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Its hard to believe its been a year since we first started to see netbook PCs running Windows come to market. Little did we know that these devices would evolve so much in such a short time. A year ago, they were Internet-centric devices defined mainly by their tiny size and low cost. An interesting concept perhaps, but sales didnt really take off until the category evolved into the more capable small notebook PCs we see on the market today. For example, early Internet-centric models typically offered a 7 inch screen, very small keyboard, slow legacy processors, 512MB of RAM or less, and 1-4 GB SSD storage, whereas typical configurations today have 9 and 10 inch screens, near full-size keyboards, 1GB RAM and up to 160GB storage. Netbook PCs have now extended far beyond Internet browsing to be truly full-functioning small notebook PCs. Initially, some in the industry viewed low-cost netbook PCs as a new challenge for Microsoft and an opportunity for Linux to make inroads in the consumer market. Some believed consumers wouldnt want or need their netbook PC to be a full-featured PC. In fact, the exact opposite turned out to be true a number of analysts and researchers following the space see ample evidence indicating customers really DO want netbook PCs to work like their larger brethren and that the way the vast majority of consumers make that happen is by buying a netbook PC with Windows. As a result, the growth of Windows on netbook PCs* over the last year has been phenomenal. Weve seen Windows share on these PCs in the U.S. go from under 10% of unit sales during the first half of 2008 to 96% as of February 2009, according to the latest NPD Retail Tracking Service data. *Netbook PCs are small notebook PCs with a screen size 10.2" and smaller and a price under $500. Not only are people overwhelmingly buying Windows, but those that try Linux are often returning it. Both MSI a leading netbook PC OEM and Canonical the vendor supporting the commercial distribution of Ubuntu Linux - stated publicly they saw Linux return rates 4 times higher than Windows. Why such a disparity? Because users simply expect the Windows experience. When they realize their Linux-based netbook PC doesnt deliver that same quality of experience, they get frustrated and take it back. Heres a telling stat: In the UK, Carphone Warehouse dropped Linux-based netbook PCs, citing customer confusion as a reason for a whopping 1-in-5 return rate. Why are consumers choosing Windows? Because its easier to use, just works out of the box with peoples stuff, and ultimately offers more choice. Its easier to set up, easier to use, and easier to maintain Over the last 25 years, weve learned a lot about what people want out of an OS, and weve built Windows to meet those needs, including:
It just works with peoples stuff - A few examples of Windows unmatched compatibility are:
Theres more choice - 90+ partners ship Windows-based netbook PCs today, so you can get exactly the machine you want at exactly the price you are willing to pay. Looking forward, we can confidently say that no matter how netbook PC hardware evolves, were gearing up to ensure that Windows 7 will run great on them. As we mentioned at PDC, weve been testing Windows 7 on netbook PCs since before Windows 7 was feature complete, and our plan is to enable these small notebook PCs to run any edition of Windows 7. From what were hearing, our partners are excited to get Windows 7 on these PCs as well. The last year has been an interesting one, and seeing whats happening in the marketplace already, and what were expecting in the next year, we fully expect the next generation of small notebook PCs will deliver even richer experiences and greater utility. That means that more than ever youll be able to find a small notebook PC that exactly fits your lifestyle and interests, just like you can with any other kind of Windows PC. |
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