At the beginning of December, we warned the Copyright Office that operating system vendors would use UEFI secure boot anticompetitively, by colluding with hardware partners to exclude alternative operating systems.

Rather than sticking with Microsoft Windows XP or the updated Windows 7, there are a variety of reasons for checking out alternative operating systems for your netbook.

Windows 7 is here, and unlike Windows Vista, it will probably run on your diminutive netbook PC. However, there is an alternative. Here is why you ought to give Linux a shot.

People often say that although Linux has made some major steps forward lately it still can’t beat Windows, especially on hardware recognition.

We knew Nokia had a netbook up its sleeve, but why go with Microsoft Windows? Because Nokia's user interface skills aren't good enough, and Linux would delay it, says Peter Judge

VirtualBox may be free, but you still have to own a copy of Windows. If you’re not willing to shell out a few hundred dollars to Microsoft but still want to run Windows on your Intel-based Mac, there is one more alternative: CrossOver from CodeWeavers costs $40 and runs Windows applications on Mac OS X — without Windows.

Who could have, just a year ago, predicted the dramatic changes in the netbook operating system world? The release of Windows 7 and cheaper hardware launched an exciting race for users between Linux and Windows, forcing both to take it up a notch.

Windows XP, oh how we hate to see you go. For many Windows users, this release provided an alternative to the endless frustrations seen with Windows 98 and Windows Me. Built with Windows 2000 Pro stability in mind, XP has won over more than just a few fans.

One of the most touted advantage of Windows 7 over Windows XP and Linux is improved battery life. This may be trues for newer netbooks that would be optimized for Microsoft new operating system, but don't expect any gain from installing Microsoft's latest release on you current netbook! Many people have actually reported reduced battery life on their netbooks after an upgrade to Windows 7.