Big Sales for Small Computers
By Doug Desjardins
A down economy has hurt computer sales but one of the rare exceptions is mini-laptop computers. Back-to-school shoppers are buying the mini-computers - also known as netbooks - in big numbers and taking advantage of discount prices as low as $235 for name brand models.
Research firm IDC estimates that sales of netbooks increased 34% in the second quarter of 2009 while overall sales of computers fell 7%. The huge jump in sales reflects a flood of new netbook models entering the market as a growing number of consumers look for a less-expensive option to a traditional laptop "Everyone is fascinated by the tremendous growth in the mini-computer category," said Richard Shim of IDC. "And the impact of limited discretionary spending has helped to fuel this category."
Netbooks are typically classified as laptop computers with screens 7 inches to 10 inches wide. Most are priced in the $300 to $500 range, not exactly cheap for parents on a tight budget but affordable for those with kids going to college who need a computer. Before buying a netbook, shop around and do your research to make sure you know what you're buying. And don't buy into the notion that a netbook will be as fast and powerful as a $1,000 laptop, something many consumers are led to believe.
A June 2009 report from research firm The NPD Group showed that 60% of consumers who bought a netbook expected it to perform the same functions as a regular laptop and just 58% were satisfied with the netbook they purchased. "Retailers and manufacturers can't put too much emphasis on PC-like capabilities that could convince consumers that a netbook is a replacement for a notebook," said NPD VP of industry analysis Stephen Baker.
With those lowered expectations in mind, the basic things you should look for in a mini-computer are at least 1,000 megabytes (MB) of storage space, a battery with a life of at least two hours and a screen at least 8-inches wide. And there are a number of netbooks that meet those basic requirements available at stores and online.
Wal-Mart has an Acer Aspire Notebook with a 10-inch screen sale priced at $298 and an HP Pavilion Netbook with 1,024 MB of memory and an Intel Atom Processor for $348. Best Buy has a Samsung Netbook with 1 gigabyte (GB) of memory and a battery with a 7-hour life for $379.
And there are plenty of deals online. Bens Bargains has an HP Mini with an 8.9-inch screen on sale for a limited time at $235 (regular $399) and has Dell coupons for a Dell Mini 10V with a 10-inch screen sales-priced at just $299.
But even though netbooks sales are expected to post strong gains in the third quarter and the rest of the 2009, they aren't going to be enough to boost overall computer sales for the year. "We can only rely on what actual end-demand is and that means we can't be over-exuberant and expect that the traditional back to school PC shopping season will materialize into a bullish second half," said the IDC's Shane Rau. "It won't."