Linux on Netbooks: The Smoking Gun

[stmok]

The struggle of Linux rages on...They talk about netbook market.
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?s...90619161307529

Read the various links in the article...What do you think?

[Swathe]

Hmmm interesting. I think M$ will continue to monitor trends where Linux is a popular option and do what they can to push their way in. There are still many years left in this fight.

[Menthu_Rae]

I had to buy an EeePC 901 with XP on it because ASUS were taking their bloody time to release the linux version, which was an utter joke (they didn't fix up Xandros at all!)... the second I got it though, XP was wiped and I whacked on Ubuntu.

I really don't think windows belongs on smaller netbooks and furthermore the disgusting tactics used by Microsoft, whilst not unexpected, are utterly disappointing and a real burden to technological progress in the netbook market.

FWIW, with Ubuntu 9.04 - absolutely *everything* on my EeePC 901 worked out of the box. The only app I "needed" was eee-control, which helps regulate fan speed and lets you enable functions (WLAN, BT, etc) easily as well as providing CPU speed selection.

It couldn't have been more painless to install and the things I can do under Ubuntu are significantly more impressive than anything I could do under windows on the 901.

[elvis]

Same shit, different day.

Microsoft said the internet was a fad. They missed out. People innovated without them, they scrambled to catch up and try to dominate by brute force with substandard products.

Fast forward 10 years. Microsoft said netbooks were a fad, and made a bet that machines were only getting bigger and faster. They missed out. People innovated without them, they scrambled to catch up and try to dominate by brute force with substandard products.

Vista doesn't work on Netbooks, that much is obvious. Windows XP is old tech, and full of holes. Microsoft's initial solution to hammering the square peg of Windows 7 into the round hole that was the netbook market was to cripple Windows 7. Consumer backlash hit, and now they're trying to play catch up by muscling in on the market.

I'm really looking forward to seeing ARM architecture hit netbooks. It's going to really break open that Wintel dominance, and perhaps finally give the world an actual choice. Microsoft's only real hope there is to do something with WindowsCE, which is going to give their marketing people a massive headache.

The laugh-out-loud factor of all of this, of course, is that once again we see zero innovation from Microsoft. They can't invent a goddamn thing, and haven't since their epoch. They've made a great living so far out of buying/stealing everyone else's ideas and repackaging (and even patenting) them as their own. But it's not 1990 any more. The world is more connected. Technology is improving more quickly. And Microsoft are flat out chasing false enemies like Google instead of improving their core products. Like IBM in the 80's, cracks are appearing, and the once indomitable software giant is starting to slip in many of its major markets. I can't wait for 10 years from now. It's going to be a humorous ride.

[foxmulder881]

elvis summarized it all up quite well. It's a pretty hot topic at the moment. The whole Windows versus Linux on Netbooks.

Personally, I don't see what the big bloody fuss is about. Microsoft are doing nothing different to what they've ever done. It's just the monopolistic marketing strategy they roll out for all their products where possible. Whether that was their original intention or not. If they see an opportunity, they grab it by the balls making sure everyone else around them is squashed.

Anyway, maybe I'm getting carried away. But seriously, who the bloody hell cares. If you want Linux on your netbook, install it on your netbook. It's not hard. It's the same old story of people ranting when there's a clear cut solution to a problem, which isn't even a problem to begin with.

[cleary]

Originally Posted by foxmulder881

...
Anyway, maybe I'm getting carried away. But seriously, who the bloody hell cares. If you want Linux on your netbook, install it on your netbook. It's not hard. It's the same old story of people ranting when there's a clear cut solution to a problem, which isn't even a problem to begin with.

I care.
I want to buy linux preinstalled on my netbooks for two reasons.
1) So that I know there is a good chance for complete hardware support when I install the distro I choose
2) So that manufacturers know that demand exists, and continue to support point (1)

Every time you buy a netbook with windows preinstalled just to install linux, you're scuttling point (2), which in turn makes point (1) less and less likely to continue.

[bl4ck32]

I think i had my EEE 904HA home about a day before i had ubuntu installed on here, same as Menthu. Everything worked great and installed fine. Only issue i had was with wireless, but installing the backport fixed this in 0.1 of a google.

When buying my first full sized laptop soon, ill be buying overseas, and choosing a Sager. They do not ship with an OS or software, just drivers. It is a big factor for me and i believe they know their customer base who dont want to pay for another M$ license they wont use.

