Stan Beer
Wednesday, 29 April 2009 11:51
Business IT -
Technology
Page 1 of 3
At the beginning of
2008, the landmark Eee PC netbook running Xandros Linux left an
unprepared red faced Microsoft with 0% share of a burgeoning new
market. Nine months later, thanks to a resurrected Windows XP,
Microsoft had 70% of the netbook space. Six months on and recent
reports suggest that Linux on netbooks is down to single digits and
heading south. True or false?
For some
desktop Linux advocates of the more zealous persuasion, time has stood
still, and netbook Linux market share has been frozen at 30% and is
destined to remain a threatening thorn in the side of Microsoft forever.
Yesterday,
iTWire specialist Linux writer David M Williams wrote a
story in which
he predicted a gloomy future for Linux on netbooks, based on interviews
with local Dell and Asus representatives. Williams learned that Linux
did not figure in the future plans of either vendor in Australia.
In response to his story, Williams, a staunch desktop Linux advocate received comments such as this one:
"Your
sources ..... are Australia-based representatives, so they speak only
for a regional market. Your sad news applies to a demographic with
borders.
"According to those who speak for the worldwide market,
consumer Linux is doing well. Canonical's director of business
development (Chris Kenyon), the CEO of ASUS (Jerry Shen), and Dell's
consumer group representative in the US (Jay Pinkert) all report that
about 30% of the global netbook market is owned by Linux."
Can
this be true? Is it only Australia where netbook Linux market share is
shrinking? Does Linux continue to hold a 30% share of the global
netbook space?
CONTINUED Page 2
LATEST HEADLINES FROM YOUR IT
