Why are we pinning Linux desktop hopes on netbooks
I've been reading the recent Linux and netbook blogs/analysis with great interest as my wife's ThinkPad T40 is nearing death. I asked her if she wanted a Mac, a netbook, or another ThinkPad. Her response: "I don't care. I just want to read e-mail, do some Excel and Word, and clean up pictures with Picasa." Based on how I interpreted these requirements, I suggested a Mac. She nixed that idea quickly, saying, "if you want a Mac, like I know you do, go get one. But I don't want to pay extra for one."
Bruised, I suggested she buy a netbook. She'd seen them at Costco, and liked the low price. I told her we could get one with Linux so it'd be even cheaper. Her response: "how much cheaper? Because I know how my Windows works and how to access my folders with Explorer." I made the mistake of saying that the Linux version was about $50 cheaper than the Windows version. Game over. She wants nothing to do with a Linux netbook. Not surprisingly, she wants nothing to do with Vista and its whole new UI, either.
Trying to make the Linux netbook more compelling and exciting than a Windows netbook goes against consumer demand. The average netbook consumer (i.e. my wife) doesn't want a more compelling laptop/netbook; she wants a cheap and Windows-based user experience. Nothing different, nothing more.
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