Microsoft to Allow Manufacturers to Use Any Version of Windows 7 on Netbooks

After ignoring the netbook trend for so long, Microsoft sure has gone through several stages of acceptance with the humble device. We first heard that Microsoft would only allow 3 apps to run simultaneously on a Windows 7 netbook. Then they recanted and said that netbooks could run as many apps as you want, but only with a select version of Windows 7. Now the company has gone all out, saying that manufacturers can put any version of Windows 7 they like on the devices.

That sure was nice of you, Microsoft. But it’s not as exciting as it first sounds.

The main problem is that some of the fancy features and versions of Windows 7 won’t be able to run on current netbooks. Windows 7 Ultimate will probably drown a little Atom processor in a sea of zeros and ones. And you can bet the Atom processor won’t be able to handle the Aero visualizations either. No, you’ll need to stick with the lower versions of Windows 7, which should run pretty well on a netbook.

However, there is a silver lining to this announcement (two actually, just because it’s a surprise for Microsoft to be so lenient). Netbook processors are making some big advances, and it’s conceivable that in a year or two netbooks will be powerful enough to run a bit of Aero. So while this announcement really isn’t a big deal for the Windows 7 launch, this may end up being a benefit in the long run.

For more tech news, see the blog home page or these related posts:

Microsoft Tablet (Courier) Revealed in Stunning Pics and Video

Pictures of Pink Phones from Microsoft Appear, Fail to Impress

Palm Pre Going for $100 on Amazon, Still Headed for Verizon Network

New $399 eBook Reader from iRex plus Color for 2010

Wii Drops $50