here.
RE[3]: Windows on the netbook?
by Thom_Holwerda on Tue 20th Jan 2009 10:54
in reply to "RE[2]: Windows on the netbook?"
Member since:2005-06-29
In my country, one cannot buy a Linux netbook from retail stores. Dell Australia won't even bring a Linux netbook into the country. This is how much the local retailers are under the thumb of Microsoft.
Have you considered the possibility that the retailers might know a little better what their customers want than you do?
If they could sell Linux netbooks and make money, they would.
RE[3]: Windows on the netbook?
by 3rdalbum on Wed 21st Jan 2009 10:59
in reply to "RE[2]: Windows on the netbook?"
Member since:2008-05-26
lemur: Look in your local Officeworks. That's where I got my Acer Aspire One with Linpus. The Good Guys also have/had them. Unfortunately, the version of Linpus they have is so badly constrained that I had to install Ubuntu just to get a non-broken package manager.
If you're looking for anything except the Aspire One, you're out of luck. I wish Dell had the Ubuntu-based Mini.
Member since:
2005-07-01
No-one. Certainly not the OEMs anyway. I've heard rumor that, in some cases, Microsoft may even have payed some manufacturers to ship XP rather than Linux on their netbooks. True or not, they certainly aren't paying much for the old OS.