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When Windows 7 was still in the works, many in the tech industry were eagerly anticipating a Netbook Edition of the OS. We were dismayed to see that Microsoft had ditched its plans in favor of the crappier Windows 7 Starter. However, it looks like many netbook users’ dreams have come true – a new, tweaked version of Windows 7 has been making its rounds on the Web under the moniker of Windows 7 Netbook Edition.

The OS is a customized version of Windows 7 Ultimate, ditching a lot of extraneous drivers, language packs, and additional features. It’s not made by Microsoft, but it’s expected to run on just about any netbook – even the oldest of the old.

Windows 7 Netbook Edition may be based on a pre-release version of Windows 7, so don’t be surprised if it implodes on you or kicks you out for not having a valid product key.

Via Liliputing.

Google’s fabled OS has been released for open sourcing as the Chromium OS. By Google’s own admission, it’s “intended for people who spend most of their time on the web”, which seems like a long way to say ‘netbook users‘.

Enjoy some videos about the Chromium OS below.

At this morning’s announcement event, Google demoed the OS on a netbook. According to the speaker, the netbook goes from cold to usable in under 10 seconds, a number Google is working “very, very hard” to decrease.

Here’s the demo:

I’m excited.

Via ChromeBlog.

Microsoft’s Windows 7 may rock a sleeker interface and more features than its predecessors ever did, and it may have been slimmed down since vista in both memory use and install size. However, when it comes to battery life, Windows 7 falls short in netbooks compared to the eight-year-old Windows XP.

Laptop showed Windows 7 to average 47 minutes less battery life than XP, with the deficit running up to an hour in such models as the ASUS Eee PC 1008HA. Other blogs have confirmed the lower runtimes since, much to the dismay of netbook users everywhere.

CNet even found that 64-bit Windows 7 machines lagged behind Macbooks running Apple OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” in boot time, shutdown time, multimedia encoding, and multitasking tests.

To be fair, hardly any netbooks could run Windows Vista, while the majority can run Windows 7. But isn’t that giving 7 too much credit for the crappiness of its predecessor? It will be nice to see some improvements in a future Service Pack, but unless the changes are substantial it seems like the new OS has fallen short despite significant efforts at improvement by Microsoft.

The Moblin project is an ambitious one, promising a host of fantastic features to netbook users. The coolest of these feature was always the fabled 2-second quick-boot;  however, the latest Moblin preview image (2.1) is available for those of you adventurous to give it a try. It is packing features far up the proverbial wazoo.

“The Moblin v2.1 release for netbooks and nettops includes many community and customer requested enhancements; for example, support for additional nettop screen resolutions, myzone improvements, IM improvements, better language support, updated kernel, Moblin Garage, Moblin Application Installer, 3G data support, and Bluetooth.”

3G support would be a massive expansion for Linux netbook users, whose options for the moment are limited. The Moblin Garage is another biggie, offering users access to third-party apps and other toys.

The image is just a preview of the upcoming full release, which is expected in stable form by the end of the year. Furthermore, the tested platforms for the Moblin image are as follows:

• Acer Aspire One
• ASUS Eee PC 901
• ASUS Eee PC 1005HA
• ASUS Eee PC 1008HA
• Dell Mini 9
• Dell Mini 10
• Dell Mini 10v
• MSI Wind
• Toshiba NB205
• Samsung NC10

Here’s the download link. Have fun, kids!

While Windows 7 is widely expected to be slimmer and more functional than Windows Vista, Iolo Technologies claims the new OS takes longer to boot than its predecessor.

The company sells PC tune-up software and said that its lab unit was disappointed with the new operating system’s performance. Windows 7 took 1 minute 34 seconds to become usable on a new machine as compared to a minute 6 seconds with Vista. The difference could be a deal breaker in netbooks, where boot times can severly hinder or augment the user experience.

Iolo’s main criterion was that the OS be fully usable to be considered booted, “with CPU cycles no longer significantly high and a true idle state achieved”.

CNet News has corroborated those results, leading to a murmur of worry among those anticipating the new OS. Microsoft has not yet commented on the findings, but if the past is any clue, it should come forward in self-defense soon.

We’ve been eagerly anticipating Tariq Krim’s Jolicloud OS for months, and while it isn’t available just yet, Krim has some interesting things to say about the motivation for the OS in the meantime.

