Most netbooks in the current market are powered by the Intel Atom processors and are powered by Windows XP. Well it looks like that this is how it is going to stay for a while. Especially those using the 1.6GHz Atom N270 and 1.66GHz N280 will have to be kept in Windows XP as Microsoft’s pricing for the Windows 7 Starter Edition would bring the overall system price too high.

Microsoft charges $25 to $30 for a Windows XP Home Edition license, whereas for the basic Windows 7 license the price per license shoots up to $45 and $55. Unfortunately for netbook manufacturers where price is the most critical factory, even a jump of just $30-$40 can adversely impact their sales.

Hmm…whether Microsoft continues to win even in the netbook segment or whether Linux would fill up the gap is yet to be seen.

[source: electronista.com]