Gartner Report Lauds Google Android, Snubs Win7

In a report last week, popular analyst firm Gartner praised Google's Android operating system over the much anticipated release of MS Windows 7 for netbooks.

Google Android is an operating system that has been popular with smartphone users for quite some time. Recently it was announced that Acer, most admired for their work in the growing netbook market, would equip future systems with this Linux based OS.

Android "Snappy", Says Gartner

Now, Android is hardly the first netbook system based on Linux, but according to Gartner it is the first to do so with name power. "Android is the first Linux OS backed by a strong consumer brand -- Google," said Christian Heidarson and Ben Lee, a pair of analysts for Gartner. "There is a sense among PC manufacturers that although Android is not ready for prime time today -- or tomorrow -- it will inevitably get there," they wrote.

In other words, the tech world's most-watched analyst firm believes in Google's project to provide a slim, streamlined competitor to Microsoft, which between Windows XP, Vista, and now Windows 7 has dominated the netbook market since it became all the rage in late 2008.

In short: although Gartner is not confident Android is yet ready to take down the competition, there is hope that it will provide the kind of support these low-spec systems really need. (Source: liliputing.com)

Attention is Focused on Android

In fact, even now Google's OS seems to show flashes of brilliance. "When Android did work, we found that the user interface was very snappy on relatively low-performance ARM processors, more so than on Windows 7 on (Intel's) Atom. What we learned about support from critical software vendors convinced us that there is momentum behind ARM in the PC industry, enabled by Android."

Gartner's not alone. Other companies, including global marketing firm Freescale, believe Android is the OS to watch. "The potential that Google has -- this has got everybody's attention," said Freescale director Glen Burchers in an interview last month. (Source: cnet.com)

Is it time for Microsoft to freak out? Probably not. But given the excitement surrounding Android, it might just be that the Redmond company's domination of the netbook market could someday soon come to an end.