Android is a Linux kernel with a slim Java based interface, with no traditional glibc libraries and such. It also lacks features basic like printing.
Other Linux netbook offerings (like Ubuntu) are full fledged desktop operating systems that are tweaked for the smaller screen and slightly slower processor (but not tweaked THAT much). They offer just as complete an experience as all other Linux desktop operating systems, which all offer just as complete of a user experience as any other operating system.
Acer: Android isn't ready for netbooks; Verizon deal?
Summary
Acer executives said that Google's Android still has a long way to go before it can be used as the operating system for netbooks.
Topics
Acer executives said that Google's Android still has a long way to go before it can be used as the operating system for the hot new category of laptops known as Netbooks. And the CEO of the Taiwanese company hinted that its Netbooks may soon end up on Verizon Wireless' network.
At a press event Tuesday night to launch the company's new line of consumer and business computers, Chief Executive Gianfranco Lanci (right) and Jim Wong head of Acer's IT products business line, told reporters that the company plans to use Google's Android operating system on its upcoming smartphone, but that it doesn't believe the operating system is ready for Netbook computers.
Acer announced its new smartphone in February at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
"For a Netbook, you really need to be able to view a full Web for the total Internet experience," Wong said. "And Android is not that yet."
Acer currently offers its inexpensive Netbooks through U.S. wireless operator AT&T. And Lanci said during an interview after the event that the company is working with other U.S. wireless operators to bring Netbooks to their networks, too. He said that the company would be making an announcement very soon. But he stopped short of singling out any one carrier for this new announcement.
Given the company's existing relationship with AT&T, it's not a stretch to anticipate that the big announcement will likely be with Verizon Wireless. Verizon has already confirmed it is planning to sell a subsidized Netbook. And the company was touting its new strategy to get alternative devices, such as Netbooks, on its 3G wireless network last week at the CTIA tradeshow in Las Vegas.
As for Android, Lanci also agreed that he doesn't believe the software is ready for prime time.
"Android in my opinion is for communications," he said. "And Windows comes at the market from the computing side. An ideal solution would offer both. So right now we are using Android for our smartphone, and we are testing it on our Netbooks. But I think everybody in the industry is testing Android on Netbooks. "
Indeed, it appears that every Netbook is looking at Android. Last week, Hewlett-Packard confirmed that it is testing Android on its Netbooks. Asustek Computer has already said it is considering using Android. And Dell is also considering the software for its upcoming smartphone.
Android is a Linux-based operating system that was originally designed for cell phones. But now experts are predicting that the open-source operating system could be used on other devices, such as the emerging low-cost laptops known as Netbooks. In fact, market research firm Ovum recently predicted that Android-powered Netbooks will emerge in 2009, as manufacturers attempt to drive the price of Netbooks to around $200 or less.
But Lanci said that the company is quite happy using Windows XP on its Netbooks. The older generation of Windows is cheap, familiar to users, and provides the Internet browsing experience that is essential to the Netbook.Though Linux operating systems, like Android, are free, the older version of Windows is actually inexpensive enough at around $25 to $50 per license that it doesn't affect the cost of these devices too much. As a result, Lanci said that Windows Netbooks are out-selling other Linux-based models.
"XP is a good solution for the price performance," he said. "If you look at it, the number of devices that are sold with Linux is very small."
Netbooks are the hottest segment of the computer market, and Lanci said he expects the market to continue to be strong this year even with the economic downturn. But he noted that price will play a major factor in adoption. And he said that subsidies by wireless providers, especially in the U.S. and European markets, are essential to adoption.
He said the sweet spot for the market is to sell these devices for $99 or less, with $49 being the ideal price. Just last week, the company announced a pilot program with AT&T to sell Acer Netbooks in Atlanta and Philadelphia for $49 along with a home and mobile data package that bundles DSL and 3G wireless service for $60 a month.
"Subsidies in the U.S. and Europe are very important," he said. "I think $49 is the best price. But it has to be offered with the right data plan."
