W
Win 7
PC World, the UK's biggest computing retailer, is to stop selling
Linux netbooks in its stores.
Jeremy Fennell, PC World's category director, said in a statement on
Monday that all the netbooks in PC World's stores will feature
Microsoft Windows. He also said the chain will no longer stock
netbooks with screens measuring less than 10 inches.
"Despite initial hype that netbooks would move more users onto the
Linux platform, Microsoft has emerged as the preferred operating
system because Windows makes it easier to share content and provides
customers with a simpler, more familiar computing experience on the
move," Fennell said.
Customers want a "decent, usable" screen size and keyboard and a
software system they are familiar with, Fennell added. "The screen
size is important as customers want to be able to view pages easily,
but the netbook also needs to be small enough to fit in a handbag. The
10-inch models fit the bill perfectly," he said.
PC World is owned by the electronics giant DSG International, which
also owns the Currys electrical chain. A spokesperson for DSG
International told ZDNet UK that Currys stores would also stop
stocking non-Windows netbooks. The online operations of both PC World
and Currys will, however, continue to carry netbooks with Linux as the
operating system and with smaller screens.
The spokesperson refused to give precise figures for DSG
International's Linux netbook sales, but said they accounted for less
than 10 percent of the group's netbook sales.
DSG International's decision to drop Linux netbooks from its stores
drew swift praise from Microsoft. Company blogger Brandon LeBlanc said
the trend of "customers demanding Windows for its ease of use,
compatibility and simplicity" was not unique to the UK, but was
happening in the US as well.
"The latest data from NPD's retail tracking service showed that
Windows now account for a whopping 98 percent of all small notebook
PCs sales at retail in the US," LeBlanc wrote in a blog posted on
Monday. "I think it's important to note that all of this momentum is
happening before Windows 7 is even out! When Windows 7 does arrive
(special report) […] I think the demand for Windows on these devices
will increase even more."
Last year, PC manufacturer MSI said its Linux netbooks had four times
the return rate of its Windows netbooks. Ubuntu sponsor Canonical said
in October that the higher Linux return rates could be attributed to
"teething problems" with running the operating system on netbooks.
On Wednesday, Canonical spokesman Gerry Carr said Microsoft had "the
distribution, connections and relationships in place" to ensure
Windows dominance in retail stores, but suggested that it was a
different story with online sellers.
"There's a big disparity between physical store and online stores,"
Carr said, adding that 30 percent of the netbooks Dell sold online
used Ubuntu Linux rather than Windows.
Carr also pointed out that, while there was a great deal of buzz
around Windows 7, this week's Computex show in Taiwan included many
manufacturers showing off new Linux-based netbooks and smartbooks.
"The IT industry is converging around different non-Microsoft-based
platforms," Carr said. "Any thought that the war is over is a bit like
George Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' statement."
This article was originally posted on ZDNet UK.
Linux netbooks in its stores.
Jeremy Fennell, PC World's category director, said in a statement on
Monday that all the netbooks in PC World's stores will feature
Microsoft Windows. He also said the chain will no longer stock
netbooks with screens measuring less than 10 inches.
"Despite initial hype that netbooks would move more users onto the
Linux platform, Microsoft has emerged as the preferred operating
system because Windows makes it easier to share content and provides
customers with a simpler, more familiar computing experience on the
move," Fennell said.
Customers want a "decent, usable" screen size and keyboard and a
software system they are familiar with, Fennell added. "The screen
size is important as customers want to be able to view pages easily,
but the netbook also needs to be small enough to fit in a handbag. The
10-inch models fit the bill perfectly," he said.
PC World is owned by the electronics giant DSG International, which
also owns the Currys electrical chain. A spokesperson for DSG
International told ZDNet UK that Currys stores would also stop
stocking non-Windows netbooks. The online operations of both PC World
and Currys will, however, continue to carry netbooks with Linux as the
operating system and with smaller screens.
The spokesperson refused to give precise figures for DSG
International's Linux netbook sales, but said they accounted for less
than 10 percent of the group's netbook sales.
DSG International's decision to drop Linux netbooks from its stores
drew swift praise from Microsoft. Company blogger Brandon LeBlanc said
the trend of "customers demanding Windows for its ease of use,
compatibility and simplicity" was not unique to the UK, but was
happening in the US as well.
"The latest data from NPD's retail tracking service showed that
Windows now account for a whopping 98 percent of all small notebook
PCs sales at retail in the US," LeBlanc wrote in a blog posted on
Monday. "I think it's important to note that all of this momentum is
happening before Windows 7 is even out! When Windows 7 does arrive
(special report) […] I think the demand for Windows on these devices
will increase even more."
Last year, PC manufacturer MSI said its Linux netbooks had four times
the return rate of its Windows netbooks. Ubuntu sponsor Canonical said
in October that the higher Linux return rates could be attributed to
"teething problems" with running the operating system on netbooks.
On Wednesday, Canonical spokesman Gerry Carr said Microsoft had "the
distribution, connections and relationships in place" to ensure
Windows dominance in retail stores, but suggested that it was a
different story with online sellers.
"There's a big disparity between physical store and online stores,"
Carr said, adding that 30 percent of the netbooks Dell sold online
used Ubuntu Linux rather than Windows.
Carr also pointed out that, while there was a great deal of buzz
around Windows 7, this week's Computex show in Taiwan included many
manufacturers showing off new Linux-based netbooks and smartbooks.
"The IT industry is converging around different non-Microsoft-based
platforms," Carr said. "Any thought that the war is over is a bit like
George Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' statement."
This article was originally posted on ZDNet UK.
