Editing Netbook (section)

==Operating systems==

===Windows===

[[Microsoft]] announced on April 8, 2008, that, despite the impending end of retail availability for the operating system that June, it would continue to license low-cost copies of [[Windows XP]] Home Edition to OEMs through October 2010 (one year after the release of [[Windows 7]]) for what it defined as "ultra low-cost personal computers"—a definition carrying restrictions on screen size and processing power.<ref>{{cite news|title=Microsoft to keep Windows XP alive—but only for Eee PCs and wannabes|work=[[Computerworld]]|publisher=IDG|url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2536465/microsoft-windows/microsoft-to-keep-windows-xp-alive----but-only-for-eee-pcs-and-wannabes.html|access-date=April 8, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144135-page,1/article.html | title=Microsoft Extends XP Through 2010 for Ultra-Low-Cost Laptops | publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] | work=[[PC World]] | access-date=April 4, 2008 | archive-date=April 6, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406043229/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144135-page,1/article.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> The move served primarily to counter the use of low-cost Linux distributions on netbooks and create a new market segment for Windows devices, whilst ensuring that the devices did not cannibalize the sales of higher-end PCs running [[Windows Vista]].<ref name="itw-limitcapabilities">{{cite web|title=Microsoft to limit capabilities of cheap laptops|url=http://www.itworld.com/article/2786595/hardware/microsoft-to-limit-capabilities-of-cheap-laptops.html|website=ITWorld|date=May 11, 2008|publisher=IDG|access-date=December 15, 2014}}</ref> In 2009, over 90% (96% claimed by Microsoft as of February 2009) of netbooks in the United States were estimated to ship with Windows XP.<ref name="pcw-linux">{{cite news |last=Gralla |first=Preston |title=Think Linux Rules on Netbooks? Think Again |work=[[PC World]] |date=March 3, 2009 |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/160567/think_linux_rules_on_netbooks_think_again.html |access-date=January 5, 2011 |archive-date=March 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305075848/http://www.pcworld.com/article/160567/think_linux_rules_on_netbooks_think_again.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McDougall |first=Paul |title=Microsoft: 96% Of Netbooks Run Windows |work=[[InformationWeek]] |date=April 6, 2009 |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216402927 |access-date=January 5, 2011 |archive-date=September 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913024854/http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216402927 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

For [[Windows 7]], Microsoft introduced a new stripped-down edition intended for netbooks known as "Starter", exclusively for OEMs. In comparison to Home Premium, Starter has reduced multimedia functionality, does not allow users to change their desktop wallpaper or theme, disables the "[[Aero Glass]]" theme, and does not have support for multiple monitors.<ref name="ExtremeTechWindows7Editions">{{cite news |url=http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2340431,00.asp |title=All Windows 7 Versions—What You Need to Know |newspaper=ExtremeTech |date=February 5, 2009 |access-date=August 2, 2010 |last1=Hachman |first1=Mark |archive-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218221046/http://www.extremetech.com/computing/82542-all-windows-7-versionswhat-you-need-to-know |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="PCWorld">{{cite web |title=Windows 7: Which Edition is Right For You? |website=[[PC World]]|date=February 3, 2009 |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/533295/microsoft_announces_si.html |access-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref>

For [[Windows 8]], in a ploy to counter [[ChromeOS]]-based netbooks and low-end [[Android (operating system)|Android]] tablets, Microsoft began to offer no-cost Windows licenses to OEMs for devices with screens smaller than 9 inches in size. Additionally, Microsoft began to offer low-cost licenses for a variant of the operating system set up to use Microsoft's [[Bing (search engine)|Bing]] [[search engine]] by default.<ref name="Ars-2014-12-06" /><ref name="verge-free9inch">{{cite web|title=Microsoft making Windows free on devices with screens under 9 inches|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/2/5574146/microsoft-making-windows-free-on-devices-with-screens-under-nine/in/5338899|work=The Verge|date=April 2, 2014|access-date=April 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name="verge-lowercost">{{cite web|title=Microsoft combats Chromebooks by cutting Windows licensing fees by 70 percent|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/21/5435152/windows-8-1-license-fees-cut-by-70-percent-rumor|work=The Verge|date=February 21, 2014|access-date=February 23, 2014}}</ref><ref name="ms-windows8withbing">{{cite web|title=Helping our hardware partners build lower cost Windows devices|url=http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2014/05/23/helping-our-hardware-partners-build-lower-cost-windows-devices.aspx|work=Windows Experience Blog|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|access-date=May 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225224/http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2014/05/23/helping-our-hardware-partners-build-lower-cost-windows-devices.aspx|archive-date=May 23, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Windows CE]] has also been used in netbooks, due to its reduced feature set.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.windowsfordevices.com/news/NS6976598029.html|title=Windows CE takes on Linux in low-end netbooks|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105093109/http://www.windowsfordevices.com/c/a/News/Windows-CE-takes-on-Linux-in-lowend-netbooks/|work=Windows for Devices|archive-date=January 5, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Android===
[[File:Craig Netbook.jpg|thumb|right|A low-cost [[Craig Electronics|Craig]] netbook with [[Android (operating system)|Android]]]]
Google's [[Android (operating system)|Android]] software platform, designed for mobile telephone handsets, has been demonstrated on an ASUS Eee PC and its version of the Linux operating system contains policies for [[mobile internet device]]s including the original Asus Eee PC 701.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://venturebeat.com/2009/01/01/android-netbooks-on-their-way-likely-by-2010/ |title=Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010 |work=SocialBeat |date=January 1, 2009 |first1=Matthäus |last1=Krzykowski |name-list-style=amp |first2=Daniel |last2=Hartmann }}</ref> ASUS has allocated engineers to develop an Android-based netbook.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a4E9sAyqigOU |title=Google Android May Run Asus Netbook, Rival Microsoft (Update1) |work=Bloomberg |date=February 20, 2009 |first=Tim |last=Culpan }}</ref> In May 2009 a contractor of Dell announced it is porting [[Adobe Flash Lite]] to Android for Dell netbooks.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/bsquare-port-adobe-flash-lite-new-google-android-netbook-del |title=Bsquare to Port Adobe Flash Lite on New Google Android Netbook for Del |work=FierceWireless |date=May 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513022550/http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/bsquare-port-adobe-flash-lite-new-google-android-netbook-del |archive-date=May 13, 2009 }}</ref> [[Acer Inc.|Acer]] announced Android netbooks to be available in Q3/2009.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSTP18980620090602 |title=Acer to sell Android netbook PCs in Q3 |work=Reuters |date=June 2, 2009 }}</ref> In July 2009, a new project, Android-x86,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.android-x86.org/ |title=Android-x86 project}}</ref> was created to provide an open source solution for Android on the x86 platform, especially for netbooks.

