Take up of
netbooks is accelerating according to analyst IDC. EMEA
mini-notebook shipments reached 3.6 million units, in line with
expectations, representing 20% of total portable sales and 30% of
consumer portables in EMEA in 4Q08, the analyst said.
Positioned as a secondary device for internet-centric use and
representing the first affordable ultra-portables in the retail
channel, mini-notebooks drove strong consumer momentum and resulted
in a major sales boom in 2H08, IDC said.
Eszter Morvay, research manager at IDC's EMEA personal computing
group, said, "Following in the footsteps of
Asus, there are currently more than 50 suppliers, from
international players to local assemblers, with a mini-notebook
offering across EMEA, which is clearly contributing to the ongoing
buoyancy."
She said mobile phone operators have also been playing a pivotal
role in the development of the EMEA mini-notebook market. While
telco operators have been looking at the notebook market for some
time to drive new revenue sources, mini -notebooks offer a better
fit in terms of value proposition - small and attractive products
at lower price therefore lower subsidy costs. Telco operators also
offered additional exposure, which acted as a major accelerator of
mini-notebook demand, she said.
According to IDC, most netbook suppliers have already set up
partnerships with key pan-European telco operators, and will
continue to expand this year, targeting second- and third-tier
operators in each country. The market will also see a shift from
USB to integrated 3G, supported by the plethora of new models
coming out with this functionality, IDC predicted.
The analyst said that netbooks have proven that miniaturisation
does not have to cost a fortune, and will force PC makers to
rethink their ultra-portable offerings and pricing. New initiatives
from AMD, Intel, and Microsoft will also help the industry to
reinvent ultra-portables in more affordable packaging.