Netbook Shipments to Total Nearly 30M Units in 2009: DisplaySearch

Almost 33 million netbooks (mini-note PCs) are expected to be shipped in 2009 as the penetration into the overall notebook PC market grows to 20 percent worldwide, according to DisplaySearch, a display market researcher and consultant.

At the same time, DisplaySearch said, the market for "traditional" notebook PCs (with displays 12.1-inch and larger) will remain flat year-on-year (YoY) for the first time.

Penetration rates for netbooks are forecast to exceed 26 percent in Latin America, and 22 percent in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), with the lowest penetration rates in Asia Pacific, North America and China. In emerging markets like Latin America, netbooks are more affordable. In 2008, 45 percent of all netbooks were shipped into EMEA markets; while this figure is forecast to drop to 40 percent in 2009.

DisplaySerach said that in many regions, telecom providers have been offering subsidized netbooks for several quarters, which helped propel growth. In North America, the three largest telecom providers (AT&T, Sprint and Verizon) are aggressively marketing netbooks.

John Jacobs, Director of Notebook Market Research, pointed out that mini-notes are forecast to continue to be a significant portion of the market. However, he added, as display sizes of these devices have quickly moved from 7.0- to 8.9- to 10.1-inch, and now with the emergence of 11.6- and 12.0-inch mini-note products, it is clear that buyers want a lightweight device, but that they also want a bigger display. While these devices have certainly created a new market, Jacobs pointed out, DisplaySearch`s research indicates that they are predominantly used as secondary PCs by consumers, and are not replacing notebooks.

Source: CENS