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Netbook shipments surge

Industry-beating growth in 2009

Last year was a good 12 months for netbook makers: together they shipped 30.2 million of the mini laptops.

That, market watcher Strategy Analytics said this week, is 79 per cent more than they managed in 2008.

To put that into context, fellow researcher IDC earlier this year put 2009's total PC shipments at 294.2m units. IDC didn't issue a specific figure for laptops, but you're looking at 50-60 per cent of that total being portable PCs: 147.1-176.52m units.

So netbooks accounted for around 17-20 per cent of the total - a long way, for now, from the 90 per cent share ARM CEO Warren East says we should anticipate. The segment's growth rate well exceeded the PC business as a whole, which, according to IDC, was up just 2.3 per cent on 2008.

SA said Acer, Asus, HP and Dell were the leading netbook suppliers last year, though the remainder were by no means in the minority.

The researcher forecast further growth this year as netbook chips deliver more performance and ARM licensees take on Intel's dominant Atom platform. ®

Apple

So Netbooks alone outsell Apples of all ilks by 3:1. Kudos to SJ last week for really capturing the consumers mood.

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Why on Earth...

..Would anyone buy a netbook when you can buy a shiny new iPad? Just wait, when the Moses Tablet is finally available to us unworthy mortals, it will signal THE END of those junky netbooks.

Why buy a piece of crap when you can splurge on some shiny superior Apple kit? Yes you can't install the (non-Apple approved) programs(s) of your choice, yes you can't hold it with two hands and thumb type, yes you can't get a good viewing angle when you're seated at a table and it's laying flat, yes Apple has you by the short and curly's when it comes to downloading content without iTunes. But hey, it's still an Apple and it's all about the 'User Experience'. This survey will seem like a joke 6 months from now.

I feel sorry for all you netbook toting fools. Apple is the only way to go. That's what the Church of Jobs keeps telling us.

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Anonymous Coward

Surprised?

Hardly, having had an HP 2133 since the summer (now running Mint) I wouldn't be without it. It's the best thing since my 5MX (which is still in use!)

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