Linux does have a future on netbooks

...but the MS FUD machine and the pro-Microsoft tech "journalists" will happily ignore what he says.

Then it's nice to know there are also journalist like you, I guess. I liked your last article; but on the other hand I'm not sure if anyone on this earth can predict Linux market share - on whatever 'domain' that may be.

Hans, I agree that it is impossible to predict future market share. I just thought it was time to report the opposite of what the tech press has been bombarding us with, complete with sources and facts to back them up. So many are willing to spout off without any facts...

I don't know why people keep writing that it is hard to find a linux net book. I live in a 3th world country. Last week I went to Rangsit Zeer street, a 600 shop building for computer/equipment and other electronics. I was looking around for a suitable laptop for me. Everywhere I went , I was presented with a choice of windows or linux ( mostly limpus ) . The price difference was $30 more for windows. The same happened to my wife, who was looking around in Pantip Plaza ( a 1000 shop building for ditto )

There is no problem here to get linux. Second after Limpus is Ubuntu.

So,............what's the diff between "here" and "there" ?

Where I got my Eee PC, I was amused to find out that the cheapest Windows model still cost more than the most expensive Linux model.

I still have no problem finding all the Linux netbooks I want, particularly if I'm willing to shop online. There are lots and lots of choices out there here in the U.S.

Quoting:So,............what's the diff between "here" and "there" ?

We're on the Microsoft-controlled hemisphere, sounds like you're not. There are clues Microsoft pays large OEM's on our hemisphere to not offer anything else than Windows. Intel just received a fine for that tactics BTW, you might have heard.

On your hemisphere, it's probably easy to start a new company or ignore Microsoft without Microsoft being angry. Over here, it took fifteen years before a free-software-only hardware manufacturer stood up which probably is the first entity beyond Microsofts influence - at least on this hemisphere. And even nowadays their website is Spanish only and there products are not available as of yet.

What you should basically do is find out how much shipment to the EU/US (Australia maybe, I'm not sure) cost, chances are the result is still cheaper than what OEM's offer over here. I've been looking how to import the units you are talking about, but from here it's almost impossible to find out (can't read most webpages).

Of course LXer would be really glad to host some photos of netbooks with Linux / Windows and the price differences. So if you could make some photos I'm sure we'll publish them as an example of 'market failure' over here in our hemisphere.

You know, Hans, it's funny. I always thought I was in the Microsoft controlled hemisphere. After all, they are an American company. They seem to have a lot of influence in government and a number of Congress critters in their pocket. They dominate the desktop market still. They have seemingly unlimited financial resources to get whatever they want. It's hard to believe it's worse in Europe.

I guess then, that Australia is in the same Hemisphere as the US.

You see how powerful Microsoft is? They can revise world geography!

Proof that great things come out of MS Invention department:

"Microsoft, we just invented & patented disjoint hemispheres!", which is part of their strategy of breaking alliances I guess.

Serious, indeed when it comes to global alliances, politics, WIPO etc. I'm sure USA, Japan, EU, S Korea and Australia belong to the same 'set' of countries; though not geographically on the same hemisphere. For example, AFAIK all of them except for S Korea, are or in Iraq, or in Afghanistan; and in most of them Microsoft or Intel (or both) are fined for infringement of antitrust laws.

They're referred to as first-world countries.