Krim, who founded Netvibes, said that the “thin client concept is “more feasible now than ever.” What this means is that netbooks, being easy to replace, have users that want to preserve their settings and credentials even as they switch between machines.

Based on Ubuntu, Jolicloud is still in alpha mode but raised $4.2 million in first round funding this July.

Recent availability of cheaper hardware and widespread wireless internet access has made cloud services all the more plausible. It will be exciting to see how this translates into extra features in Jolicloud.

Be sure to check out Jolicloud’s main site for more information.

Shanzai.com, citing “trusted industry insider sources,” claims that we’re going to see the Google Chrome OS some time this October. This claim comes despite the fact that Google is projecting release mid-2010.

Netbooks will be the initial targeting category for the new OS, says Shanzai, but UMPCs and tablets will get their hands on Google Chrome if a test in netbooks goes well.

The idea of an October release is certainly appealing, especially considering that that’s when Windows 7 will be released as well. I’ll admit, an OS war would be a lot of fun, but I can’t quite get myself to drink the Kool-Aid on this one.

We’ll see who’s right by Halloween, anyhow. Expect updates as the rumor mill churns on.

The Standard has  brought up some interesting questions about the future of netbooks in their recent article about the upcoming release of Windows 7.

The biggest issue at hand is the price point of Windows 7. While we have some preliminary numbers already, it’s unknown what Microsoft will charge manufacturers for their new OS. That fee that will likely trickle down to consumers. This could lead to an increase in netbook prices and the quality of their features, at least according to analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies:

“This is what both Microsoft and hardware companies want. They want to sell ultrathin laptops for $500 rather than netbooks for $300. But users like netbooks.”

There’s no question about that! But even if prices rise for Windows 7 netbooks, what will happen to Windows XP?

Windows XP is currently sold to manufacturers for about $15 a copy, a compromise that Microsoft reluctantly took in light of the fact that Vista is unbearably slow on most netbooks. Microsoft has agreed to license Windows XP for a full year after the October 22 release of Windows 7.

The real debate is whether consumers will accept a price boost in order to get in on Windows 7. Indeed, Kay notes that while “there’s no doubt Windows 7 will be better than XP on netbooks,” it might not be “$100 better when all most people do on netbooks is surf the Web, check e-mail and IM.”

Have a low-power processor on your netbook? Here’s a remedy. Ubuntu Linux’s Easy Peasy distribution is designed to make netbooks run more efficiently.

Easy Peasy can be installed onto your netbook via a disc or a USB drive. Both methods have a LiveCD component, which means that you’ll be able to test out the software before fully installing it onto your netbook.

By default, Easy Peasy boots into a customized menu (shown below) with large icons and menu items. If you’re not into the larger-sized features, you can always revert to a regular GNOME-style desktop. Besides that, there’s not much else (if anything) that needs to be done after the initial installation. You’ll be able to do what you want – browse the net, watch videos, etc.

Have fun!

Via LifeHacker.

The newest version of Ubuntu Netbook Remix is here, and though it’s just a touch-up of the old version, the interface has been amended in some pretty appealing ways.

This version is called Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Alpha 4 Netbook Remix, and it gives you more access to the desktop while still allowing use of the UNR program launcher you may be familiar with. Menus are resizeable for this purpose, and folder animations have also been reintroduced.

You can get Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 4 from Canonical, as always.

When Windows 7 hits the streets on 10/22/09, the netbook market could change quite a bit. Microsoft has agreements with netbook manufacturers to start shelling out netbooks with Windows 7 Starter, rather than XP, and with rumors abounding about how crippled the Starter Edition might be it’s looking like netbookers with deep pockets could be asking for an upgrade.

Upgrading to Home Premium from starter will cost $79.99, and will open the door to Aero Peek and Taskbar Previews – widgets designed to improve desktop usability. The Windows Anytime Upgrade will enact the changes through a built-in service in Windows 7 Starter, if users elect to purchase it.

Going from Home Premium to Professional will cost $89.99, and from Home Premium to Ultimate could cost $139.99. It remains to be seen how netbook consumers will react to these numbers, if they’re fazed at all. After all, despite Microsoft’s repeatedly insane antics, 96% of netbooks still run a Windows OS.

The aforementioned pricing applies to Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA. Pricing elsewhere is thus far unavailable.

Via WindowsBlog.

Most netbook consumers using Windows XP assume that the old-school look is just part of the sacrifice you take in exchange for low prices when you buy a netbook. Luckily, that’s an uninvestigated assumption that needs some correction.

