You may have noticed that netbooks with 7 and 8.9 inch displays are getting harder to find as 10 inch models (as well as larger machines with 11 and 12 inch screens) are becoming more common. Apparently this isn’t just a trend in the US and Europe. According to a Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute study,shrinking demand for smaller netbooks has led Chinese PC makers to foucs more heavily on 10 inch and larger models.
In late 2008, 8.9 inch netbooks were at the head of their class, but by the first quarter of 2009, 10 inch netbooks made up 70 percent of shipments from the Greater Chinese netbook industry.
While most netbooks are sold in Europe, the US, and other developed countries, they’re starting to pick up steam in China. The overwhelming majority of netbooks and laptop computers generally, are manufacturer in Taiwain, which is either a part of China or a separate country depending on who you ask (China claims it as a territory).
via TG Daily
Having recently moved from a 7- to a 9-inch model, I think that the 9″ netbooks are the perfect fit of portability and screen size. 7″ felt too cramped. I think the keyboard is the main factor in people moving to 10″ models. I think switching focus to 10″ is a self-perpetrating cycle, as both improved form factors (thin) and battery life have been attached to the 10″ models, thus making them more popular, and so on…
I think the same improvements could and should be made on 9″ models, making them even “more better” than 10 inchers.
I recently bought my first 8.9″, an eee 900A refurb and was really surprised at how much I like the tiny size and low weight. This will have to be compromised by a bigger battery, but I’m sure I’ll still be just as crazy about it–white finish, distant right shift key, Xandros OS and all. I may buy a spare 🙂
I’m apprehensive about the upcoming ARM netbooks with regards to their capabilities compared to Atom driven systems. Any reassurances would be appreciated.
Really depends what you need in a netbook. If you are happy with Xandros you will probably be able to live with an ARM. The first batch might be right on the borderline on cpu power, really depends on whether they get a Flash player that uses the hardware dsp or not. By next Xmas they should be shipping dual core clocked at 1GHz or better and cpu performance issues will be history.
The big question mark is whether they can get people to give up Windows in exchange for all day battery life and a $200 price tag this Xmas. If they sell well they will be even better next year, but if not all the pundits will declare the failure to be customers demanding Windows and most of the retailers will drop em.
This is encouraging. It sounds like ARM devices could adequately fill the sub-10″ niche if it’s vacated by regular netbooks.
People seen to accept anything but windows on PDAs and cell phones (Windows Moblie PPCs seem to be dying out.). Maybe this will carry over more for smaller ARM netbooks than it has for the bigger ones.
But phones and PDAs are more foolproof than Linux netbooks have been, at least in the eyes of the market. Maybe we need more communication and education from the Linux community–maybe more standardization. That’s one reason I favor Ubuntu.
Pretty easy to see what is happening. Netbook makers know what is in their own pipeline and the future of small is ARM. So the x86 machines are going up the product line in hopes of surviving this Xmas and the smaller display units in the current line is being liquidated while people will still at least pay wholesale cost on em.
If either of the display techs recently featured here pan out though it is going to be the end of Intel’s Atom dominance even on larger units. ARMs will break out of the $200 and under ghetto the industry expects to keep them in and move up the product lines into at least the 10 inch netbook territory.
Take the screen power down a notch and the CPU power becomes the limit on run time in such an obvious way Atom will not be able to compete. Let the battle become big battery and/or carry the power brick vs run all day on a three cell and Windows isn’t going to be enough to keep everyone on Intel Inside. They might keep half the unit sales, but that will be enough to blow the market open.
As above really, my Eee 901 is far more loved than my NC10 ever was. It’s just so… dinky.
It sounds daft to moan over an inch but if you shove them side by side the difference really is quite substantial.
Why anyone would want a 12 inch is beyond me, why not just have a proper laptop?
Have to agree with ricord. 10″ (no matter how small you make it) can never as ultraportable as 7″ or 9″.
7 screen netbooks can be very useful in ultra mobility,for very short browsing session and email sending.