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Novell CTO Trapped in 2007

Posted by Zealot on 10/9/08 in General, NetBook

images The Industry Standard is running an interesting interview with Novell CTO Nat Friedman about Netbooks. In the process he made some interesting statements that seem to indicate that Novell understands Netbooks…at least the way there were initially.

First of all, regarding Linux in general running on Netbooks, Mr. Friedman says:

People typically don’t care what operating system is on the netbooks, because they don’t buy them to run a suite of applications like Microsoft Office, but to be on the Web using a Web browser.

In my experience this is half right. Netbooks tend to be used both for net browsing/email and light notebook tasks like note taking and simple office documents. On top of that are some elements of leisure activities, like watching video or reading ebooks. Linux can certainly handle most of those tasks just as well as Windows can, however people still tend to want to be able to install applications the way they are used to on Windows, and use programs they are familiar with, like IE or Outlook.

If he were talking about MIDs or UMPCs I would agree completely…those devices are all about the internet. Netbooks, not so much. Maybe that will change when more 3G versions arrive with more connectivity.

After that comment, Friedman appeared to lose his map. and said:

Most of the low-cost netbooks will run Linux, to avoid the higher cost of the Windows operating system, and also because most of them have about 2G bytes of flash storage, for which Linux is more suitable.

2G? Ummm..not for quite awhile. If he is referring to Razorbook variations or the glorified PDA knockoffs that are being seen lately, maybe, but most of them also are now running with more storage. If Novell is still shaping software for the Eee 700 like it’s the cutting edge, then I suggest they answer their SMSs, 2007 wants it’s netbook back.

On a positive note, Friedman said that SUSE Linux versions of netbooks by Lenovo, MSi and HP will be coming soon, which is definitely good news for Linux and netbook fans alike.

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Written by Zealot · Filed Under General, NetBook 
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  • Pony99CA
    Steve…you are correct that the nomenclature is borked, but that is the norm for these devices. When I refer to a UMPC or a MID I mean a device like the OQO on one end and Nokia internet devices on the other. Netbooks for me are the sall notebook computer devices like the Eee onward. Speaking for myself, my Eee is only on the net 10 percent of the time due to lack of WiFi APs. As I said…3G would change that.

    I could be wrong, but don't a lot of UMPCs (like the Samsung Q series) and MIDs (like the Nokia 800 tablet series) just have WiFi?

    Granted, the Nokia probably is only designed for the Internet, but I think UMPCs are a lot more than just Internet access devices.

    I do agree that many people probably use netbooks for more than Internet access. I just think that Internet access is their design point. Otherwise, how do they differ from sub-notebooks or other mini-laptops?

    Steve
  • Zealot
    Steve...you are correct that the nomenclature is borked, but that is the norm for these devices. When I refer to a UMPC or a MID I mean a device like the OQO on one end and Nokia internet devices on the other. Netbooks for me are the sall notebook computer devices like the Eee onward. Speaking for myself, my Eee is only on the net 10 percent of the time due to lack of WiFi APs. As I said...3G would change that.

    daniel..source interview billed him as CTO. I took them at their word..if they were wrong, my bad.
  • Daniel
    Check your facts. Nat isn't Novell's CTO.

    http://www.novell.com/company/bios/index.html
  • Pony99CA
    If he were talking about MIDs or UMPCs I would agree completely…those devices are all about the internet. Netbooks, not so much. Maybe that will change when more 3G versions arrive with more connectivity.

    I'm going to disagree on two points.

    First, I don't think UMPCs are "all about the Internet". They're meant to be general purpose, very mobile PCs, as their name (Ultra Mobile PC) implies. I would expect them to run Windows (if only because Microsoft started that initiative).

    Second, I think Netbooks are all about the Internet, again as their name implies (network notebook). If somebody asks for a "netbook" and expects to do something else, that's their problem. They should have asked for a mini-laptop.

    That said, if they went to a Best Buy and asked for a small laptop, and the salesman sold them a netbook, I can understand why the consumer might return it. In that case, the salesman didn't do his job -- finding out what the customer really needs.

    Steve
  • Zealot
    Though I am not a Linux backer myself, I certainly see that Linux is a powerful operating system and more suitable then Windows for some tasks. I also concede that a considerable part of the problems Linux faces in the marketplace are perception based.

    How do you think big name vendors can help change public perceptions of Linux, and what is Novell doing in that regard?

    Also, what lessons do you think the Linux community has learned, and SHOULD learn, from Netbooks?
  • Nat Friedman
    I don't know what the exact return rate is, in either the Windows or Linux case, but the fact is that thousands of netbooks with Linux preloaded are shipping every month, and most of those to new Linux users. That's a big deal. That there are some hickups on what is essentially the first large-scale consumer rollout of Linux desktops to new Linux users is not a big surprise.

    The basic point, I think, holds. People are less sensitive to the particular operating system when they're mostly buying the machine to use the browser. The fact that there are some returns on Linux isn't a huge surprise; it was the same with the Walmart Linux desktops a couple years ago. In a lot of cases I think people don't understand that they are buying something different from what they're used to. They buy a tiny $400 netbook and expect the full functionality of a laptop or desktop. If they have Windows on the machine, it's more familiar. So maybe they're less likely to return in that case.

    We do need to continue to improve hardware support in Linux. This is a cooperation between the Linux community, Linux vendor, OEM and chip vendor. It's getting better.
  • Zealot
    Linux certainly is highly suitable to 2G netbooks, but now the vast majority of major vendor netbooks, including the less expensive models, are running with small HDs (30 G and up) or larger SSDs. What I really want to see from a Linux leader like Novell is hints as to their strategy for competeing on netbooks that run Windows just fine, and how they intend to address the high Linux return rate that has been discussed here and elsewhere.

    As for reporting on just a couple quotes from a longer interview, I concede that willingly but fear that was all I was able to find of the interview. I am certain our readers would love to hear your views on the subject in depth.

    Z
  • Nat Friedman
    It really depends on the price point, but several of the top-selling netbooks with solid-state storage do still only have a few gigs of flash.

    This was an hour-long interview with one or two quotes plucked from it. I do think it's a fair point that Linux can slim quite well, and this gives it an edge on this new class of devices.
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