Google OS

[Venkman]

Which would be nice, but you really can't rely on the consumer to know what they need outside of what they're already using at work. Price will help, but see the consumer confusion affecting return rates from page 1. People don't know what they don't need until you remind them two years later that they haven't used it. Counter that with the reality that during that two year period they probably needed it once enough to cause the omgwhatdidibuy concern.

I see netbooks in the same way I see non-smartphone mobile phones, and some of the crappy smartphones as well: promise of a potential specific end user experience that becomes disappointing quickly enough to instill buyer remorse. The difference is the (current) lack of the two year commitment. Given that it's not Google trying to sell these netbooks, I wouldn't be surprised to see more of those commitments (free netbook with broadband card to our service for two years!!)

Someone's gotta make the money in their vertical.

[Quinton]

The difference is the (current) lack of the two year commitment. Given that it's not Google trying to sell these netbooks, I wouldn't be surprised to see more of those commitments (free netbook with broadband card to our service for two years!!)

Someone's gotta make the money in their vertical.

The margins on $200 netbooks have got to be pretty damn thin, especially given how *everyone*'s making 'em now.  My theory (based on browsing some dell, hp, etc netbook online sales sites) is the current model is to try to make it up in upgrades (memory, disk, bundled software, etc).

[Venkman]

The margins are probably the same as notebooks. It's the bottom line which would be different. The components are different but their ammortization is probably similar. For example, various members of the ARM family are used in a lot of different devices, while Intel/AMD processors are used in a lot of different laptops. No idea what the numbers are.

In general, I see netbooks having much more potential in emerging countries where endusers aren't conditioned by MS dominated offices. And maybe the college-bound crowd depending on what the professors and curriculum demand (I have no idea. I went to college with a Mac SE and did most of whatever "online" work on VAX dumb terminals ).

But as viable replacements for today's professionals that don't really "go home" as much as telecommute without calling it that, I doubt it.

No idea if the emerging markets and young 20-somethings are a big enough business. It's not like Google is making some really risky bet here.

[stray]

There are rumors that on Monday, Microsoft is going to announce an online version of Office to compete with Google Docs.

You mean http://workspace.officelive.com/en-us/office-web-applications

Microsoft should have done this earlier... But I guess that's be expected (always second in line in the game).

Anyways, I'm a Mac user, but I've been playing with Windows again.. All of the Live stuff is pretty nice, I think. There isn't much lacking now with Office in the mix. Just one more thing to keep people there instead of there. Even "Bing" isn't a bad alternative to Google. It'll be interesting to see if it all picks up. A lot of their success hedges on whether they have bad press or not (like with Vista), but even so, people use their shit either way.

[Delmania]

Anyways, I'm a Mac user, but I've been playing with Windows again.. All of the Live stuff is pretty nice, I think. There isn't much lacking now with Office in the mix. Just one more thing to keep people there instead of there. Even "Bing" isn't a bad alternative to Google. It'll be interesting to see if it all picks up. A lot of their success hedges on whether they have bad press or not (like with Vista), but even so, people use their shit either way.

Windows 7 is also really well done (I use the RC).  The bad press with Vista that allows Apple to take away some market share and the rise of Google as the dominant company on the Internet have been good things, as they both provide actual competition to Microsoft, which, in turn has had a part in the improvement of the company's products.  I just hope Google and Apple keep the pressure on.

[stray]

It's too bad that Apple's strong vendor tie-in philosophy keeps them from playing the web app game much. Mobile Me is stupid and expensive and only good for Macs and iPhones, iApps aren't actually "i" Apps.. Hell, even their Default Start Page is just some bullshit Product site.. Like I give a fuck reading about a computer I already have - or other "success stories" of people who have the computer I have. Fuck off.

They don't even try to have a customized Yahoo or Google page or whatnot, let alone their own type of portal. I like the OS and hardware a lot, but it's really about the whole package.. and I don't think they're up with the times, at least when it comes to the web. And the sad thing is, they have the branding to pull it off. But they won't. They'll end up staying where they've always been.. In the realm of niche-y pro apps/and design.

I haven't messed with Windows 7, but that's all I hear... that's a big improvement. And like I said, if Microsoft still has a zillionfuckton of users even with bad press, they're pretty much unstoppable when they have good press.

[Venkman]

Sorta agree. But I still think the old question applies: how many people choose their OS vs choose the hardware upon which they happen to get an OS?

Vista had problems for the end user, but it only reached epic proportions of fail when the hardware vendors couldn't fall in lockstep anymore. They probably got tired of the hours spent by their sales force convincing retail buyers that Vista wasn't all that bad, so don't worry just do business as usual. And it's not like W7 is a completely rebuilt-from-ground-up OS either.

Google and Apple rising is a great thing. Both are more popular brands and position themselves as more enduser focused. As much as Apple offers a complete end-to-end user experiences, Windows is still the default most people think of when you say "computer". The best chance of that changing is an entire new (ish) market ignoring it.