With Windows 7, Microsoft has done the technical work to make the operating system work on Netbooks, but the low-cost laptops still pose a challenge to the way Redmond does business. As the only fast-growing part of an otherwise sluggish PC market, Netbooks are clearly a product category that Microsoft can't afford to ignore. At the same time, computers selling for only a couple hundred dollars don't give Microsoft the opportunity to get the kinds of revenue for each copy of Windows that it is used to receiving. <\/p>\n
\n“Our position is that Netbooks are small notebook PCs,” said Don Paterson, a director in Microsoft's Windows unit. “The distinction that has existed around Netbooks is, to some extent, a creation of the industry's mind.” Although it will offer a low-cost version of Windows 7–Windows 7 Starter–to compete with Linux to power the cheapest of Netbooks, Microsoft is ultimately hoping consumers and PC makers will pay more to get the “home premium” version of Windows Vista, which supports things like a touch screen or the Media Center interface. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With Windows 7, Microsoft has done the technical work to make the operating system work on Netbooks, but the low-cost laptops still pose a challenge to the way Redmond does business. As the only fast-growing part of an otherwise sluggish PC market, Netbooks are clearly a product category that Microsoft can't afford to ignore. At the same time, computers selling for only a couple hundred dollars don't give Microsoft the opportunity to get the kinds of revenue for each copy of Windows that it is used to receiving. <\/p>\n
\n“Our position is that Netbooks are small notebook PCs,” said Don Paterson, a director in Microsoft's Windows unit. “The distinction that has existed around Netbooks is, to some extent, a creation of the industry's mind.” Although it will offer a low-cost version of Windows 7–Windows 7 Starter–to compete with Linux to power the cheapest of Netbooks, Microsoft is ultimately hoping consumers and PC makers will pay more to get the “home premium” version of Windows Vista, which supports things like a touch screen or the Media Center interface. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n