Samsung exec talks Windows 7 options on future netbooks
By Donald Melanson 
posted Mar 25th 2009 1:07PM
posted Mar 25th 2009 1:07PM
We've already heard that HP will likely be offering more than just the stripped-down Starter version of Windows 7 on its future laptops, and it now looks like Samsung could be set to do the same. According to TechRadar, Samsung's Head of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for the computing division, Kyu Uhm, says that the company would like to include higher-end versions of Windows 7 on its future netbooks, but that depends on how much it has to pay Microsoft in royalties. In related news, Samsung's European Product Manager Patrick Pavel also said that the launch of Windows 7 would likely spell the end of Linux as an option for its netbooks, although he says Samsung would still consider a Linux netbook if users demanded it, adding that Linux netbooks "made a certain community very happy."
Samsung FTW
What's the fuzz with having Windows 7 Starter Edition? I mean if you get a strip down Linux version it won't be capable of doing what a fully feature Linux versions could do. The same with Windows 7 Starter, it's only to be used for low end systems.
actually moblin v2 ... should work quite well and is actually a real distro with intel behind it booting in 5 sec from SSD and having a real desktop instead of the big icon crap
& ran great on my gf's Lenovo S10. I still have it installed there as here main OS. Can't wait for the official version.
I meant 7 not "&". Although I would get Home premium and not starter. Starter would be... well... a non-starter.
Ugh, four simultaneous applications at most... no thanks.
Um, no. As many as you'd like. RTA.
The nice thing for me about the linux versions is that they're usually a lot cheaper.
I got my eee 900a for $180, and installed an old copy of windows I had laying around. Can't argue with that price.
To be quite honest, if running 3 (or whatever it is) applications at once is the price I have to pay to get Windows 7 on hella discount through a netbook, then so be it.
If you can couple Ion + Windows 7 for $400, I'm sold. I can open up Firefox, let WMP rip, and bang away in Visual Studio, or screw with Pidgin, browse firefox, listen to music.. playing War3 means I'll only be using one application.
I mean, it's really not that big of a hindrance, considering the capability of the OS you're getting for dirt cheap.
The only reason I like Linux, is that I don't want to pay M$ for their crapware. Even if the NetBooks with Windows are often cheaper than with Linux...
I like Linux because, next to it, Darwin's hardware support is a complete joke.
If gnome, kde, and xfce distributions did not exist, I would be a mac user.
Actually, I do own a mac which I use occasionally, so I am technically a mac user, but I mean OS X would be my preferred operating system.
Netbooks with Linux are cheaper than those with Windows?
On what planet do you live? YourAnus maybe?
@KilgoreTrout
Epic FAIL at calling out Buis - LMAO
Buis --> "Even if the NetBooks with Windows are often cheaper than with Linux..."
You --> "Netbooks with Linux are cheaper than those with Windows?"
and yes - Buis got it wrong - M$ usually equals either a smaller HDD or increased price.......
Cutting edge news here, PC vendors may not offer the cheapest version of Win 7 on netbooks WOW
Hopefully not be long before an enterprising hacker works out how to remove the 3 concurrent apps limit in starter !
Would be funny if it ended up just being a number in registry. Like a singular "4" with the key "window_limit".
I personally hate netbooks so meh.
Does windows 7 have a registry?
@Andrew: Getting rid of the registry would destroy backwards compatibility, but I wouldn't miss it at all if they got rid of it.
Where does it say Starter is intended for Netbooks? I thought it was intended to be a low cost or possibly free edition for developing countries.
Bring it on a multitouch screen to squeeze the best out of it.
Is there actually any news here? Much was made of hp over nothing. HP even said the Starter version wasn't going to be an emphasis in most markets.
I don't see why people that want Linux cant just install it (in some cases). I mean, if you are tech-y enough to use Linux, you should be able to install it and get the correct drivers for it.
Two cases where this is not true:
- Win7 costs more money.
- Linux will not work correctly.
Some of us would rather not pay for Windows when we aren't going to use it. As long as there are options for Linux I'll be buying those - and then installing whatever distro I want over it. The Dell Mini 9 ended up fitting the bill here.
Exactly. My Linux-based Aspire One was significantly cheaper, and I can sleep well at night knowing that I didn't fund a company that I don't morally support.
Then there's the performance issue. The custom spin of Linpus on my AA1 has been tweaked by Acer to run extremely efficiently on that particular machine. The result is impressive, and Windows XP performance just can't match it, at least not on boot time. Acer also provided some drivers for hardware that is hard to find open-source drivers for. Having a factory install of a linux OS means you don't have to be a linux wizard to enjoy your linux-based computer.
Samsung offer a Linux option at present? Not according to every shop I've asked in so far. I've been trying to find a good 10" linux netbook for ages - I want it to look nice and run my choice of OS but everywhere insists Samsung only ship with XP. Why should I pay extra on the price for an operating system I don't want!
An inexpensive laptop is always a good thing as long as it is useable. I am a diehard windows xp pro afficienado. Had looked at vista and was not impressed in a favorable way. After reading some reviews of windows 7 will certainly take a hard look at it. Especially interested in decreased processor busy time.
Since I am partial to the quality of Samsung Televisions I'm sure that this laptop will be a good value.
Is that Samsung netbook a photoshop or the real thing? It looks very similar to the EEE PC 701, at least on the side. I'm convinced 80% of the netbooks out there have 1 clamshell template with minor variations.
I would love to see an instant-on OS coupled with whatever version of 7 they offer. It would rock.
Anyways...you wont be wanting to run heavy softwares simultaneously on the little netbooks, so 4 applications at a time would be fine for multimedia usage.
amarok + pidgin + abiword + firefox + pdf reader ... oh wait
(yes I know windows doens't have a stable version of amarok)
I regularly have Firefox with 100 or so tabs, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Amarok, OpenOffice, and Deluge running on my EEE 1000HA simultaneously, and I open up other apps while they're running all the time. I did give it a RAM upgrade, but at around $35CAD for a 2GB stick, I would have been stupid not to. It runs without any hiccups, even with Compiz running with a few effects. This is running Linux, though, so if you're a Windows user, your mileage may vary.
100 tabs? Yikes, talk about unweildy. Then again, I think tabbed apps are a crutch for OSes that do poor window management. It should really be the job of the OS, not the app.
I'm not sure where Engadget ever even got the idea of Starter being offered on netbooks. Starter is for developing countries (all types of computers), not netbooks. Netbooks will have the same OS options that a full desktop PC has, although you'll likely see Basic as the standard choice because of cost reasons. Most of the people who read Engadget will be hard pressed to find a version of Starter in the wild, on any kind device.
No, Basic is for developing countries and Starter is for low end machines.
Jay - got a source for that info?
I guess I'm Missing something , I have a Lenovo Ideapad S10 running Windows 7 Beta and it works fine. Why the heck would we need a "Stripped Down" version .. Just to keep the cost of the O/S down???
Mr Pavel said that "Windows 7 would likely spell the end of Linux as an option for its netbooks"
I said "That would certainly spell the end of Samsung as an option for my future netbooks (and washer, TV etc...)"
Linux won't end on netbooks that's a load of crap. Remember there will be newer ARM based netbooks and Intel is backing Moblin 2 and I'm hoping Canonical starts a marketing strategy to move Ubuntu more aggressively.
Well, here's hoping that HP offers whatever version they are using to folk who bought their netbooks before they offered the Windows 7 versions....even if it's for a small fee around $25 (not that it would happen or happen that cheaply).