===ChromeOS===
In 2011, [[Google]] introduced [[ChromeOS]], a Linux-based operating system designed particularly for netbook-like devices marketed as "[[Chromebook]]s". The platform is designed to leverage online services, [[cloud computing]], and its namesake [[Google Chrome|Chrome]] [[web browser]] as its [[Shell (computing)|shell]]—so much so that the operating system initially used a full screen web browser window as its interface, and contained limited offline functionality.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=William|title=8 Things You Need to Know About Chrome OS|newspaper=Pcgamer |url=http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/8_things_you_need_know_about_chrome_os|publisher=MaximumPC|access-date=May 14, 2011}}</ref><ref name="WSJ: Google to Launch">{{cite news|last=Sherr|first=Ian|title=Google to launch Chrome Laptops in June|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703730804576317361801753874|access-date=May 11, 2011|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=May 11, 2011}}</ref> Later versions of ChromeOS introduced a traditional [[desktop metaphor|desktop]] interface<ref name="TechCrunch: new UI">{{cite news|last=Lardinois|first=Frederic|title=Google's Chrome OS Will Soon Look More Like Windows Than A Browser|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/04/09/googles-chrome-os-will-soon-look-more-like-windows-than-a-browser/|access-date=June 2, 2013|newspaper=Techcrunch|date=April 9, 2012}}</ref> and a platform allowing "native" packaged software written in [[HTML]], [[JavaScript]], and [[CSS]] to be developed for the platform.<ref name="InfoWorld packaged apps">{{cite news|last=Samson|first=Ted|title=Google entices Chrome OS developers with prospect of native-like apps|url=http://www.infoworld.com/t/application-development/google-entices-chrome-os-developers-prospect-of-native-apps-218773|access-date=June 5, 2013|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=May 16, 2013}}</ref>

===Other===
{{See also|Comparison of netbook-oriented Linux distributions}}

Netbooks have sparked the development of several Linux variants or completely new distributions, which are optimized for small screen use and the limited processing power of the Atom or ARM processors which typically power netbooks. Examples include [[Ubuntu Netbook Edition]], [[EasyPeasy]], [[Joli OS]] and [[MeeGo]]. Both Joli OS and MeeGo purport to be "social oriented" or social networking operating systems rather than traditional "office work production" operating systems. Netbook users can also install other UNIX-based operating systems such as [[FreeBSD]], [[NetBSD]], [[OpenBSD]], and [[Darwin (operating system)|Darwin]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.netbsd.org/gallery/in-Action/ | title = See NetBSD in Action | access-date = January 22, 2014 | author = NetBSD Foundation | date = July 7, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120601/http://www.netbsd.org/gallery/in-Action/ | archive-date = August 26, 2014 | url-status = dead}}</ref>

Since 2010, major netbook manufacturers no longer install or support Linux in the United States. The reason for this change of stance is unclear, although it coincides with the availability of a 'netbook' version of Windows XP, and a later Windows 7 Starter and a strong marketing push for the adoption of this OS in the netbook market. However, companies targeting niche markets, such as System76 and ZaReason, continue to pre-install Linux on the devices they sell.

The [[Cloud (operating system)|Cloud]] operating system attempted to capitalize on the minimalist aspect of netbooks.  The user interface was limited to a browser application only.

[[Mac OS X]] has been demonstrated running on various netbooks as a result of the [[OSx86]] project,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-netbook-compatib.html |title=Mac OS X Netbook Compatibility Chart (Updated)}}</ref> although this is in violation of the operating system's [[end-user license agreement]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/it-lives-gadget.html |title=It Lives! Gadget Lab's Netbook Running OS X Leopard|magazine=Wired |last1=Sorrel |first1=Charlie }}</ref> Apple has complained to sites hosting information on how to install OS X onto non-Apple hardware (including ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' and [[YouTube]]) who have reacted and removed content in response.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/12/gadget-lab-vide-4/ |title=Gadget Lab Video: Running OS X on a Netbook|magazine=Wired |last1=Chen |first1=Brian X. }}</ref> One article nicknamed a netbook running OS X a "[[Hackintosh]]."