OStatic

Lately there has been a lot of talk about how Linux netbooks--which had come on strong out of the gate, especially on Asus' big-selling Eee PCs--have been steadily giving up ground to Windows XP-based netbooks. Adding fuel to the fire, Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, now out in beta, is already being tested on netbooks and is predicted by some to become the netbook operating system of choice. That's why it's good news on the Linux front to see Acer planning a Linux version of its new Aspire One netbook, which features a comfortable 10-inch display.

As netbooks proliferate--based on both Linux and Windows--reviews are flowing in for many of the hottest models. Lenovo's IdeaPad S10, which, questionably, runs Windows and not Linux at this point, has been taken through its paces at Laptop Magazine (see the video). As a long-time user of ThinkPad notebooks, I'm not surprised to hear that they love the keyboard. Meanwhile, reviews are lukewarm for Sylvania's G Netbook Meso, featuring the Ubuntu Netbook Remix operating system. How do these compare to the Asus and Acer netbooks?

If you've followed our recent coverage of Asus' success with its (primarily Linux-based) low-cost Eee PC laptops, and Hewlett Packard's Mini-Note, you know that Linux-based portables are seeing surprising success. Now, Acer--traditionally more of a hardware titan overseas than in the U.S.--is joining the fray with its new Aspire One Linux-based subnotebooks. Because of its distribution might, this could represent major competition for Asus, HP, and the OLPC project.