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According to Google’s Erick Schmidt, netbooks should be given away like cookies so folks can consume the advertising and services.  Does this mean we can add our names to the queue for free netbooks?  Not likely.

Erick Schmidt made a very similar comment two years ago regarding mobile phones.  He again said the phone and the connectivity should be free so advertisers could take advantage of the high usage.  Since that statement, we’ve witnessed the birth of Android, Google’s free operating system, but so far no free phones or service.

Schmidt’s intention is deciphered from this statement:

“What’s particularly interesting about netbooks is the price point. Eventually, it will compose sense for operators and so forth to subsidize the use of netbooks so they can build services revenue and advertising revenue on the consumption. That’s another new model that’s coming.”

Over at Computer World, blogger Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols says he believes the statement to imply Google is getting into the netbook OS business.  We know Google has its sights on Microsoft and netbooks are surely one area where a compelling Linux offering with Google simplicity might be just the ticket.  Perhaps this is the Android port to netbooks we’ve been hearing about for some time?

Whether netbooks evolve into the tech geeks favorite toy or supplant entry level notebooks, it is clear these diminutive devices are not going anywhere for some time.  And while free is good, many would agree it is just silly to offer something free when so many are willing to pay.

What do you think?  Will the day come when advertising and other services support the hardware and connectivity costs or is Google just wishfully hoping here?

Source: [Computer World]