Windows 7 Prepared to Replace Linux on Netbooks in 2009
By Wilson • Dec 23rd, 2008 • Category: NetbooksMicrosoft has dominated the desktop world via its user friendly Windows operating systems, but it is actually taking Linux seriously now as far as netbooks are concerned. This is because the low cost netbooks, which are very popular nowadays, require a light, low cost operating system, which can run smoothly on a low configuration. The low cost netbooks are optimised for basic computing and not for hardcore gaming and similar tasks. As a result, it’s necessary to run such machines on an operating system that does not demand too much system’s resources.
Microsoft is now seriously concerned about this because Windows Vista demands a high speed processor, good graphic cards and gigabytes of RAM. Sp accordingly it is not successful on netbooks. Windows XP, however, is faster on netbooks but still it’s not as much efficient as Linux OS. This is the reason why Acer and Asustek, which account for 90% of the netbook market with popular models like the Asus Eee PC 901 20G Linux, are using Linux on about 30% of their low-cost notebooks. So Microsoft has optimised its new operating system, called Windows 7, to work seamlessly with netbooks.
Windows 7 is expected to get launched sometime in 2009. The company has put extra effort to make this new OS interactive and light in terms of system’s memory and CPU usage, without sacrificing the user friendly interface. Now, 2009 will tell us up to what extent Windows 7 will be able to replace Linux on netbooks.
Tags for this article: netbook, netbooks, acer
The prices for some Netbook may end up being too low for Windows 7. For example, if the price of the netbook is $100, how much can Microsoft charge for a Windows 7 license? $5? The low cost machines will probably always have to run Linux or perhaps Android.
Since Windows 7 is essentially an “improved” Vista, I suspect it will always need beefier hardware to run than Linux/Android. The higher hardware cost AND the Windows 7 license could end up making the lower cost Linux/Android machines that much more attractive.
I might be a bit biased here… since i do run a Linux support site… but from what I’ve seen of the NT6 kernel in Vista… I pretty much fell out of my chair laughing at the idea of even a modified version of that kernel and it’s supporting systems ever being paired down, or cleaned up, to the point of being usable on a system with the performance of an Athlon4 from 2000 and memory counts under 1gig.
The fact is, the Windows 7 release put out… what? a month ago? was little more than Vista Service Pack 2. Microsoft’s fooling nobody this time around.
Oh Boy! ANOTHER Windows bandage bundle?? Woo woo!
Linux is great, but still has to realize that Not ALL of us have the ability to sit around strokin’ code!! I NEEDS to become way more user friendly!! And fast.
Not that Windows on any level is deemed as ‘competition’