Microsoft boasts that 96% of netbooks now run Windows
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 6th 2009 7:12PM
posted April 6th 2009 7:12PM
Remember the old days when Microsoft was dragged kicking and screaming into offering Windows XP on netbooks? Neither does Microsoft, apparently, as the company is now all too happy to boast that a full 96% of the netbooks on the market run on its venerable OS. It's also, unsurprisingly, quick to point out that virtually all of that growth comes at the expense of Linux, which Microsoft once again notes sees much higher rates of return once folks "realize their Linux-based netbook PC doesn't deliver that same quality of experience." Of course, all of this talk also has a little something to do with the even more netbook-minded Windows 7 which, ironically, could well be trying to peel off some market share from XP by this time next year.
Careful linux fanboys, you're beginning to look like Apple fanbois.
The easy builds of Linux, Presto and Ubuntu, are no better than the Windows 7 beta.
They're great if you want to dick around with something new, but running any build of linux while trying to do the things you do on a pc is like browsing the web with the IE8 beta. You just can not rely on it.
oh what is this weirdo thing that Debian Linux has now... graphical installer!!!
oh and guess what installing Debian is about twice as easy as XP try it yourself sometime if you are the openminded type
As soon as this article was published, the Windows f4nbo1s`1~`1lLOL all came out of the woodwork. So, my suggestion to you is to attend some night classes at your local STFU campus if you don't want to look like an utter dork.
Oh, and one more thing, I've been using Linux as my desktop of choice since 1995, after I deleted Windows 95 after the worst user experience of my life (funny, because the Chicago beta that preceded it was stable as a rock. That was an important life lesson for me: avoid software vendors who deliberately introduce bugs for upgrade revenue). Unreliable? Windows (except for their server products) is the very definition of unreliable. My GPS unit runs WinCE, and it crashes regularly. My parents computers run Windows of various flavors (XP for my mom's computer, Vista for my dad's), and they are both extremely upset with how frail their environment is. At a previous office complex, a coworker had a Windows cell-phone and it often locked up on him in the middle of a conversation.
I see a pattern here.
Unreliable? Linux *certainly* isn't less reliable than Windows, and in my experience, overwhelmingly moreso. I *will* grant that it's somewhat more difficult for people to wrap their heads around than Windows, but the learning curve isn't nearly as steep as you Windows Fanbois make it out to be.
I think arguing over which OS is better is missing the point. Netbooks are popular because the bridge a gap between a smartphone and a standard notebook. Great portability, decent sized screen compared to a smartphone and a keyboard for human beings (at least those with small hands ;)) that provide access to email and the web.
Learning a new OS' is not a trivial matter for a lot of people. Tech saavy individuals understand the undertaking of migrating or learning to coexist with multiple OS and applications. Spending $300-$600 bucks on a netbook running an unfamiliar OS is a show stopper. People want to simplify their lives and for the vast majority of users making that change is adding a level of complexity that defeats the purpose of buying the netbook in the first place.
The Netbook vendors want to make their machines as attractive as possible to the largest addressable market - selling them with preinstalled Windows allows them to maximize their reach and most likely reduce their return and support costs imho. If you want to run Linux that's fine - power to you - and I'm sure it will run great on your netbook.
Windows is for people who like to get reemed by bill gates. The fact is is that when you use Linux you have complete control over your computer. When you use windows you are just a slave to MS. What happens when MS decides to start updating XP? You either have to pay to get a new license or run an un-updated windows machine (which is a massive security risk)
I'm not going to get dragged into the whole us V. them BS that is all too common here, but there is a BIG difference between what is shipped on all these netbooks (read that as "available options"- and I mean TRULY available, not just a few token offerings) and what actually gets used. I recently bought a Lenovo S10 that was not available with Linux- Maybe somewhere they were offering it but I could not get (for some very specific reasons) and even the Quick Launch linux feature was missing when it arrived. DO NOT underestimate the influence MS has on this market. Payola deals are the American way and allow dominant vendors to maintain dominance. That said, I could care less who uses what or who thinks this is great and that sucks. I hope MS stays the most popular OS so I can continue to fly, virtually virus free, under the radar and unconstrained. Make your own choices, face your own problems.
Windows 7 is pretty bad ass. I think it's better than Ubuntu and OSX
I too am among those who ditched XP on my netbook for Ubuntu and added to this misleading statistic. I bought my Mini 9 from Dell Outlet, and at the time I had a choice of XP or XP or XP. For the first 2 or 3 days, I actually stuck with XP even though I'm purely a GNU/Linux kind of guy these days. Although, after I installed an antivirus package it slowed down severely.
Instead of installing Dell's crippled version of Ubuntu 8.04, I installed the normal version of 8.10. The only thing that needed to be fixed was the sound, and that was a 30-second fix.
I tried out Windows 7 on my Cloudbook (which shipped with the mega-bad-at-the-time-but-now-not-so-bad-gOS), and it was pretty cool, but it slowed to a near halt with the installation of an antivirus package.
Certainly, I would love to see an Apple netbook but I imagine it might defeat the premise of a netbook by costing waaay too much.
Only reason I have XP on my netbook is because Netflix Watch Now will only run on MS or MAC. The second they find a stable way of putting/keeping it on Linux, I'll ditch XP.
The people behind Ubuntu need to give PC manufacturers a greater incentive for pre-installing their OS on new computers. Its the only way Linux will ever have a chance and make a boast like MS is doing with netbooks.
