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February 7, 2009

On average, so-called netbooks have been acclaimed as something good to further encourage Linux adoption in the field.

Last year, and with the launch of its Eee laptop models, Asus made a striking move by only offering them with the Linux operating system pre-installed.

Microsoft soon responded by working with Asus to bring Windows XP to the next level.

Soon after, Windows XP gained market share in the netbook segment fairly rapidly, casting doubts over whether or not 'netbooks' would really turn out to be that good for Linux...

Late yesterday, HP said that its new HP Mini 1000 Netbook simply won't be available with Linux pre-installed in Europe. In the U.S., the HP Mini 1000 comes in two models: a lower-cost Linux version and a more expensive Windows XP model.

However, as stated above, HP's Linux version won't make its way to most European countries, the company has confirmed in a statement. HP's cheaper Compaq variant, the Compaq Mini 700, also won't be available with Linux in Europe. The high-end HP Mini 2140 will be available with either Windows XP or Windows Vista.

HP's rather quick and unexpected decision has apparently been made in January but wasn't made public at the time. When asked for justification or clarification, HP simply said that it had "assessed the current EMEA market and believes that the Compaq 700 and HP Mini 1000 with Windows' XP version better address the market and consumer needs. As a result, the HP Mini 1000 (Linux edition) won't be introduced in Europe."

Some observers aren't so sure this is a wise move on HP's part. They may have their market research, but common sense tells us that when competitors offer cheaper Linux variants of essentially the same hardware, you might lose customers if the only HP netbook they can buy is more expensive, but still offers the same hardware...

For the Linux community, let's hope other PC manufacturers won't follow HP's move. Acer's new Aspire 1 will still be available in a Linux model however, but there's still no word yet if this model might not make it to Europe.

For its part, Asus hasn't made any statements about whether or not its new Eee PC 1000-EH will run Linux or not.

This is rather sad news if you're a Linux OS enthusiast who wants to see a healthy market where competition forces PC and laptop makers to improve their products.

Whether you prefer Linux or Windows, the fact remains that competition between the two is beneficial for both. Without Linux, Microsoft would have never made performance improvements in Windows 7 compared to Vista.

Source: Hewlett-Packard.

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