Will netbook party be over before Apple arrives?
The world has been convinced for months that Cupertino needs to offer an ultra portable notebook computer in order to compete as the economic recession supposedly makes price buyers’ top concern. While it is true that netbook sales have propped up some PC makers unit volume numbers recently, it now seems that this trend was a only a fad after all.
DigiTimes reports that Taiwanese netbook vendors will likely post disappointing sales for the first three months of the year. Whereas Acer is expected to announce volume of 2 million Aspire One netbooks in the first quarter, which was roughly their target for the quarter. However, Asustek and MSI have seen their unit shipments fall short during the same period. According to DigiTimes, “[S]ources pointed out the drop is mainly due to the maturing of key sales regions plus incomplete penetration into emerging markets.”
Thereupon, with saturation apparently already gripping this nascent market segment, Taiwanese netbook vendors are said to be refocussing their efforts on the still lucrative ultra-thin notebook sector where Apple already has a successful product and could soon release a new model.
Hey, where did everybody go?
Although there have been rumors that Apple would enter the netbook market, the most consistent rumors out of Cupertino and Taiwan posit that the mothership will introduce an “iPod touch on steroids” with a 7-inch screen and possibly also a 10-inch ultra-thin notebook both of which are expected sometime in the third quarter. Specifically, it is believed that Apple will build this product around ultra-thin, energy efficient OLED displays, which purportedly have already been ordered from Korea’s LG.
It’s almost comical that the air appears to be coming out of netbook party before Apple even made an appearance (or before the Mac maker crashed and burned because due to a lack thereof). Why is it that people never seem to tire of predicting Apple’s death (perhaps there’s not enough jezus toast in their diets)?
Oh well, perhaps now’s a good time to find a really, really cheap MSI or Asustek netbook roll your own…
What’s your take?
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April 21st, 2009
I have a EeePC and never use it.
I thought It would be good to take on those long hospital visits but find I use my ipod touch instead.
Not big on Linux but XP takes all the space and programs don’t install and run on USB drives.
April 21st, 2009
Hate to bust up your dog in the manger train of thought but the Netbook segment will continue to evolve like every other.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/05/netbook-intel
The price point makes snagging a newer, more capable model a no brainer.
It’s like saying once you buy an iPod, that’s it and you won’t buy an improved, more capable model.
April 21st, 2009
Students and others will buy and use PC netbooks only as much and when they have to – a choice of necessity combined with a tight budget. but a great many will buy and use an iPhone or Touch tablet as much and whenever they want to – a choice of desire combined with utility. Apple is clearly expanding the Mac OS into the world’s first portable computing appliance. that was a dream MS had for Win CE way back in the 90′s, but failed miserably to achieve (mainly because it is actually an entirely different OS than Windows and so has never been ‘seamlessly’ integrated with it).
Apple will make as much profit selling 25 million iPhones/Touches/tablets a year as everyone else does selling 100+ million netbooks. and those netbooks are cannabilizing higher margin PC laptop sales too. Mac meanwhile won’t be competing with its own laptop products. So which is the smart business plan?
April 21st, 2009
I own a Macpro desktop and a MacbookPro, and was tempted by the Macbook because the smaller form factor. I’ve got a Dell Mini 9 running Jaunty Beta. As handy as the Dell is I’d go for a small Mac netbook in order to integrate all of my computer needs better. If Apple does do a netbook or tablet please oh please Apple, support tethering to the iPhone.
April 21st, 2009
Alfiejr:
Most people buy Netbooks as a secondary machine, primarily for weight and battery life during travel or away from home.
If you think you can somehow get the same experience from an iPhone or Touch as a 10″ laptop, you have much in common with all the Apple users who think it replaces a Kindle, Full GPS device etc….a wrong opinion.
“Apple will make as much profit selling 25 million iPhones/Touches/tablets a year as everyone else does selling 100+ million netbooks. and those netbooks are cannabilizing higher margin PC laptop sales too. Mac meanwhile won’t be competing with its own laptop products. So which is the smart business plan?”
You are actually celebrating Apple denying you a choice and option so they can take more of your money? Wow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battered_person_syndrome
April 21st, 2009
The iPhone revolution….in 2 years this product achieved what other venders had been working at for years, in hardware, software, music and video all in a single device. Now all those vendors are scrambling in Apples wake as usual. Just take a look at the form factors of all these other phones… they’re all clones.
The apple device, tablet/slate/palette will have touch, pen input the same as we’ve all seen in Star Trek© and many other sci fi genres.
It will be the size of your mouse pad, a solid device with a nice weight and feel as Apple always try to deliver, product experience.
Watch streaming HD video via 3G to the bus or train, surf the web, etc,.
All those jockeys who keep jabbering for folding mini macbooks, slide out keyboards or wires…Sorry it’s not happening.
Steve’s looking at the last few prototypes to get the final details in place.
Ready for a mini revolution?
Don’t be surprised if it’s that nice aluminum finish either.
December 7th, 2009
Don’t mean to intrude, but the feed on this website is not working. Thanks