XPize is a project run by volunteer developers, designed to update the user interface of Windows XP to give it a newer look. Its visual bells and whistles make the OS look a lot better, which may appeal to the vast number of XP-using netbook users out there.

Vize is also available if you want to touch up Vista, and a Sevenize getup is planned after the release of Windows 7. Check it out!

Via jkOnTheRun.

With Windows 7 just on the horizon, plenty of consumers out there are sure to be concerned with the premiums associated with upgrading to the OS. Amazon has put together a promotional plan to alleviate those concerns, so if you’re on the market for a new notebook or netbook anyway, you might be interested.

Here’s how it works:

1. Get a new laptop, desktop, or netbook on Amazon with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate. This must be done between June 26, 2009 and January 31, 2010 for most machines, though vendors can shorten the period if they wish.
2. Follow the links at the bottom of the Amazon page to the website of your chosen computer’s manufacturer.
3. Instructions will be available on their specific guidelines on how to upgrade – follow them!
4. Enjoy Windows 7.

This should be an attractive option for students who want a new computer for the upcoming school year but want to get in on Windows 7 without buying two operating systems. Check it out!

Not long after announcing the upcoming Google Chrome OS, Google dropped the names of a few vendors and manufacturers that would partner with Google to distribute the new operating system.

ASUS and Acer, the biggest names in the industry, will be working with Google and may release netbooks with the new OS. Also mentioned were Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and Toshiba.

Chip makers like Freescale, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm were also mentioned. It’s an exciting time for netbooks, and if Google’s web-based approach to computing goes far with consumers the result could be a sizeable shift in market structure.

While it may not have the mainstream appeal as Windows XP or such Linux distributions as Ubuntu Netbook Remix, the newly released Sugar on a Stick OS is worth a good look as a novel take on the stripped-down Linux OS.

Sugar on a Stick was originally designed for the OLPC project and uses the Sugar Linux desktop environment. It’s designed to boot, and run from a USB drive for true portability and minimalism. Give it a try!

Via Gizmodo.

While Microsoft may have acquiesced to drop the three-application limit to Windows 7 Starter Edition, the price is still proving to be an issue. As we reported a few days ago, OEMs aren’t likely to be too enthusiastic about making the transition from Windows XP to Windows 7. Digitimes explains why:

The current price of Windows XP OEM version is only around US$25-30, but the latest quotes from Microsoft for the netbook version of Windows 7 is around US$45-55 and therefore first-tier vendors are unable to transfer the cost to the netbooks’ sales price due to the fierce competition. The first-tier notebook vendors are still negotiating with Microsoft hoping to bring the price down.

For the sake of comparison, Windows XP Starter was reportedly between “$15 to $35 for each copy [in May 2005], and in April 2009… under $15 per copy.”

So what’s that going to mean for OEMs? A $50 increase in netbook price. For a notebook, that may not be too big of a deal, but with netbooks that often cost under $300 it makes complete sense that OEMs would want to negotiate with Microsoft. The fallout from these negotiations has already become apparent, and if things keep going the way they have we may not even see Windows 7 on Atom netbooks.

Official pricing for Windows 7 Starter is as of yet unannounced, but the other editions may get numbers by the end of the month. Let’s hope for some better news by then.

Via ArsTechnica.

Netbook users have grown fonder of Linux recently, following the releases of such netbook-specific operating systems as Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 and the beta of Moblin 2.0. Quick-boot has always been an attraction of Linux, and according to developer Scott James Remnant we’re going to see Linux netbook boot times fall to a mere 10 seconds by Ubuntu 10.04.

At the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Barcelona, Remnant explaine that boot times in Ubuntu 8.10 (65 seconds) dropped to 25 seconds by 9.04. He thinks that by next year’s version 10.04, which is to follow 9.10 (Karmic Koala), the number could be even smaller.

He used the Dell Mini 9 netbook, which comes with Ubuntu pre-installed, to benchmark the OS. Though the Mini 9 was chosen to achieve consistent data, the 10 second goal is in fact for desktop Ubuntu. However, in Remnant’s view, that will allow netbook boot times to be even faster.

“10 [seconds] is a good number, especially for a generic, hardware agnostic, non-stripped down Linux distribution. From that starting point, development teams will be able to customise and tailor Ubuntu for specific hardware—and the OEM team will be able to produce custom Remixes of Ubuntu that boot even faster,” he wrote. “I think it likely that we’ll match Moblin’s 5 [second] benchmark on similar hardware, with a device-tailored Moblin-based remix of Ubuntu.”

