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Linux Netbooks Answer in Troubled Economy
Posted by | Posted in IMHO | Posted on 15-01-2009
Nowadays it doesn’t matter who you are – times are tight. If you don’t have money, well, it is what it is. If you have money, you’re certainly careful before you part with it. But, people are still born and die – life goes on. And we still want new toys and technology. Sometimes it’s more than a “want”, it’s a “need”. All that being said, yes, people are still buying technology. But what are they buying?
Q4 2008 PC sales figures are the worst in five years (CNET) with zero growth overall. Acer overtook Apple for the #3 spot in the U.S. computer market (Apple Insider). So, what does that tell you about netbooks? Anybody will tell you the netbook market is growing and growing fast (ComputerWorld). Coming off of a honeymoon at CES (redOrbit), netbooks are now geared up to make their way to the business world as well (Information Week).
The price point for netbooks currently is in the sub $400 range. Several announcements have wireless providers teaming up with netbook manufacturers to even get that price point down further (See Dell and AT&T offer Inspiron Mini 9 for $99 and RadioShack Offers $99 Acer Netbook With AT&T). What now that the price of netbooks seems to be falling and driving prices down even further?
Business people know that it’s all about margin. And the simplest, easiest way to increase margin on a netbook is to cut out the operating system. That’s right – don’t pay Microsoft. Which means, don’t put on Windows XP and Vista isn’t even an option. This clearly is an opportunity to offer variations of Linux to the unwashed masses. Purists may hate it – having their beloved operating system now in use by mere mortals but, this could spark the Linux revolution that diehard fans have been waiting on. Those familiar with the OS know the stability, performance (especially important on the CPUs in this form factor) and ease of use that Linux offers.
The ramifications of this when it comes to support, accessories and software are enormous. Welcome Linux enthusiasts to a brave new world!
I agree with you that Linux definitely have an opportunity on netbooks! But for Linux to really succeed on the mainstream desktop, I think an app store like Apple did for their iPhone is crucial. This is why we developed allmyapps with a friend, to provide normal users with an easy and intuitive way to search, find and install new applications on their system. I thought you might want to give it a try… if you have any feedbacks, they are warmly welcome!
This article takes the OTHER perspective…
Windows 7 on Netbooks: Does Linux Stand a Chance?
A troubled economy will make 2009 a year of change. The economic changes will cause a paradigm shift in spending. Less expensive (cheap) is in vogue in ‘09.
The age of Linux and Android is upon us. Some good things are happening.