OS Lock on Net books: Not as Secure as Microsoft Thought

Microsoft is on a high with the news that they have become the dominant provider of operating systems for the net book line of mobile computing devices – but is currently facing a lot of challenges from their old rivals who have begun donning new clothes geared to take that dominance away from them. Android, an operating system developed by Google, is thought of by some analysts as well as observers to be that which could displace Windows in the net book OS market. However, some interlopers here and there could very well prove that they too have enough mettle to be dealt with in a serious matter.

Early in the Game

Several years since the inception of these net books as preferable mobile computing devices, Microsoft was successful in snagging a so-called secure lock by coming up with operating systems for these net books. It was also mentioned that Microsoft boasts of their highly successful Windows XP operating system as the primary operating system in many net books for the past couple of years. Basically, these net books are mini notebooks that are low in cost and are designed for light duty on the usage of the Internet as well as productivity tasks. They often come with keys that are chiclet sized and may not necessarily come with a large hard drive, but could quite possibly feature flash memory and may be priced in the two hundred dollar range. It was once designed as the cheaper computing devices for emerging economies, yet have proven to be quite popular with may developed economies in the past couple of years as well. The main reason is that these are portable internet appliances that are handy to tote around and serve as second or third computing devices in many households. There have also been a lot of corporations who have begun buying them so that there will be full-functioning and inexpensive devices which they can use.

Pricing Issues of Operating Systems

When it comes to net books, the average price they sell for was around three hundred and seventeen dollars. Wholesale prices were at twenty five dollars less. But then again, the personal computer makers are bent on looking for options that would bring down the costs all the more and boost their profits as well. To cut costs, they have begun concentrating on the Google Android system – which is a variant of Linux and is also an open office software as well. It was once created with the smart phone in mind but ended up looking towards the bigger and brighter picture of the future as well. Even a report from the Wall Street Journal shows that Hewlett Packard and other companies are at the moment busy exploring the potentials of these Android net books.