Rumor of Android-Powered Netbooks and Google's Usability Study

There was an overwhelming amount of skepticism across the tech blogosphere earlier in the week in response to a report that Bellevue, WA based Bsquare software was working with Dell on the release of an Android-powered Netbook. And how could anyone blame all the doubters out there? I mean come on, Google’s mobile oriented OS on a Netbook? We all know that Netbooks are all about stripping down laptop functionality, but this would seem to take that quite a few steps too far; that is unless this sort of device was somehow able to be manufactured ultra cheaply and perhaps with touchscreen functionality. Anyway, the doubts were confirmed by an eventual short, seemingly irritated response from Dell saying,

“The Bsquared news release erroneously mentioned Dell and is being recalled. Dell does not offer an Android based Netbook.”

End of story/rumor? Probably, but at Google’s annual meeting the other day CEO Eric Schmidt declined to comment on the possibility of Netbooks featuring Android. And then came the a report on Crave yesterday that Google is conducting a Netbook usability study next week down in the Bay Area. It was/is advertised on Craigs List. Check it out if you want to pick up an easy $75. Google of course has a stake in keeping tabs on how their Netbook friendly applications are being used by the public, so this latter point is probably entirely unrelated. It is interesting nonetheless.

Is anyone out there interested in an Android-based Netbook and if so what would it have to be packing to make it worth your while?  

–Tom Milnes