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Opinions: What Microsoft Does to Netbooks™ and Smartbooks™

Laptop work



Summary: Two new messages from USENET, regarding "Netbooks" and Smartbooks"

Has Microsoft finally managed€ € Netbook extermination in the USA ? From: Terry Porter Date: Sunday 09 May 2010 09:34:58 Groups: comp.os.linux.advocacy

According to this graph (see below), YoY (Year over Year) sales of the€ Netbook in the USA have slumped from 641% in Jul2009 to 25% in Mar2010€ and 5% in Apr2010.

We all know that tens of millions of Linux netbooks were sold before€ Microsoft strongarmed the netbook manufacturers into providing only€ Windows7 on Netbooks whose hardware specs were also dictated by Microsoft€  to be much reduced compared to a Laptop. i.e. ram was limited.

Retailers were 'persuaded' not to offer Linux Netbooks where Windows€ Netbooks were on display, or to make sure the Linux Netbooks were powered€ off, or not just available.

This graph, http://mashable.com/2010/05/06/ipad-netbook-market/ shows the€ sales data I have quoted above, although it attempts to suggest that the€ Apple Ipad is the reason for the Netbook slump.

As the Apple Ipad was not released into the American market until April€ 2010, the Ipad may be responsible for some of the April slump, but it€  can't be responsible for the prior decline.

I think the likely suspect for the decline is Microsoft, Windows7, a€  maximum of three concurrent apps, and pricing that in some cases, rivals€  larger dual core laptops.

Who needs to innovate, ... when you can exterminate ?



 

Guess we can't call them SmartBooks - new term needed! From: Rex Ballard Date: Monday 10 May 2010 11:46:39 Groups: comp.os.linux.advocacy

A few months ago, Lenovo, fed up with having the Linux powered NetBook hijacked by Microsoft announced a new device powered by the ARM chipset so that it could ONLY run Linux.€ € They called this new device a SmartBook.

It seems that the SmartBook term was another trademark and now Microsoft has hijacked that trademark too.

http://www.smartbook.info/?gclid=CKuPvJeux6ECFV195Qod9hR-_A

http://www.smartbook.de/Content/Startseite.aspx

http://www.smartbook.de/Content/produktseiten/default.aspx?kategorie=business

http://www.smartbook.de/Content/produktseiten/default.aspx?kategorie=lifestyle

So what should we call a Linux powered ARM based book - and this time could the Linux Foundation Trademark the term and enforce the trademark as well as the Linux trademark as aggressively as Microsoft does?



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