Big Demand for Mini-Notebooks
The
worldwide mini-notebook shipments will surpass 5 million units in 2008, as
consumer segment holds good potential for these mobile computing devices,
says researcher Gartner. The sales will touch 8 million units in 2009. And
that’s not all. The market is expected to experience strong growth, as
there could be 50 million mini-notebooks shipped in 2012.
Mini-notebooks are mobile computing devices with a screen size of 5 inches
to 10 inches that run a full version of client operating system (OS), such
as Windows XP or Linux. Mini-notebooks do not include microinformation
devices (MIDs), which according to Gartner definitions are a separate
product category and include mobile computing devices with a screen size
of 3 inches to 5 inches.
“The
demand for mini-notebooks will be driven by several factors: by their
small form factor and small screen, their light weight, their price, their
ease of use and their basic, but sufficient, PC functionality,” said
Annette Jump, research director at Gartner. “Mini-notebooks are likely to
attract a variety of users with different usage scenarios: content
consumption, Internet browsing, e-mail, instant messaging (IM), keeping in
touch with friends and family, storing and sharing pictures, and so on.
Potential users are likely to include both first-time buyers seeking a
low-cost introductory PC as well as experienced users seeking a low-cost
second or third PC for themselves or a relative.”
Although
mini-notebooks started as low-cost education PCs, since the end of 2007
the targeted audience has expanded from education to consumers in both
mature and emerging markets and a few business buyers.
Gartner
believes that the largest growth opportunities for mini-notebooks are in
the consumer subcategory and that this segment will eventually account for
about 70% of all mini notebooks. The main drivers for mini-notebook
adoption will be market positioning, device price, availability of
wireless connectivity and its costs as well as support from channel
partners and retailers.
“Mini-notebooks create opportunities to reach some new PC buyers and
expand within existing buyers across all regions,” said Ms. Jump.
“Considering the majority of mini-notebooks will be sold to consumers, PC
vendors will need to pay increasing attention to the design and ease of
use of mini-notebooks. These will be two crucial factors in this segment.”
Gartner
does not expect any major cannibalization of mobile PC shipments by
mini-notebooks in 2008 and 2009, because there is a significant
functionality and performance gap between notebooks and mini-notebooks.
However, from 2010, mini-notebooks may start to cannibalize some low-end
mobile PC volumes, and from 2011, they could significantly boost business
PC shipments if their performance should increase substantially and they
prove attractive to general business users.
Ms. Jump
said that PC vendors should definitely be planning new revenue
opportunities around mini-notebooks, but at the same time they should not
stake their businesses on them. Vendors should regularly review and adjust
their product positioning and channel strategies for each of their
notebook subsegments, especially during the next 12 to 14 months as they
search out mini-notebook opportunities.
