Pay Attention to Netbooks: A Microcosm to the Future
Category Administration IBM/Lotus Linux Management Open Source
There is a drama on the IT stage which features hardware vendors, open-source and commercial operating systems in turmoil and competition. I think that while the scale is puppet-show diminutive, the themes soar as large as any opera. There will be tragedy, and there is certainly comedy. The netbook has arrived, and it will impact messaging systems more than the next-gen phone architecture from Apple, Google, and Nokia.
The Economist has pronounced the union of netbook and Linux as a complete solution: "For many users, the basic, free software shipped with a netbook will be quite enough." Initially, the netbooks heavily favored Linux with their first outing by Asus, Acer and Dell. Lately, netbook vendors have begun to tilt more towards Windows XP, a trend that I expect to carry through the holidays and into the Spring. We are in a recession and there is a lot of inventory to move.
The drama is whether or not netbooks will return to Linux, or if their brief tenure with open-source was merely an interruption to Microsoft's dominance. The comedy is that I expect these jewel-box laptops with their teensy keyboards to become the face of consumer Linux.
The market force pushing netbooks is all about money, and Microsoft can't afford to keep Windows XP competitive against desktop Linux at the same time they are preparing a release of Windows 7. After all, Windows 7 requires system resources that a netbook lacks, and Windows XP is being retired. The hardware manufacturers are in a tough spot because perpetuating Windows XP is more expensive than slapping on Vista. A Vista netbook will be slow, but at least the hardware is supported. Security patches, hardware drivers, and the integration of new technology that was never envisioned at the time of XP's inception--all of it has to be pushed into the lifecycle of any netbook/laptop which is installed with Windows XP.
Let me see if I can summarize some of this stage play into some bullets:
Isn't it weird to think that a Linux netbook will continue to be supported and will stay current for years to come, while a Windows XP configuration for the same hardware will slowly become less and less supported ?
Finally, don't forget Apple. Steve Jobs has frowned on a $500 Apple netbook, which means that there is a ready audience for Apple-to-Linux-Netbook integration. If it becomes easy for me to sync up my Linux netbook with something running OS-X, then Apple is a winner at the expense of Microsoft. I expect this to happen within 18 months.
So, IT messaging is going to have to deal with netbooks. Cheap, omnipresent, always-connected, mobile web netbooks. We need to start thinking now, ahead of the curve, for identity protection and data security. I think the benchmark standard will be the IBM/Lotus Notes Linux client. Its configuration gives a 100% secure solution with enterprise collaboration.
This is a lot of drama on such a small stage.
Technorati Tags: netbook, linux, lotus notes
There is a drama on the IT stage which features hardware vendors, open-source and commercial operating systems in turmoil and competition. I think that while the scale is puppet-show diminutive, the themes soar as large as any opera. There will be tragedy, and there is certainly comedy. The netbook has arrived, and it will impact messaging systems more than the next-gen phone architecture from Apple, Google, and Nokia.
The Economist has pronounced the union of netbook and Linux as a complete solution: "For many users, the basic, free software shipped with a netbook will be quite enough." Initially, the netbooks heavily favored Linux with their first outing by Asus, Acer and Dell. Lately, netbook vendors have begun to tilt more towards Windows XP, a trend that I expect to carry through the holidays and into the Spring. We are in a recession and there is a lot of inventory to move.
The drama is whether or not netbooks will return to Linux, or if their brief tenure with open-source was merely an interruption to Microsoft's dominance. The comedy is that I expect these jewel-box laptops with their teensy keyboards to become the face of consumer Linux.
The market force pushing netbooks is all about money, and Microsoft can't afford to keep Windows XP competitive against desktop Linux at the same time they are preparing a release of Windows 7. After all, Windows 7 requires system resources that a netbook lacks, and Windows XP is being retired. The hardware manufacturers are in a tough spot because perpetuating Windows XP is more expensive than slapping on Vista. A Vista netbook will be slow, but at least the hardware is supported. Security patches, hardware drivers, and the integration of new technology that was never envisioned at the time of XP's inception--all of it has to be pushed into the lifecycle of any netbook/laptop which is installed with Windows XP.
Let me see if I can summarize some of this stage play into some bullets:
- Windows XP is going to become more and more expensive for manufacturers and Microsoft to support.
- Windows XP lacks key architecture integration drivers and APIs for new technology, like Wi-Max.
- Windows Vista and Windows 7 are too resource intensive for netbooks
- Linux is built on a different distribution model that easily allows it to continue to support security patches and new device drivers.
- Linux comes "batteries-included" with the latest video drivers, multi-media codecs, full desktop office-suites, and heavy duty Internet applications.
Isn't it weird to think that a Linux netbook will continue to be supported and will stay current for years to come, while a Windows XP configuration for the same hardware will slowly become less and less supported ?
Finally, don't forget Apple. Steve Jobs has frowned on a $500 Apple netbook, which means that there is a ready audience for Apple-to-Linux-Netbook integration. If it becomes easy for me to sync up my Linux netbook with something running OS-X, then Apple is a winner at the expense of Microsoft. I expect this to happen within 18 months.
So, IT messaging is going to have to deal with netbooks. Cheap, omnipresent, always-connected, mobile web netbooks. We need to start thinking now, ahead of the curve, for identity protection and data security. I think the benchmark standard will be the IBM/Lotus Notes Linux client. Its configuration gives a 100% secure solution with enterprise collaboration.
This is a lot of drama on such a small stage.
Technorati Tags: netbook, linux, lotus notes
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Comments
I have a netbook with 2GB/Atom and no, the Notes 8 standard client is not something I'd want to run on it. Basic works great, though.
And: Netbooks are THE growth segment in the hardware market today.
Posted by Joerg Michael At 02:34:48 PM On 12/16/2008 | - Website - |
I think the netbooks will have a very wide spread in functionality. I haven't tried out iNotes DOLS on Ubuntu, so maybe that will be an 80% solution. But, I do think this tea-kettle storm will foretell the hurricane path to come.
Posted by Jack Dausman At 06:24:57 AM On 12/16/2008 | - Website - |
At a local store the agent said that about 80% of current Netbook sales run XP but that still leaves a 20% market share to Linux( and the christmas season might influence that too). Microsoft said that Windows 7 will run on Netbooks (yes, I doubt that too).
Posted by Henning Heinz At 06:16:23 AM On 12/16/2008 | - Website - |