Twice as Many Netbooks Are On The Way

Lots more netbooks on the way.

Think that netbooks are popular now? Research firm DisplaySearch projects that netbook shipments will double this year.

2008 saw 16.4 million netbooks shipped worldwide, and that number is expected to balloon to 32.7 million in 2009.

Shipments of regular notebooks, however, are expected stay flat from 2008 to 2009. DisplaySearch says that the growth in netbook popularity is just one reason for the halted demand. Other reasons include the economic downturn and enterprise customers who aren't buying notebooks due to Windows Vista being preloaded on new machines.

The research firm does think that the launch of Windows 7, coupled with some economic optimism, could make the notebook segment bounce back.

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2

alvine , July 17, 2009 3:02 AM

i love my aspire one netbook with win7 on it. netbooks are great on the go i use my desktop for gaming but other than that i cant stop using my netbook (: they are great
0

jarnail24 , July 17, 2009 3:07 AM

They're just to underpowered. Give me a netbook with that new culv processor and integrated graphics other than intel for under $600 I'll buy one today.
0

Kill@dor , July 17, 2009 3:15 AM

Its only obvious because the smaller they are, the easier to handle/manage. They save a lot more power than the larger notebooks... I still prefer the notebooks by far because i can customize one a lot better than a smaller netbook. Everything that shrinks this day and age isn't always better in my opinion.
0

makotech222 , July 17, 2009 3:19 AM

I agree, as an enthusiast, these netbooks just dont have enough power to use comfortably. I love my lenovo x200tablet though, its extremely thin and light and has some good computing power. Too bad it has integrated graphics
-2

Wayoffbase , July 17, 2009 4:40 AM

I just have an issue with all the people that bought netbooks not understanding what they were, and being unhappy with the performance. It's bad for the industry in the long term.
4

anonymous@guest , July 17, 2009 9:27 AM

I want a netbook.
Why?
Because I, as a student, have realized that nothing I could possibly need to do while mobile requires any sort of processing or graphics power.
Web - Firefox
Word processing - Open Office
Image Editing - Gimp

I would not want to use Linux on my main PC but it would work great for what little I would do mobile.
Size - smaller the better
If it can run flash games, all the better

Whats the point of having a huge gaming laptop that has less power than a desktop of equal price while being too big to carry easily?
Also, the only reason I could understand buying a NOTEbook is if you can't stand the small keyboard & screen.

Most (average) people don't realize that a netbook is plenty sufficient for their daily needs (as far as power, not screen size)

/end rant
0

Wayoffbase , July 17, 2009 9:53 AM

CK159I want a netbook.Why?Because I, as a student, have realized that nothing I could possibly need to do while mobile requires any sort of processing or graphics power.Web - FirefoxWord processing - Open OfficeImage Editing - GimpI would not want to use Linux on my main PC but it would work great for what little I would do mobile.Size - smaller the betterIf it can run flash games, all the betterWhats the point of having a huge gaming laptop that has less power than a desktop of equal price while being too big to carry easily?Also, the only reason I could understand buying a NOTEbook is if you can't stand the small keyboard & screen.Most (average) people don't realize that a netbook is plenty sufficient for their daily needs (as far as power, not screen size)/end rant

I could be wrong, but I'm not sure GIMP would run well on a netbook. My experience with it is pretty limited, but you can run it on your windows desktop anyway.
Also, you dont have to have a huge gaming laptop. You can get a small, lightweight notebook that is actually running something faster than a pentiumIII for less than some of these fancier netbooks.
1

Trauma , July 17, 2009 3:41 PM

I dont think alot of people realize how much you can customize a netbook these days. Alot of what people are saying held true for the first generation but some of the newer ones can be over/underclocked and you can swap out for ssd drives in them. I love my eee pc. 1008ha. It does all I need it to as far as my mobility needs are concerned.

BTW, Overclocked I dont personaly use but I do underclock it to extend the life of the battery even further than it already lasts. I can go all day and not worry about losing my charge.
-4

freak77power , July 18, 2009 1:13 AM

I can't find a single reason to own netbook. If you need your netbook on daily basis everywhere you go, your life is sad and pathetic.
0

bigalfantasy2004 , July 18, 2009 2:26 AM

I love my netbook, and I use it practically daily. It essentially has replaced my notebook. Now if the software and media companies would get on board with releasing movies and programs on SD or flash drives instead of CDs/DVDs then there would be no drawbacks for the average user.
-1

Regulas , July 18, 2009 6:26 AM

The new netbooks with 11+ inch screens are actually getting useful. The 8.9" and such are just too small for any nice browsing experience. I am waiting and hoping the rumours are true that Apple is bringing back the matte finish option to it's laptops then it is a 13" Macbook Pro for me, add OS X Snow Leopard and you have a great laptop, better than any netbook and still small and light.
0

Trauma , July 18, 2009 6:14 PM

Quote:
I can't find a single reason to own netbook. If you need your netbook on daily basis everywhere you go, your life is sad and pathetic.

You are obviously a very narrow and simple minded person then. If you cant think of one then there is nothing anyone here at toms is going to be able to do to help explain it. You are the weakest link and are excused.
0

brendano257 , July 19, 2009 2:18 AM

freak77powerI can't find a single reason to own netbook. If you need your netbook on daily basis everywhere you go, your life is sad and pathetic.

That opinion in itself is rather sad and pathetic. They are very useful for a lot of people. Easy web browsing without the heavy laptop to lug around, cheap and isn't loaded with extras when all you need is a little word/excel/power point and Firefox.
0

anonymous@guest , July 19, 2009 1:34 PM

My reasons for not not wanting a netbook include:

-Screen is too small

-Keyboard is too small (i have large hands however, so many others might not have this issue

-No ODD.

If the keyboards were bigger I could see myself having a netbook ONLY for quickly looking something up net-wise on the go, but as soon as I got home to my laptop/desktop it would be forgotten.