Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
Now, with all these vendors you might wonder whether Ubuntu Netbook Remix actually has a chance of breaking through. Yet keep in mind these are hardware manufacturers. They are making appliances based around the Atom processor which is but one component.
What will differentiate these units from each other are matters like their form factor, the size of the screen, the resolution, whether they offer built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, the amount of built-in storage space, possible touch screens and so forth. This is what the hardware vendors will be working on.
They’ll still require software to drive it. Here’s where Canonical have vast market potential. After all, there are likely three major options that may be canvassed: Windows, Linux or something custom. It’s not unusual to find subnotebook PCs that run versions of Microsoft Windows, whether the full-blown release or Windows Mobile as used on Pocket PCs and Smartphones. Yet, if you are seeking to reduce the overall cost of your device – and no doubt this will become a competitive market – then it makes sense to use Linux which has absolutely no license charges.
Until Canonical made their announcement there really was no Linux distro specifically aimed at this segment of devices. This is why ASUS made their own Xandros derivative, which, while not having licensing costs, did involve research and development time. It is not hard to imagine that a future Eee, particularly if it is based on the Atom processor, would also ship with Ubuntu’s targeted operating system especially because it too aims to eke the best result out of the Atom processor.
Really, it will be difficult for Windows to compete in this space; even if the software fee was tolerable by consumers it is dubious that they would put up with the frustrating performance in comparison to the lower computing grunt that Linux requires for a responsive system.
At this time, none of the OEMs Canonical are working with are ready to make an announcement so we can only speculate but I find it extremely exciting. Years ago, when Intel launched their “Intel inside” campaign and logo there came a flurry of humorous spin-offs. Of these, “Linux inside” was a popular one. Now it’s becoming a distinctive reality. Just as new laptops and desktops come festooned with Intel and Windows and nVidia and Giga-byte stickers I’m looking forward to browsing the range of gadgets available in stores, with a row of “Powered by Ubuntu Netbook Remix” logos.
We’re on the verge of a Linux everywhere revolution; it will be the choice of software platform powering an exploding market of carry-everywhere devices. The sales history of the ASUS Eee demonstrates the huge market and the worldwide interest in the space. For many it will also be the first, or most frequently used, computing environment they work with – which will no doubt have a flow-on effect to their choice of conventional desktop or laptop operating system also.
David Bass
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