Switched On: The Linux ultraportable opportunity

From Engadget -

While Linux has been slowly creeping into more mobile devices in recent years, it wasn't until Asus used Xandros on its Eee PC that the floodgates opened up really wide. Now that HP has tapped Novel SuSE for the 2133 Mini-Note, the flow is expected to even go wider, deeper, and faster. Especially since while the Eee's positioning has been on the low end, the HP Mini-Note's is more mainstream.

Moreover, the HP Mini-Note is not the only one to challenge the Eee PC's dominance. It is but one of more than a dozen models to be introduced this summer, most of which are powered by some Linux distro. As much as the emerging abundance of Linux-based models brings the OS to the cusp of mainstream consumerism, the real test will be this fall when school-bound students buy their notebooks.

And while these new sub-portables are often lumped into one category, they do not represent a limited range. In fact, they extend into different markets - with the Eee PC's hard drive-less entry model in the low end and the Mini-Note with a 120GB hard drive and at $599 entry point in the upper end. The Eee PC actually has no direct traditional notebook competitor while the Mini-Note is basically in that market segment.

Given the wide range Linux has to cover, the author, Ross Rubin, suggests unifying the products by creating an integrated and engaging platform. By doing so, he thinks this will solidify the segment, which lies between handhelds and traditional notebooks, and therefore provide the best shot for Linux to even gain market share.

You can read the full article here.