HP is reportedly testing a netbook that would run Google’s Android operating system rather than Windows, The Wall Street Journal reports. Dell and Asustek Computer also also said to be eyeing Android for netbooks.
Makers want to eliminate software license fees paid to Microsoft on these low-cost machines and Google is giving Android away for free. One problem: the software PC users want tends to need Windows. But “free” is a pretty powerful incentive for all concerned to try something new.
While it isn’t clear what HP’s programmers are doing to create an Android netbook that the market would love, it stands to reason that they may be working on a way to allow Windows software to run on Android, perhaps similiar to how Wine allows Windows apps to run on Linux, BSD and Macs.
If Google succeeds in creating low-cost Android netbooks, would enterprise customers bite?
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