CeBIT 2009: Linux Wants to Win Back Netbooks

One reason for Linux's demise from netbooks is the choice of hardware. The resource-saving Linux would here be a victim of its own frugality: it fits on devices with a small solid state disk (SSD) and little RAM. According to Warren Coles, sales and marketing manager at Linpus, consumers haven't quite grasped the concept of SSD and see only the reduction in memory space. Taken together with the price, the netbook has been considered not only a cheaper but inferior alternative.

When Microsoft resurrected XP on its devices and combined it with more RAM and bigger hard disk on netbooks, it immediately became a success when users again sensed a more dependable environment.

Nevertheless, the Open Source community had some joy in the fact that around two million netbooks were sold in 2008.

Coles is confident at least for the near term: the Web 2.0 and RFID chip trends are promoting use of netbooks. The industry is also developing numerous mobile technologies under Linux, such as Intel's Moblin, Google's Android, Qualcomm's Snapdragon and Texas Instruments' OMAP. Thanks to Moblin a Linux netbook can boot within seconds. 2009 should also add more devices with affordable ARM processors instead of Intel ATOM CPUs. Linux has long been active on these platforms.

Linpus itself is preparing its Linux distribution for the future, according to Coles. This means more WLAN and 3G support, in over 20 languages and 30 keyboard configurations. The GUIs are to be simpler yet more individualized. Part of this is easier switchovers among environments like KDE and GNOME. Suspend mode should provide further savings. These features should become attractive to hardware makers as well as end users. Linpus is working with numerous large vendors in Taiwan and has already taken its Linux to the likes of Acer Aspire one and the Lenovo IdeaPad S9. Linpus is featured at CeBIT Open Source in Hall 6, Booth E46-3.