Why do we care at all what Microsoft tries to squeeze out of the consumer. Linux is not perfect and it needs some retraining, but you can load Ubuntu on it, full version. Microsoft will kill itself. It is just a matter of time.

I'm more concerned about when, this time next year, you stack your useless NetBook on my shelves to join your Internet Appliance, PDA, pet rock, Sinclair, yo-yos, hair-tip dye and hula-hoops.
Lemmings.

What? LINUX not powerful enough to run on higher end laptops? What kind of a crap statement is that. Microsoft have you hook, line and sinker. They have always regulated the LINUX netbooks to the lowend, illegaly via specifications, and here is a tech writer regurgitating the crap.

LINUX=FREEDOM from those GREEDY bastards.

The middle market for netbooks effectively will have been eliminated and Steve Ballmer will laugh all the way to the bank. µ

Sounds like the "eliminated middle market" will be a hole big enough for Jobs to drive his mob through, thus clobbering everyone.

"However, the cleverness of the plan has not been seen yet. Sure, users will be able to default to any of several netbook optimised Linux distributions. But Linux's appeal will likely be at the lower end of the market, which is exactly where the Vole will be happy to supply its crippled Windows 7 Home Basic."

Why not "netbooks+" will be running Linux since there will be huge price difference ?

Not quite sure you're right there - windows 7 Home Basic won#t be available in any of the 'emerged' markets. So it certainly won't be on netbooks in this country. Starter edition is probably the way to go with netbooks - but that's avilable through ordinary OEM channels, so customers will be able to put it on any hardware they like.

If Paul Thurrot is to be believed (http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/05/22/exclusive-microsoft-to-remove-3-app-limit-from-windows-7-starter.aspx), the only "crippling" feature left is the inability to change wallpaper......

The desktop will be tiny anyway, so that sounds like no big deal to me!

I think it’s a good idea from a business perspective… MS need to draw the line or soon 12” 13” 14” laptops will be claiming to be netbooks and that’s just stupid because they are not…

Iv never brought into this netbook crap because a lot of them are just too feature lacking and crappy build quality for what I need as a IT Tech going to many sites.

Let MS put restrictions on it, if vendors want Linux then so be it… ultimately the consumer will choose what they want.