Mandriva, the leading European Linux publisher, presents its latest Linux product, focused on netbooks and aimed at OEMs and ODMs.
Netbooks, small in size and cost, are big in functionality. The market is growing fast, rising from a million units in 2007 to industry forecasts of over 50 million by 2010. The products are attractive for emerging markets where they help provide Internet access to the largest number of users,
and to highly developed markets where they are seen as mobile tools or a second PC.
Mandriva, which has been a leader in the market since its inception (having been the first official distributor of Linux for Intel’s Classmate PC, and customized its 2008 Spring release for the Asus Eee) offers ODMs and OEMs a full service:
* An attractive and competitive product for the end user
* Product certification and optimization for the target hardware
* Customization of the distribution for the needs of the OEM or ODM
* Management of ongoing maintenance for the distribution
To strengthen its offering for OEMs in the netbook market, Mandriva introduces Mandriva Mini, a Linux distribution customized for netbooks:
o Fast boot
o Comprehensive connectivity support (Wi-Fi, 3G cellular data and Widgets)
o Multimedia (major codecs are included)
o Small size
o Efficient power management
o Optimized for flash memory management
o VGU (very graphical user) interface adapted for small screens
Mandriva Mini is adapted to netbook hardware, working on key netbook platforms (such as the Intel Atom).
“We are very proud to bring to the market a product which answers the needs of OEMs and ODMs and we are busy distributing it to clients and prospective clients,” said Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon.
