Analytical agency ABI Research reports that, despite the growth and the apparent dominance of netbooks under the Windows operating system in North America, netbooks with Linux are very popular all over the world. ABI analyst Jeff Orr (Jeff Orr) predicts that the results of this year, the number of netbooks with Linux will be about 32% of the 35 million netbooks sold, and that netbooks with Linux in 2013 could surpass netbooks under Windows by popularity.

It is not surprising fact that Linux owes much of its popularity around the world to developing countries. The source reports that the largest market for netbooks is the Asia-Pacific market, which includes, along with rich countries such as Australia and Japan, many are actively developing countries. Orr believes that people in developing countries are buying netbooks based on Linux and use them as a main computer, in particular because they have little experience with Windows, and therefore less reliant on it.

Microsoft dared to disagree. The largest software maker said in its statement that "93% of notebooks, small form-factor in the world today is Windows. With the recent launch of Windows 7, we believe this trend will continue." Producer hopes for Windows 7 Starter, which is already installed on many models of netbooks, providing users with stripped-down version of the latest Microsoft operating system with the ability to upgrade to a full-featured edition.

Starter Windows 7 will not be a major player in yet another new market segment, so-called smartbook processor-based ARM. Orr believes that the increase in the number smartbook lead to an increase in the popularity of Linux in the netbook segment. Microsoft does offer Windows Embedded CE and Windows Mobile platforms for ARM, but analysts say Microsoft's success against competing operating system Google Android and Chrome OS will greatly depend on the discounts offered by Microsoft, but at significant discounts, given the greed of Microsoft, not wait accounts. In any case, the lack of software support x86 Windows can significantly reduce the proportion of the Windows smartbook.