14 DAY TRIAL // Upcoming versions of HP's Mini netbook series might provide users with a choice of up to three versions of Microsoft's highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system. The Palo Alto, California-based PC vendor is planning to bundle its future netbook systems with three different versions of Windows 7, including the Professional and Home Premium editions, as well as the low-end Starter edition, which will likely be bundled with more cost-effective offerings.
According to Kyle Thornton, category manager for business notebook PCs at HP, the company has already tested the beta version of Windows 7 Ultimate on its Mini netbook line. This version of Microsoft's next-generation operating system has been designed for use in high-end and gaming computer systems, which provide a significant performance boost over that of netbook systems. However, it appears that HP's Mini netbooks are capable of handling the operating system just right, even when the Aero features of the OS are put into play.
Netbooks have become one of the most popular computer category on the market, which means that Microsoft has an equal interest in getting its latest operating system in some of the upcoming models. On the other side of things, Windows 7 will provide a considerable change from the current Windows XP OS, featured on most of the netbooks sold so far. Also, we should take into consideration that Windows 7 delivers a more extensive support for touchscreen applications, a feature that will likely be enabled on a considerable number of upcoming netbooks.
Unfortunately, we have no details on any upcoming Mini netbooks being released by HP, but these should become available soon after Microsoft officially intros its new Windows 7 operating system. It is expected that the majority of netbooks will be shipped with the Windows 7 Home Premium edition, although the Starter edition looks like a more suitable version for this PC category.