I did some analysis of a German price comparison engine today and I was able to knock-up the following graph which shows how screen sizes have moved up way beyond the original 7” netbook idea. Compared to the original netbook concept, most are now big, heavy and outside what I would consider for ultra mobility usage. Germany is one of the leading countries for netbook sales and in my opinion represents what’s happening across Europe.
The graph shows the distribution of screen sizes (rounded down to nearest inch) across 243 models (SKUs) that are listed on the German Geizhals website under the notebooks (under 11”) section.
- 68% of the devices are over 10”
- 6.5% are 7” or below.
- 71% are over 1KG. (not shown in graph)
- 8.5% are Linux-based devices
- There are no 7” netbooks based on Intel Atom
- 76% of devices are Intel Atom based.
It would be nice to have some more data points from other countries but if you look at screen size alone, it’s clear to see what’s many people already believe; the netbook category is merging into the notebook category.
In a few months I’ll take another snapshot. It will be interesting to see if the sub-7” segment is growing in numbers despite falling in %. It will also be interesting to see if devices are getting heavier. Most of the sub-1KG devices are first-gen netbooks that are likely to drop out of the list in the next six months.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:29 am
68% of netbooks over 10″ : http://cli.gs/smGtR0
May 19th, 2009 at 7:29 am
68% of netbooks over 10" : http://cli.gs/smGtR0
May 19th, 2009 at 7:58 am
#linux 68% of netbooks over 10”: I did some analysis of a german price comparison engine today and i was able to http://tinyurl.com/pacldn
May 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am
It makes you wonder what exactly defines a netbook.
Are there any official guidelines?
Ive heard some company shout the term netbook can only be used on internet capable clamshelll devices without any form of drive (DVD/CD/Floppy), but thats about it.
For me netbook just means weak but cheap notebook.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:24 am
and stef’s kind claims another buzzword victim…
May 19th, 2009 at 10:29 am
2/3s of netbooks have 10"+ screens. Growing too much http://bit.ly/vezI6
May 19th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Actually 9″ screen is enough, but people want full-size keyboard so >= 10″ is the right size to have a full-size keyboard without wasting screen space.
Even a tiny-freak like myself never liked the 7″. It is still not pocketable, then what’s the point? To me, it is either a think and light >= 9″ like the eeePC 900a, or a pocketable like the UMID mBook M1. Nothing between is going to have a market.
May 19th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Forget definitions, any computer with a 1024×600 screen is too limited for heavy use. Netbook or not, I’m more for 11-12″ ultraportables with WXGA screens and comfortable keyboards.
turn_self_off Reply:
May 19th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Ok, ill bite. Whats your definition of “heavy use”?
whatever the big brands whats to sell netbooks as, i dont think asus ever intended the eeepc range to be anything more then a cheap web surfing machine for kids…
Felip Reply:
May 19th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Well, the most heavy use I give to my MSI Wind is to browse the net using Firefox (4-8 tabs) for a few hours (reading news, replying e-mail, writing blog posts…). I got somehow used to the small keyboard and performance was not too bad, but some webs didn’t fit in the screen and my eyes (and neck) suffered the long time looking at the small screen.
johnkzin Reply:
May 20th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I’ve been doing all of that on my 7″ 1024×600 screen without any problems, for the last 7 months (Samsung Q1 Ultra). The only reason I moved to a Dell Vostro A90 (9″ 1024×600 screen) from there was that the 4 row thumb keyboards become a little too restrictive for mobile typing. If it had had a 5 row keyboard, I might have stuck with it though. Eye/neck strain weren’t a problem at all (it’s a small device, I move it up to my field of vision, not move my field of vision down to the device).
IMO, a 1024×600 screen is more than capable of 4-8 browser tabs for reading/replying to email, reading RSS, blogging, web forums, etc.
And, frankly, an 11″-12″ screen is too big a device for me to care about. 12″ is the low-end of the laptop arena, and I am completely not in the market for a laptop.
May 19th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Who is going to Computex (if going, can you cover this)?
Gecko Netbook runs on AA batteries (YouTube Videos to watch)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10238203-1.html
Quote:
————
“Sipping only 1.2 watts, this allows the Netbook to run off eight NiMH
AA-size batteries for up to four hours, though there is a lithium ion
option with a six-hour uptime. Using store-bought AA cells allows the
Netbook to be used in rural areas where electricity might get spotty.
Word is NorhTec’s Gecko EduBook will be launched at computer expo
Computex Taipei in June and will retail for less than $200″.
Introducing the Xcore86 and new Gecko Edubook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNQWMKxlL4c
Windows XP running on new Gecko Edubook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II5UfMCWVUU
If this had a Pixel Qi screen, I would like it (and if it had a better keyboard for adult use, like the 10″ class, or even the Sony one, that would be better too. However, I do like the power use, and the AA battery concept.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:46 am
Are they classifying the 8.9″ netbooks as 8″, because I have seen _zero_ 8″ netbooks… but a ton of 8.9″ and 9″ netbooks.
KevinR Reply:
May 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Chippy mentioned that the graph was “(rounded down to nearest inch)” and the website might also have strained the accuracy if they’ve been working in SI units rather than imperial inches.
So there are probably a few statistical wobbles in the data.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Hi chippy. It does sort of prove the discussion in various “Asus only three models” threads on the web, that the manufacturers have all chased the mass “hey, thats a cheap laptop” market rather than making a new UMPC-ish or webbook niche.
The crazy thing is that they are (all) stealing sales from their normal laptop market with these devices. Even if the netbook units were underpowered for a particular job, Joe Bloggs is unlikely to know afterwards let alone beforehand. Or conversely its the proof that you only need a high end machine for a) games and b) micro$ofts latest bloat.
I’m wondering if the (smaller) convertibles will save a true netbook niche as they are better suited for ebook, bedtime reading, webcam monitoring, etc. Folded you can hold them close enough to read cleanly.
Felip Reply:
May 20th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Yeah, the small convertibles are an interesting device. We’ll see if they are a success.
johnkzin Reply:
May 20th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
My Dell netbook didn’t steal a sale from the Dell laptop line. If a netbook hadn’t been available (anywhere) I wouldn’t have bought a laptop either (from Dell nor anyone else). If Dell didn’t have the netbook I wanted, I would probably have gotten the ubuntu version of the HP Mini 1000. If netbooks in general didn’t exist, I would have stuck with my Samsung Q1 Ultra.
I’m sure I’m not alone in the “I don’t want a laptop” part of the mobile market… so I’m sure that the “[netbooks] are (all) stealing sales from [the laptop] market” is only partly true, not entirely true. There are definitely sales that the netbook makers are getting, that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten at all, if they hadn’t entered the netbook market.
KevinR Reply:
May 21st, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I do sort of agree with you, but my contention is that in the un-evolution of the netbook the newer models get nearer and nearer to a laptop and further and further from what you (John) or an UMPC craver or a small mobile user (Smartphone escape-y) might want. In many ways John you were lucky you were OK with a clamshell design and an HDD; otherwise the choices are narrowing and getting more expensive.
All the newest model netbooks are I still contend becoming cheap laptops and will steal from the laptop market while bringing nothing new to the table. The interesting models, the SC3s, the M528, the convertibles, the E700s, SSD machines, anything-not-a-clamshell are all falling by the wayside or pricing back into the usually rather expensive UMPC market.