Michael Dell - Loves Windows 7, slams netbooks

Speaking at a Silicon Valley dinner sponsored by the Churchill Club, Michael Dell shared his thoughts on netbooks and Windows 7.

Basically, he slams netbooks:

"Take a user who's used to a 15-inch notebook and then give him a 10-inch netbook. He'll say 'Oh, this is so cool, it's so lightweight.' Then 36 hours later he'll say the screen's not big enough, give me my 15-inch back."

It's worth remembering that while netbooks are crazy-popular, the profit margins on these devices are razor thin, so it's in Dell's best interests to push bigger, more expensive machines.

Dell was positively gushing over Windows 7:

 "If you get the latest processor technology and you get Windows 7 and Office 2010, you will love your PC again. And we actually have not been able to say that for a long time. It's a dramatic improvement."

So basically, the CEO of one of the largest OEMs piles in on Vista. However, it's interesting that even when praising Windows 7, Dell seems to emphasize the need to have "the latest processor technology" to get the most out of it, which is plainly not true.

Dell is confident that Windows 7 along with new processors from Intel will lead to "a very powerful refresh cycle." He also had this to say about Apple:

"I think Apple raised the bar on product design, and we’re certainly paying much greater attention there than we were a few years ago."