
As noted by Dana Blankenhorn
in this post, Linux pundit Bill Weinberg is
pondering whether Linux will survive as an OS for netbooks. Many of the early netbooks from Asus were Linux-based, and I saw Asus netbooks running Linux this past weekend at my local Target store, but there are still a lot of questions about whether there will be much of a forward-going market for Linux netbooks. Blankenhorn makes the point that the sales channel is a problem: I tried out some Linux laptops last year and, while there were some glitches they held promise. But when it came time for me to lay down cash, there was no Linux kit on the shelves. Is Microsoft's might in the retail channel too great for Linux netbooks to be successful in the long run?