PC makers like HP, ASUS and Dell might consider running Android on future mini-notebooks but will this move disrupt the mojos of dominant players like Microsoft and Intel?

T&A: Wall Street Journal online published a report today (could be an April Fool’s joke but you never know…so check the link for updates), where PC makers like Hewlett-Packard (HP) and others have considered using free software developed by Google to run smaller computers.

For instance, they have been testing Google’s Android operating system (OS), now accessible on mobile phones, in new versions of their mini-notebooks. The problem however is that the OS isn’t exactly compatible with most popular PC applications, which is one of the reasons why Microsoft’s Windows continues to dominate in this space, which according to research firm NPD Group, sits in more than 90% of new mini-notebooks.

Besides HP, Taiwan-based Asustek might be considering using Android in its mini-notebooks while Dell has been customizing Android software in a range of its devices which it plans to launch next year, including mobile phone, mobile Internet devices and so on. (Editor opinions: 1)

One of the key reasons why PC makers want to explore Android is to lower the cost in licensing operating systems so that the margin earned from selling mini-notebooks would be higher. The key trend here is that there is going to be a major convergence between smart phones and mini-notebooks, as the costs of production for both devices are gradually coming together on the same level.

Finally, while mini-notebooks now use the popular Intel Atom microprocessor, the Android platform works with chips that utilize designs by ARM, better known for developing processor designs for mobile phones and licensing them to chipmakers like Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Freescale Semiconductor. If the Android ecosystem really does take off, it would help rocket the fortunes and visibility for many players tremendously, as they attempt to cross platforms and gain more market share.

Vijay Anand, Editor, HardwareZone.com

Vijay (HardwareZone.com): Linux on notebooks hasn’t been very successful of late and while mini-notebook vendors had the initial impression that selling Linux-equipped variants would help sell more affordable mini-notebooks, they’ve since saw a need to tweak that logic.

The ubiquitous Windows OS, ease of usability and compatibility with mass market applications make it too formidable to shrug off and vendors haven’t had much success selling Linux variants despite the latter’s lower cost.

With that analogy, somehow I don’t see how an Android equipped notebook is going to help any.

However that’s not to say this will not succeed. Remember, Microsoft realizes that its sales in the once steady Office applications are seeing a fall in profitability and the company is seriously looking into Internet computing versions of its applications.

When Internet computing takes off in a big way and finally decoupling the age-old Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office slates, a Google Android-based notebook and even those using Linux might actually start making more sense when more day-to-day tasks are achieved via online (server-side) applications rather than client-side applications.

This paradigm shift may be coming sooner than we think; at its earliest, this could take effect as early as sometime next year.