According to research of the Taipei-based Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) conducted as part of the ITIS project, worldwide netbook PC shipment volume is expected to reach 24.32 million units in 2009, growing 117%. In 2014, worldwide netbook PC shipment volume is forecast to reach approximately 47 million units. In 2010, Western Europe is expected to remain the key market for netbook PCs, with the four largest netbook PC vendors in terms of shipment volume being Acer, Asus, HP, and Samsung.
With major notebook PC brands such as Asus, Acer, HP, Dell and Toshiba having invested in netbook PCs, netbook PC shipment volume started to increase significantly in the second half of 2008. Distribution channel expansion and bundled sales of mobile operators contributed to the growth of netbook PC shipment. Worldwide netbook PC shipment volume is expected to reach 24.32 million units in 2009, growing 117% compared to 2008.
In 2010, Western Europe is expected to still be the main market for netbook PCs, as the two major vendors Asus and Acer both focus on this region in their sales operations. Meanwhile, an end-of-year peak season effect on demand is expected in the North American market in 2009. Economies in the Asia-Pacific region and other emerging markets continue to grow, and the outlook for future demand in these regions is strong.
The four largest netbook PC vendors in terms of shipment volume are Acer, Asus, HP and Samsung. Besides retail channel deployment, these four vendors also have close cooperative relationships with mobile operators. Samsung, in particular, has taken advantage of its strong relationships with major international mobile operators, and the company's shipment volume has benefited from bundled sales of European operators. Samsung's shipments have increased rapidly.
According to MIC Industry Analyst Ya Wei Ku, "in the future netbook PCs will increase product differentiation to stimulate demand in mature consumer markets. Furthermore, netbook PCs will target education, enterprise and emerging markets. Telecom channels are also expected to contribute to the growth of netbook PC shipment scale."
With Intel launching the next-generation Atom processor adopting the Pine Trail platform and Microsoft launching its new operating system Windows 7, MIC expects that in 2010 main netbook PC specifications will be the new Atom processor paired with Windows 7. In the second half of 2010, Google is expected to launch the Chrome operating system, which is suited for netbook PCs. Paired with ARM processors, the focus will be on ultra-slim and long performance product design concepts; with prices of around US$200, these products are expected to attract a significant number of consumers.
Netbook PC retail prices are experiencing the effects of fierce competition, and branded vendors' profit margins are significantly impacted. This in turn affects vendors' willingness to ship products. In the future, netbook PC shipment growth is expected to slow down, and growth rates are expected to move closer to the growth rates of mainstream notebook PCs. Worldwide netbook PC shipment volume is forecast to reach approximately 47 million units in 2014.
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About MIC
Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC), based in Taipei, Taiwan, was founded in 1987. MIC is Taiwan's premier IT industry research and consulting firm providing intelligence, in-depth analysis, and strategic consulting services on global IT product and technology trends, focusing on markets and industries in Asia-Pacific. MIC is part of the Institute for Information Industry. https://mic.iii.org.tw/english
About ITIS
The Industry and Technology Intelligence Services (ITIS) project is managed by the Department of Industrial Technology of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. As part of the project, research is conducted in a variety of fields, including the ICT sector. The project serves both the public and private sector.