Microsoft won the war over home PC market share a long time ago with their Windows OS. Apple has of course made strides, but despite its popularity, Microsoft retains its stranglehold. However, with the ongoing interest in netbooks, an opportunity for Linux has opened.
Price is a major factor when considering netbooks. Licensing Windows adds price to the little laptops. For a device that shouldn’t cost more than $500, any price bump is substantial. Earlier this year, Microsoft jumped into the subnotebook party, in effect acknowledging that Linux has staked a toehold.
Linux is open-source, and therefore highly compatible. The new breed of computing devices may not be as powerful as a full-fledged notebook computer, but their allure rests in the high degree of customization they promise. Precisely the territory that Linux is geared for.
If retailers pick up on the trend, they will be able to brand Linux-based netbooks to represent their company. With the cost low enough, they could create their own PC brands. Yes, someday we may be looking at Burger King as a PC brand. You know they want it their way.