This article was originally posted on CNET News.
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"For a Netbook, you really need to be able to view a full Web for the total Internet experience," Wong said.
Ummm.. what? What does that sentence even mean? And how does it directly relate to Android? Android has been developed for smartphones; it would be unreasonable to think it would make its way to netbooks without changes to make it more similar to a normal PC interface (personally, I would like to see them put Gnome or something on it for netbooks; Gnome has a pretty intuitive layout, and people have gotten Xorg working on the G1 with support for gnome, kde, xfe, etc). Putting Gnome on it would also make it compatible with a lot of standard Linux apps that require the Gnome libs, and I think it would fit well on netbooks. And yet I still don't see how it relates to that sentence I quoted.
With some work, I really don't see how Android would be bad for netbooks. Then again, I don't necessarily see how it would stand out any more than any other distro for netbooks besides the fact that it has the Google name backing it.
Ummm.. what? What does that sentence even mean? And how does it directly relate to Android? Android has been developed for smartphones; it would be unreasonable to think it would make its way to netbooks without changes to make it more similar to a normal PC interface (personally, I would like to see them put Gnome or something on it for netbooks; Gnome has a pretty intuitive layout, and people have gotten Xorg working on the G1 with support for gnome, kde, xfe, etc). Putting Gnome on it would also make it compatible with a lot of standard Linux apps that require the Gnome libs, and I think it would fit well on netbooks. And yet I still don't see how it relates to that sentence I quoted.
With some work, I really don't see how Android would be bad for netbooks. Then again, I don't necessarily see how it would stand out any more than any other distro for netbooks besides the fact that it has the Google name backing it.
...its just exec jibberish that usually used to either explain to shareholders why you aren't on the same path as everyone else or downplay your competitions moves while you play catch up.
Now whats really funny is how he's hanging on to XP as if that is going to be around forever. Now what happens when that $50 price point is no longer there with Win7?
Now whats really funny is how he's hanging on to XP as if that is going to be around forever. Now what happens when that $50 price point is no longer there with Win7?
Okay, I understand that people want cheap computers, but are we doing the right thing with Netbooks? I certainly don't like the idea, because Smartphones just make so much more sense to me. So the difference between a Smartphone and a Netbook is the screen and keyboard size. So here's the solution that I propose... Let's take a device like the HTC Magic, and create a docking station, which has ports for a monitor and keyboard/mouse. So now you've got this super efficient device with a scaled up user interface.
Frankly, I don't think that a full sized Notebook is too expensive or energy exhaustive to justify Netbooks. The biggest power sucker on a Notebook is the HDD, which when replace with an SSD makes all the difference.
Frankly, I don't think that a full sized Notebook is too expensive or energy exhaustive to justify Netbooks. The biggest power sucker on a Notebook is the HDD, which when replace with an SSD makes all the difference.
I need a portable computer to access the internet to do my school work at school. At home I have a powerful desktop. I didn't want to pay for a laptop that was going to see little use and then have HD failures because it gets moved around too much. So I got a netbook with an SSD.
The Eee PC I has all the software I need, does all the web browsing I need, and it does it in a very portable 2.5lbs package. With a 7 hour battery I usually don't need to bring a power cable.
Full laptops cannot compete with the energy efficiency of a good netbook.
As for phones, the data plan's and wireless carrier rip offs kill the idea of smart phones for me. Paying $2000 for a phone and its contract does not sound very smart to me. I won't do $2000 worth of talking, and on that tiny screen there is no way I will do $2000 worth of web browsing either.
Smart phones are backwards because they take the one device that should be tiny, (remember when phones were small?) and they make it big so that the screen is visible. If I have to carry the phone at all times I want it to be as small as possible. A netbook is something I can leave behind, a phone is not.
The Eee PC I has all the software I need, does all the web browsing I need, and it does it in a very portable 2.5lbs package. With a 7 hour battery I usually don't need to bring a power cable.
