After years of shadow boxing, Google is finally out in the open with its strategy to counter Microsoft on the Desktop Operating System space. Yesterday at Computex Taipei 2009, Acer, the third largest PC manufacturer in the world announced that it is all set to launch a Netbook running on Google's Android operating system.
Android was originally conceived as an operating system for Mobile phones and competes with rivals such as Windows Mobile, iPhone, Symbian, etc on that front. But Acer has clearly demonstrated that the Android can be ported to work on Netbooks as well presumably paving the way for an onslaught of similar devices that will leverage the Open Source Android OS in the future.
Already hot on Acer's heels is Asus, also soon to launch a version of their popular Eee PC powered by Google Android.
This to my mind is a brilliant move from Google as Microsoft Vista has not been entirely successful as an OS for Netbooks. Indeed many Netbooks continue to ship with Windows XP. Besides Netbooks, with limited hardware capability ties in with Google's strategy of leveraging their "cloud" based apps such as Google Docs, Gmail, Google Apps, etc.
Google's ability to give away the Android OS for Free (and also Open Source) could put pressure on Microsoft particularly for Windows 7. If I were Microsoft, I would be very concerned.
H”mm ..agree its tough times for Microsoft moving forward…its inevitable that HP, Dell and Lenovo follow Acer here unless MSFT does something special to protect these captive franchisees…
What percentage of OS business constitutes MSFT annual turnover ?