The only reason i cling to the last threads of M$ is the odd issue that cant be resolved yet. Bring on games with full linux support and i'll be freeeeeee......

[bojo]

It is a bit of a shame to have choice somehow squashed.

However at the end of the day, this whole linux vs windows thing is a bit silly. It's a fight in which one side is fighting feriousicously, and the other doesn't particularly give a damn.

I'm in the process of installing linux on my netbook, i also think the netbook market would be the prime place for linux to flourish 'pre-installed'. It's a minimal pc which will never be used for games, which is almost like what linux is.

Windows has dominated so long because of the games market. Games freaking drive the desktop market, (who needs these graphics cards+cpus if you just watch movies!).

Microsoft's initial solution to hammering the square peg of Windows 7 into the round hole that was the netbook market was to cripple Windows 7.

made my day lol

[cleary]

Originally Posted by bojo

...

I'll be watching replies to this very closely - choose your words carefully

[Swathe]

I would be happy with an option to buy the netbook with no OS on it at a reduced price. IMo Linux will always be pushing shit up hill as far as acceptance by the general computer populous, at least for a few years to come. M$ will always do their best to keep us down.Linux needs some real, mainstream exposure to the masses to stand a real chance at present.

[ir0nhide]

Those snapdragons look awesome! Also, did anyone check out the ECS T800? goodbye atom

[Crinos]

Originally Posted by bojo

Windows has dominated so long because of the games market. Games freaking drive the desktop market, (who needs these graphics cards+cpus if you just watch movies!).

This isn't correct. Windows dominates because it is an aggressively litigious and entrenched monopoly. Games existed before Microsoft and can quite easily exist without them, and in any case(as has been discussed ad nauseum), the vast majority of Windows desktops are not used for games. They are corporate desktops to run corporate applications and manage documents. If it can write documents, run the corporate software, play Solitaire and surf Facebook, it pretty much ticks the boxes for >90% of desktop users.

It's not lack of games that deters most people from leaving Windows, it's a combination of simply not knowing that there are alternatives("Q: What operating system do you run? A: Microsoft Office"), fearing the alternatives("The world will end if you get rid of Windows, be very afraid!") and not really caring about underlying technologies("I want a fridge to cool my food, a car with an accelerator and a steering wheel and a computer to surf the net and print things... I don't give a rats a*** about whats under the hood of any of them").

[bojo]

Originally Posted by Crinos

lots of text

Sorry i may have not been too clear.

I meant along the lines of home users, rather than corporations. Corporations would be hard to deter from anything to something else. Hell most didn't go to vista from xp, and will probably only go to win7 because xp is just getting way too old. Getting on the desktop here would be nearly impossible for linux.

It's a fight in which one side is fighting feriousicously, and the other doesn't particularly give a damn.

Okay, what i meant here, was MS is doing things to suppress linux. Where-as i always thought linux was a thing you used/developed for for yourself and just gave it to other people as a bonus. Trying to get more people using it is great, but is it really needed that the OS be used by everybody?. My linux machines solve my problems, but if someone has a solution that they prefer that runs on windows and they are happy with it, more power to them.


While games aren't the sole reason i think in the home market it plays a big part (maybe less so with consoles). If most games are released on windows, then most people who play games (which makes up a decent part of people with good pcs), will use this OS (among others perhaps).


I also wouldn't discount the average joe so much. I mean people see macs and talk about them. If people just see different things they usually try them out. Granted installing a new OS is probably too hard for most people so we would come back to pre-installed stuff.

As i said, it sucks that MS are squashing linux on netbooks, where it has the most potential to shine (plus one would hope knock a few $$$ of my next netbook purchase). Though it's hardly surprising.

[stmok]

So I guess the only REAL WAY to deal with someone like Microsoft is do what we do best...To write good code.

Eric S. Raymond put it best...

The most important thing the hacker community does is write better code. Our deeds are the best propaganda we have. Most of us, most of the time, shouldn't be distracted by worrying about beating Microsoft's PR or countering their political moves, because writing good code is in the long run a far more potent weapon than flackery.

Hmmm...Maybe we should start a OCAU Open Source Beginner Programmer Tutorial?
=> The goal is to lay good programming foundations to those who really want to do something for open source, but currently lack the programming ability to do anything.

[GumbyNoTalent]

Originally Posted by cleary

Every time you buy a netbook with windows preinstalled just to install linux, you're scuttling point (2), which in turn makes point (1) less and less likely to continue.

(3) Linux versions usually have more of something or cost less, why give MS money for nothing!