iPad bumps off Netbook as hottest gadget
New York, NY, United States (AHN) – The netbook is no longer the hottest technology gadget. The iPad has replaced the small notebook computer priced at about $300 as the most in-demand gizmo.
The fall of the netbook came in just about two years. Since Apple launched the tablet computer in April 2010, technology experts have warned of the death of the netbook. In January, computer maker Acer announced it will phase out its netbook and release by the first half of this year 7-inch and 10-inch Android tablets using Intel chips.
When the netbook was introduced to the market in 2009, 7.5 million units were sold in the U.S. and 34 million worldwide. However, sales noticeably began to dip in 2010. During the recent Christmas holidays, retail sales of netbooks in the U.S. dipped 38 percent compared to a year ago.
The fall from grace of netbooks and even laptops is because of the ability of iPads to provide search and email functions, which are two of the most popular functions of the netbook. According to a study by a market monitor, more than 90 percent of tablet computer owners search and email on their devices.
One downside, though, that iPad owners complain of is difficulty in typing in the tablet computer.
The popularity of Apple’s iPad had led rivals such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Research in Motion and Samsung to come up with their own versions of the tablet computer.
Industry observers, however, said the weak netbook sale is also because of the small computer’s underperformance. Many unit owners complained that their PCs were slow and could not handle many popular software applications.
Netbooks were the response of technology giants Intel and Microsoft to the nonprofit One Laptop per Child project in 2005 that aimed to provide computers to children in poor countries at a cost of $100 per unit. When the netbook was introduced, laptop prices dropped from an average of $1,000 per unit in 2005 to $465.
But analysts said new offerings only enlarge the computer market instead of eating into the sales of conventional products. Market research firm IDC forecast that global sales of netbooks will go down 7 percent in 2011, but estimates 32.9 million units would still be sold this year.
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