Netbooks are the latest in thing as far as computer sales go. Ever since the first Asus Eee Netbook appeared in 2007, others soon followed and we just haven’t stopped buying them since.
To begin with, all Netbooks were shipped with Linux operating systems but Microsoft soon caught a whiff of the potential with Netbooks and quickly licensed Windows XP at a cheaper price in order to get in the market.
Since then, there have been various claims as to how much of a share of the Netbook operating system market Microsoft has managed to steal from Linux.
Recently, Brandon LeBlanc from Microsoft said in an internet blog that Windows had gone from under 10% of Netbook sales in the first six months of 2008 to as much as 96% by February 2009, figures which came from the latest NPD Retail Tracking Service Data.
Paul McDougall from Information Week said that 96% of Netbooks run with Windows operating systems and eWeek’s Joe Wilcox said that windows are not on 96% of Netbooks. What?
It can be a bit confusing to tease out the truth from in between the lines but for what it’s worth here goes.
If we look at global sales of Netbooks then no, Windows is not on 96%, more like 75% but if we consider only US sales of Netbooks then yes 96% of them do have windows operating systems. However, US sales accounts for only a very small fraction of total Netbook sales so the figures are a bit misleading.
Currently, most Netbook sales, around 80%, are in Western Europe.
And yet it’s true, people are in general choosing Windows operating systems over Linux, even in Europe. So what has happened to Linux?
According to LeBlanc, most people these days are familiar with Windows operating systems and so quite naturally, prefer it. Windows works with their existing stuff like printers and cameras and they don’t have to re-learn how to use it. To a large extent that is true.
Consequently the growth of Windows based Netbooks has been huge in the last year and what is even more disturbing is that there are many reports about people taking back Linux based Netbooks.
This apparently prompted CarPhone Warehouse in the UK to abandon Linux based Netbooks altogether giving “customer confusion” as the reason for the one in five return rates of Netbooks with Linux operating systems.
So what will happen to Linux, particularly now that we have Windows 7 appearing on Netbooks? Is it likely to push Linux even further down the slippery slope to oblivion? Who knows and ultimately it is us, the customers who will decide. Hey, we’re making history; we’re in the middle of a Netbook revolution right now.
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Windows is simply what people are use to. The software stack on top of Linux has some catching up to do in the eyes of the everyday consumer.
I do tend to agree with you their Daniel !