I like that HP is doing their own Linux OS Mi for their Netbook. However I think Ubuntu would've been a better way to go. I also think they should offer it for their other laptops as well.
It's harder convince people to change their OS once they get used to the one that has been pre-installed. Linux needs to be aggressive in seeking out partners for them to make any real dent.
When netbooks start coming out with better quality ssd or losing ssd altogether, windows will eat up the rest of linuxs margins. Ive been using linux for about a year on my netbook, and its really a pita to do anything with. I prefer to find an exe and know its going to work.
I think it's funny how passionate the windows zealots are..... They have a victory amidst a string a defeats. (Delay..Delay...Vista...Delay..)
To me the reason that linux did so well initially was because Microsoft made a major policy error. They made policy that priced themselves out of a market. Microsoft lowered the price and fixed the policy to compete with free. 4% Market share for Linux is still a big chuck of the Market. That market would never have been enabled had linux not done the trail blazing.
Well, of course that is right, I mean, there are hardly any low end Vista PCs (including but not limited to netbooks). So, if 96% of netbooks run Windows, then probably around 80% total if not more of netbooks have Windows XP.
only i could a notebook for less than $300 with xp on it:
http://12tb.com/lookup/Electronics/1232596011/B001GIPSAM/ASUS_Eee_PC_900HA_8.9-Inch_Netbook_(1.6_GHz_Intel_ATOM_N270_Processor,_1_GB_RAM,_160_GB_Hard_Drive,_10_GB_Eee_Storage,_XP_Home)_Black
http://counter.li.org/
I tried Ubuntu for a while..
Liked the interface.. but surprise surprise the wifi didn't work.. spent ages installing and editing things and managed to get it to work. great...but every time I turned off my wireless all of the time and work spent getting it to work was lost. every time i activated my wifi i had to reinstall drivers..not nice.
Linux is still far from being seriously usable.
Linux makes windows drivers feel like osx..
I think ill stick to my happy "just works" osx thankyou
Well that's part of the reason you should be buying a netbook that already has Linux on it because the manufacturer would have worked out all these issues that you encounter when trying to do it yourself. I've had no problems with my netbook running Ubuntu out of the box. Webcam, sound, wifi, they all just worked.
Linux..making consoles USABLE since 1991!
Windows...making BSoDs since 1995!
just to let you know, BSoD is a design feature by Microsoft
Oh congratulations Microsoft. I'm so happy for you! Here, take a cookie from my Gentoo Linux netbook.
A small child just died
-Brett
and 95% have been infected with viruses or rootkits.
I am a constant windows and linux user. Not a fan of Mac but it is pretty. These posts have mostly been pretty ridiculous. Especially the one about Linux getting is ass handed to it by an 8 year old OS.
Bottom line people don't like change. If you give your kid a Linux machine and that is what they grow up on it will be tough at first to use Windows. With how easy Linux is to use now, for the general user it is no different than Windows. It has an Office Suite, Firefox, GAIM(I doubt it is still GAIM but non the less an IM that is universal), and a couple of little games. What else does the average user use a computer for?
A gamer.... go with Windows no reason to dog linux because it isn't a gaming platform.
And if you like pretty GUI and photo/video editing use a Mac.
I don't see any sense in the average user paying for Windows when Linux can do it all for free with free updates forever and about 16,000 different free downloads (just in case).
O and a side note to the people that have driver/whatever issues WTF are you doing. I have never had anything not work out of box with Ubuntu. CentOS is a different story.
Linux is not winning the desktop race, we all know that. It is trying its best, KDE have done a good job, gnome is old school, but still improvng, but I'd still say windows gives a good desktop experience as of now.
But I dont need statistics to prove that most of the businesses who run windows as their front end, on terminals, on workstations have a server based on Linux or UNIX to which the windows terminals are mapped.
to conclude, what microsoft is to desktops, Linux/UNIX is to Servers.
Remember, the desktop by itself is nothing as it always needs service which only a server an provide :-D
I have always been interested in computers as a hobby and now and then I will try a linux distro, once every year or so to see how far they have progressed.
The nice thing about getting linux in a retail box is you know all of your hardware was tested prior, and will work when you boot it up. I think Linux markets need to step back from the idea of being a total replacement for your productivity machine, and emphasize on the fact Linux makes an Excellent (!) family internet computer, because it's more secure out of the box then any version of windows with all the updates and A/V software. You would be surprised how much Grandma, or Auntie May would love a computer that doesn't really need updates or A/V software pops.
Make some nice desktop shortcuts to the browser, VLC (for her DVDs) and the picture/IM program of your choice and you have one bad ass secure, grandma approved machine. If marketers focused more on the strengths, and streamlined the interface a bit, you could leverage that to a marketing campaign that would appeal to the non power user, who's greatest fear is someone "hacking my computer with a virus" or some other strange combination of computer terms. Maybe it can't do photoshop, or run office, but most Grandma's and Mothers don't care, as long as they can get their Yahoo email, and as an added benefit, when they download the "paperclip" in the email, it doesn't wreak havoc.
If you want to succeed you have to attack the enemy at their weak point, be patient and wait. I'm a windows user, but I definitely see a hole in the market, that a smart computer company with some advertising dollars could fill, using Linux and an intelligent ad campaign. Perception is half the battle.