Google Android: Pushing Ubuntu Off Netbooks?
When it comes to Netbook software, most pundits focus on Windows XP vs. Linux. But there’s mounting evidence Google Android could be the Next Big Thing on netbooks — potentially putting the squeeze on Windows and Ubuntu. Here’s the scoop.
Freescale, for one, expects to support and promote Google Android on super-low-cost netbooks later this year, reports OSnews. Meanwhile, VentureBeat in January 2009 offered a lengthy article describing why Android netbooks are on the way, plus an FAQ about the potential Android-netbook synergies.
Canonical’s New Competitor?
These certainly are strange times for Canonical, which is seeking to compete more effectively against Windows and Mac OS X on notebooks, desktops and even servers.
Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth has called on his company — and Ubuntu supporters — to leapfrog Mac OS X’s intuitive design within the next few years. And Canonical is lining up hardware partners and ISVs (independent software vendors) to help Ubuntu chip away at Windows Server.
Meanwhile, Google Android has emerged as a wild-card operating system. Already, I believe, Google’s software has somewhat undermined Canonical’s MID (mobile internet device) effort. And now, Google Android on netbooks represents a new potential threat to Ubuntu.
Frankly, I’m intrigued by the potential Android-Ubuntu showdowns on netbooks and MIDs. There’s nothing better than healthy, heated competition to drive innovation.
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Not sure I agree. The MID market has cooled down substantially. Why? Because the netbook market has heated up. I can get a more functional machine for about the same price. Android adds another choice and healthy competition is very good especially in this economy. I’d venture to say that we’ll see some really good innovation coming much quicker.
Android may be good competition to a MID device, but the hardware vendors need to get some value in these devices. Right now, I don’t see MID going anywhere.
Wait a minute, isn’t Android a Linux based distribution?
Deven: Yes it is. But that doesn’t mean Ubuntu will face less pressure on Netbooks from Android.
Android is Linux based, but doesn’t use an Xserver, so Linux GUI-Apps won’t work. It will only become a competitor in the netbook market when netbooks come with touchscreens or the app-market for android takes off, which will take at least a year.
@Deven, yes the Android is a Linux based OS, just like Ubuntu is, but typically (of Ubuntu users) Joe conflates Linux and Ubuntu as the same thing. The focus is still Windows XP vs. Linux, you know like Linpus (based on redhat), Xandros, Mandriva, EeeBuntu, etc. Android is just a more well known one, due to the marketing power that Google wield.
“Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth has called on his company — and Ubuntu supporters — to leapfrog Mac OS X’s intuitive design within the next few years.”
I believe Shuttleworth has KDE 4.x in mind to replace GNOME on Ubuntu.
By the way, MID and Notbooks both have their own features usage and will constantly compete. What the Customers want done will determine what to purchase.
@Deven: The Android is a Linux based OS, just like Ubuntu is, but typically (of Ubuntu users) Joe conflates Linux and Ubuntu as the same thing.
The focus is still Windows XP vs. Linux, like Linpus (based on Red Hat), Xandros, Mandriva, EeeBuntu, etc. Android is just a more well known one, due to the marketing power that Google wield.
I think netbooks are differnt market to MID’s, why install Android when you can have all the xserver based applications already on the market. There are plenty of light weight desktop managers avalable for Linux now xfce, ice, etc… You can also use KDE or Gnome if the CPU has enough grunt.
Android may work well on small screens, but I would not like to use it on a netbook, because of the application restrictions.
Steve: Yes, netbooks ARE a different market than MIDs. But MIDs are still a poorly defined market that most consumers don’t understand… … yet.
Ubuntu has the major advantage that it’s repositories contain free open source software. Android on the other hand won’t have free applications for much longer. The Android Market is now accepting “paid for” applications.
At the end of the day it all comes down to what people want to use these things for. If MIDs become large portable media devices then I suspect Android won’t be that big a threat. If on the other hand, a polished GUI with slick effects is what people want then Android has it in the bag.
Besides I still get the impression Canonical would much rather be playing in the server market with Red Hat and Novell where they could potentially make a lot more money.
@Abe: notice how ‘intuitive design’ was stressed.
Now take a look at the KDE4 hig: http://wiki.openusability.org/guidelines/index.php/Main_Page
The Gnome HIG: http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/
And guess which is more mature and tested.
I cannot agree more with Steve, what will make the difference is the number and quality of applications people will be able to install on their system (which is, by the way, one of the reason we’re working on allmyapps, to make it really easy for *normal* users to find and install new apps on their Linux system).
In my opinion, if Android for netbooks is to be the same as Android for smartphones (= very restrictive and java based), then I doubt it has a chance to succeed in the netbook market… On the other hand, if Android for netbooks becomes more permissive and is to be “yet another distro”, then they’d probably better go hand in hand with Ubuntu imho.
All in all,
[...] time Microsoft releases Windows 7 in mid- to late-2009, the netbook market in particular could face intense competitive pressures between Google, Microsoft and [...]
[...] time Microsoft releases Windows 7 in mid- to late-2009, the netbook market in particular could face intense competitive pressures between Google, Microsoft and [...]