ABI Projects 35 Million Netbook Sales For 2009
Netbooks have been selling fast, if you believe most recent projections, and today ABI supported those projections with some numbers of its own.
The netbook industry should top 35 million units by the end of the year. While ABI isn’t saying much about market share it did note that Acer, ASUS, and Samsung made 74% of netbooks last year. Of course, an upset is always possible.
Netbook sales have been flying high, despite losses in the PC sector. Some blame cannibalization for drops in profit margins, though others are simply grateful that people are still buying electronics.
Via Electronista.
Dell Thinks A Bigger Netbook is Better
Dell is trending towards the sale of larger-sized netbooks. Today, Dell stopped selling the Mini 9, which started selling in September 2008 for $349 but in recent weeks dropped to $249.
Dell is emphasizing netbooks with a minimum screen size of 10″ and larger keyboards. The company asserts that these changes are in response to customer feedback and preferences. Like many other computer manufacturers, Dell has been affected by the faltering economy and netbook sales have helped Dell keep its head above water.
According to market tracker IDC, Dell’s sales jumped seven-fold during the first quarter of 2009. ABI Research, another market tracker, predicts that shipments of netbooks will be in excess of 35 million and rise to roughly 139 million by the year 2013. The relatively low price tags of netbooks are making them more and more appealing purchases to consumers.
Via TheWallStreetJournal.
Image via NewTechnology.
ABI: Netbooks Are Secondary Computers
According to a bit of research done by the number-crunchers over at ABI, only 11% of a sample 1000 netbook users used a netbook as their primary working machine.
Their survey was called U.S. Consumer Interest in Netbooks, which you can check out at the link. Netbook sales in 2008 soared over 11 million, and many have voiced concerns that netbooks would cannibalize sales of other, more expensive machines. The mere 11% detected by ABI’s netbook survey seems to suggest that only a small minority of computer-users have replaced their costlier machines with netbooks.
Of course, there also remains the possibility that netbooks make it possible for people who wouldn’t ordinarily buy a computer to own something similar – netbooks’ price range boosts consumer purchasing power. On the other hand, it’s possible that the 89% of people who use a different device than netbooks for primary computing are replacing their laptop with a netbook.
Philip Solis summarized the results swiftly: “While their low price does cause some consumers to view netbooks as a replacement for a laptop given the current economic conditions, the majority view a netbook as being a secondary device.”
It’s definitely interesting to hear how the numbers compare to everyone’s expectations. Next time you rant about netbook cannibalization, get your facts first!
Via BetaNews.
139 Million Netbook Sales By 2013? Holy Crap
Netbooks have been riding high despite the rough economy, and for now, they aren’t set to stop. In fact, netbook sales are flying upwards, according to a report by ABI Research.
Their report on netbooks forecasted that their sales would ramp up to 35 million this year. Not only will netbook sales boom, however – they’ll also stay up there and ride all the way to 139 million by 2013 – a tripling of sales within four years.
ABI says the connection is due to a “confluence of social and technological factors” creating a “perfect storm” for the netbook world. The estimate of the boom is also related to some similarities between netbooks and PDA’s. Kevin Burden of ABI elaborated on this connection:
“PDA’s began our reliance on instant accessible data while traveling. When PDA functionality converged with cellular voice, smartphones became the new darling of mobile professional technology that many expected to evolve into the hub for all data and communication needs for traveling professionals… Today, with a better understanding for what a smartphone is, is not, and may never be, along with a reality check on the usefulness of UMPCs, the market remains open for new device types.”
UMPCs are Ultra Mobile PCs, a smaller and newer segment of computers whose prices are cranked higher than notebooks – kind of the opposite of the netbook category, which lies below.
Of course, not everyone’s as positive as ABI. Endpoint Technologies Associates’ Roger Kay said he’d “seen some forecasts of 40 million netbook sales in 2012,” far below the ABI netbook estimate.
The question on everyone’s mind is – why?
The netbook category is often ill-defined, but their sales growth can’t be doubted. This ambiguity may be a clue to their success, as the mainstreaming of netbooks has led to more and more consumers buying them as either a main computer or sidekick to their desktop. Unlike smartphones, which are dedicated to one role, a netbook can be just about anything depending on who’s using it.
While sales are definitely going up, netbook prices could be changing in the near future – and nobody knows quite how this will affect the sector. When Microsoft releases Windows 7 in the near future, the netbook version will definitely cost more than XP or Linux.
Kay, remained hopeful. “My suspicion is Microsoft will charge a bit more, maybe $10 to $20 more, but not too much… They don’t want to lose that market.”
He’s right that keeping the price of netbooks low is the smart thing to do, but manufacturers have been fools before. For now, however, the bullish future of the netbook industry will be putting some smiles on manufacturers’ faces. Let’s see how that translates for consumers.
Apple To Continue Holding Back On Netbooks
Apple made some relevant comments this Wednesday durig a quarterly earnings call. According to Apple, netbooks still aren’t in the works – their low-powered CPUs, cramped keyboards, and limited displays aren’t in Apple style and won’t be enough to please consumers.
Of course, that isn’t a flat-out no to netbooks. While we may appear to be grasping at straws, listen first to some words by Tim Cook of Apple: “We’ve got some ideas, but right now we think the products there are inferior and will not provide the experience to customers that they’re happy with.”
Ideas are good! This isn’t the first time Apple’s hinted at its netbook ideas, so this second confirmation gives us more confidence in our hope.
To tell the truth, everyone’s been waiting for an Apple netbook. We’ve found rumors of an Apple netbook all over the place, even some saying the Apple netbook would be a big iPhone. We know they’d suck up a lot of the netbook market. We recently heard that they were in talks about netbooks, but have heard little since. Even big-time analysts like Ezra Gottheil have thrown in their two-cents about an Apple netbook.
Yet somehow, inexplicably, Apple isn’t biting. While netbooks are “principally based on hardware,” Cook says Apple doesn’t play they game. According to him, “software is the key ingredient.” Revolutionary software has been a big attraction to Apple computing, with such tools as the App Store being a prime example.
Cook can criticize all day long, but there’s no doubting that netbook sales are still on the rise. Cramped keyboards and limited screens aren’t as big of a deal when they often save you up to $1000 over a laptop with unneeded capabilities.
According to ABI Research, manufacturers will be shipping 200 million ultramobile devices, including netbooks, by 2013. This is about the same size as the worldwide laptop market.
During its quarterly earnings call Wednesday, Apple reinforced its skepticism in netbooks, saying their low-powered CPUs, cramped keyboards and small displays are not enough to satisfy customers.
I’m still interested in an Apple netbook, if they’re offering. Until that time, we wait!
Via Wired.
