"As in any revolution, the current rulers of the kingdom -- Intel and Microsoft, which make the chips and software that run most PCs -- face an unprecedented challenge to their dominance. Microsoft is particularly vulnerable, since many of the new netbooks use Linux software instead of Windows.
""A broad shift in the consumer market toward low-cost PCs would clearly put pressure on the revenues of nearly every player in the value chain, from component suppliers to retailers," wrote A. M. Sacconaghi, a securities analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, in a report last month. "However, we believe the impact would be especially negative for Intel and Microsoft, who today enjoy near monopoly positions in their respective markets.""
