Netbooks down 40%: the tablet effect in real numbers
via liliputing.com
Netbooks were the pioneers in offering a "full" computing experience through mobile and affordable devices. With the rise of tablets, it is expected that a good portion of sales will be cannibalized.
For checking email and browsing the web, arguably the new Android devices and the iPad offer a better experience. However, there are a few caveats:
- Price: although you can currently buy Chinese low-end tablets for ~USD 200, the quality of hardware and software is totally questionable. The Nook Color is an exception, specially with the recently lauched official support for Android apps.
- Phisical Keyboard: If you write a lot, you probably need a proper keyboard. Although soft-keyboards are getting better, they don't fully replace the "real" ones.
- Computing needs: for some less-savvy users, netbooks can fully replace laptops. That is more noticeable in countries where the price gap makes it prohibitive to buy notebooks.
In my opinion, given the reasons above, there will still be a place for netbooks. However, I certainly expect tablet sales to go up significantly, replacing a great portion of the market for netbooks. For me, I can totally see my eee PC sharing its time share with my iPad. ;)
Original article from Liliputing here.
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