HP is mulling over the idea of using Google Android in its upcoming netbooks, a company exec has revealed. Google Android has rapidly become a household name in smartphone circles thanks to its free open source leanings, but more recently has been hotly tipped for a role in future low-cost netbooks. Could HP be the first to take it on? Read on for more.
Satjiv Chahil, a vice president for HP’s PC division told The Wall Street Journal “We want to assess the capability Android may have for the computer and communications industries, and so we are studying it.” Either that or he just playing a very elaborate April Fool’s prank on Steve Ballmer.
Although the hotly-anticipated Windows 7 operating system is promising to cater directly for the needs of manufacturers making dirt-cheap, under-powered laptops, Google Android has its own appeal.
The key difference is that Google happily licenses the Android OS for free, while installing Windows comes with a significant price tag. Those extra savings can then be passed on to the customer and help to win the intense price war going on between netbook makers.
A Google spokesperson declined to comment on whether HP or other netbook makers would be using Android in their future systems. “We look forward to seeing what contributions are made and how an open platform spurs innovation, but we have nothing to announce at this time,” she said.
