Why netbook buyers want Windows

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 04 June 2009 14:15

Opinion and Analysis

But if you stay true to the original netbook concept - a small, light and affordable device that runs a browser and not much else, the choice of operating system becomes much less significant because you rarely see it.

So I'd argue the question is not whether people want (or would be best served by) Windows or some other operating system, but whether they want netbooks or small notebooks.

And with 12in netbooks on the market (my first 'laptop' computer had a 640x480 pixel, 9.5in screen), it seems to me that the small notebook has won.

People want notebooks, but they don't want excess weight or fancy prices. Netbooks deliver that, while maintaining a distinction from traditional notebooks which (I suspect) helps vendors maintain margins on higher-spec models.

If people really do prefer Windows, why doesn't Windows have a bigger share of the smartphone market? According to Gartner, Windows is in third place on 12 percent, behind Symbian (52 percent) and RIM/BlackBerry (17 percent).

This, to my mind, confirms the idea that while most people see a smartphone as being different to a computer, they see a netbook as a small notebook and not a distinct category of device.

And if that is the case, it should be no real surprise if they have rejected Linux in favour of Windows.