It sounds promising. If Netbook Remix 10.04 could boot a netbook in under 10 seconds, I’d certainly be a convert. Who else is with me?

Via ArsTechnica.

The alpha version of Moblin 2.0 has been out for a while, but the open-source Linux stack is stepping it up by releasing the beta. We’ve discovered some screenshots and other delectable details, and I can say with complete objectivity that they look fantastic.

Below is an example of some of the extensive upgrades made to Moblin, including a flashier user interface, toolbar, and “m-zone” home page that rounds up social networking content. This isn’t your father’s Linux.

Linux vendors are hoping that the new stack will revitalize meager Linux sales in the netbook category. Moblin is calling this new version Moblin v2.0 for Netbooks and Nettops, so it’s clear what industry their cross-hairs are aimed at. This may also up the stakes for Google’s Android, whose recent appearance in the netbook industry has made the prospect of Windows alternatives more viable.

Novell announced earlier that it has been working closely with computer giant Intel in preparing a Moblin v2.0 version of SUSE Linux for market. Windows 7 is on the horizon, and as the behemoth approaches more and more members of the Linux community will be looking to exploit holes in its marketing plan. It seems like there’s never been a better time to try to jump ahead of Microsoft.

Below is Novell’s OpenSUSE beta, based on Moblin v2.0 and showing the m-zone home page:

The new UI is certainly pretty, and is optimized for netbooks and nettops. Moblin v2.0 uses the Clutter animation framework and depends on (according to Moblin.org) “GL and the physics engine.” We’ve got a video of the Clutter interface here, and it looks like it’s making exceptionally effective use of multi-touch – perhaps more than Windows 7.

Imad Sousou, director of Intel’s Open Source Technology Center, praised Moblin’s accessability in a blog announcement:

“We feel the code has reached a level where both developers and enthusiasts can play with it… While fine tuning, bug fixing, and polishing is ongoing, so is performance improvement, all of which you should start seeing rolled into the weekly builds.”

The new toolbar (above) shows up when you hover over the top of the screen, saving precious netbook screen space. The icon panels are pleasantly minimalist and “include features such as status, people (contacts), Internet, media, pasteboard, applications, and zones.”

Below is the m-zone appointment screen, acting as a home for at-a-glance access to your daily activities. Calendars with tasks, appointments, recently accessed files and live updates from your favorite sites can be synchronized for instant access and improved efficiency.

DesktopLinux has noted a host of other highlights of the new Moblin 2.0 Linux stack:

Optimized web browser — Based on new Mozilla browser technology revised into a Clutter shell, the Moblin browser includes features such as video embedding and the latest Flash plug-in.

Zoomable media player — Users can zoom from viewing all media down to focusing on an individual picture, movie, or audio track. The media player can detect and index media on external USB devices, as well as networked UPnP devices, says Moblin.org.

UI for connection management — The updated connection manager (ConnMan) now offers improved UI.

Support for Linux desktop applications — Support for desktop applications is provided via GNOME Mobile technologies.

Furthermore, the creators of Moblin have tested the OS on several new netbooks including the Acer Aspire One, ASUS Eee PC 901, ASUS Eee PC 1000H, Dell Mini 9, MSI Wind, Lenovo Ideapad S10, Samsung NC10, and the HP Mini 1010 and 1120NR.

All of that on top of two-second boot times? I’m a convert. You can download the Moblin v2.0 beta here, and be sure to share your experience with us here at NBB.

Via DesktopLinux.

A recent leak by a Dell affiliate has led many to believe that Google Android is in the cards for the PC giant. The new netbook would likely be cheaper, as Android is free, and would run ARM architecture rather than the Intel Atom.

BSquare, a software company, announced the plan in a press release. It mentioned a plan to use Adobe software with “Dell netbooks running Google’s Android platform.”

Apparently, Dell isn’t too pleased with BSquare’s announcement. Spokesman Andrew Bowins of Dell admonished that the release was published “in error,” though he didn’t precisely assert that BSquare’s claims were false. His comment was suitably vague:

“Dell constantly assesses new technologies as part of managing our product development process and for consideration in future products.”

For now that’s all we’ve got. Partnering with Dell would be a big move for Android netbooks, and it will be exciting to see if anything of value comes from that kind of effort in the future.

Via WSJ.