Full laptops cannot compete with the energy efficiency of a good netbook.
As for phones, the data plan's and wireless carrier rip offs kill the idea of smart phones for me. Paying $2000 for a phone and its contract does not sound very smart to me. I won't do $2000 worth of talking, and on that tiny screen there is no way I will do $2000 worth of web browsing either.
Smart phones are backwards because they take the one device that should be tiny, (remember when phones were small?) and they make it big so that the screen is visible. If I have to carry the phone at all times I want it to be as small as possible. A netbook is something I can leave behind, a phone is not.
Everything configured and running great from a default install. No tweaking required. Windows 7 performs great in 1G with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom.
They specialized in embedded Linux a long time ago - yet I never hear them mentioned. They used to be the greatest thing in Linux for small/embedded products. Why wasn't there a "groundswell" to use their product?
I looked at it many years ago, and I couldn't find a free version to download. Maybe that's the reason . . . Even DeadRat realized it made a mistake when it stopped providing a free download (and created Fedora).
I looked at it many years ago, and I couldn't find a free version to download. Maybe that's the reason . . . Even DeadRat realized it made a mistake when it stopped providing a free download (and created Fedora).
I think manufacturers are missing a big opportunity here irrespective of the OS. Although from this article I can see things are moving in the right direction...
I find it incredible that nobody has built a mini-laptop/ netbook that has proper built in GSM feature? In other words not just a "data card" or data dongle, full featured mobile network functionality - something that handles text and voice calls and data the same way as a phone would.
Sure there are data dongles, and devices with them built in - but nothing like a true "converged device".
I've hoped for years that this ultimate "single device" would come out, a few hopefulls appeared, such as the HTC Shift, but alas, no Voice capability - just data.
Basically what we need is something you can use a bluetooth headset with, then we can have have no phone to carry around, just a small laptop and headset.
Well thats the dream anyway! However impractical it might be in practice, I'd like to see it happen someday!
derekcfoley
I find it incredible that nobody has built a mini-laptop/ netbook that has proper built in GSM feature? In other words not just a "data card" or data dongle, full featured mobile network functionality - something that handles text and voice calls and data the same way as a phone would.
Sure there are data dongles, and devices with them built in - but nothing like a true "converged device".
I've hoped for years that this ultimate "single device" would come out, a few hopefulls appeared, such as the HTC Shift, but alas, no Voice capability - just data.
Basically what we need is something you can use a bluetooth headset with, then we can have have no phone to carry around, just a small laptop and headset.
Well thats the dream anyway! However impractical it might be in practice, I'd like to see it happen someday!
derekcfoley
The sad thing is that the technology to make that happen already exists. I think the companies would do anything not to see that happen, so they can make more money. They want you to have voice and data on your phone, plus pay for wifi at your home. Why not just have 3G on the netbook and use Skype? (Read "Why AT&T and Apple Are Handcuffing Skype Users") The technology is there, but they are holding it back.
Why is Google bothering. For that matter, why is Microsoft...or Apple bothering.
The Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu is here. Ok, before the FUDmeisters chime in, here's a screenshot of my Dell Mini 9 Ubuntu interface:
http://you-saw-it-here-first.com/v/screenshots/UbuntuOnADellMini.png.html
Can you say "easy to use" -- yes, much easier than anything else for the basic user who just wants to blog and read the news and listen to some music on live.fm.
The Big Boys have to get used to a smaller paycheck...cause Ubuntu is doing the job!
The Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu is here. Ok, before the FUDmeisters chime in, here's a screenshot of my Dell Mini 9 Ubuntu interface:
http://you-saw-it-here-first.com/v/screenshots/UbuntuOnADellMini.png.html
Can you say "easy to use" -- yes, much easier than anything else for the basic user who just wants to blog and read the news and listen to some music on live.fm.
The Big Boys have to get used to a smaller paycheck...cause Ubuntu is doing the job!
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