For months we've been hearing that Microsoft had netbooks in mind when
it was developing Windows 7, and that the new OS should do wonders for
netbooks and other underpowered devices.
However, Computerworld has taken some time to investigate a number of
reviews, forum discussions and user comments concerning netbook battery
life under Windows 7, and things aren't looking rosy for Redmond's new
OS. According to Computerworld, reviewers and netbook users who have
tried it out, reported a drop in battery life anywhere from 6 to 30
percent compared to XP.
Most reports state that you'll end up with just under 10 percent less
endurance when running Win 7. Microsoft, however, was promising an
improvement in battery life with Windows 7, and it officially said it
would get you 11 percent more time on the go.
There could be a silver lining to all this, as Microsoft still has
plenty of time to tweak the OS before OEMs get it and start shipping
Windows 7 netbooks. Furthermore, Microsoft will probably optimize it
for upcoming netbook models, based on Intel's Pine Trail platform,
rather than waste time on the current platform which has been around
for more than a year.
It may take Microsoft some time to optimize its code, but with future
updates it could indeed live up to its 11 percent promise, but don't
expect Windows 7 to be a great choice for current netbooks. It's
unlikely Microsoft will waste resources on optimizing a new OS for a
dieing platform, and OEMs will probably follow suite and won't bother
with driver updates for Win 7.
More
here.