Increased performance important - AMD as an alternative to Intel

Apple's iPad tablet PC seems to be gaining acceptance over the previously dominant netbooks before it is launched across the board. "Netbooks are no better than anything else. They are just cheap laptops," said Apple boss Steve Jobs at the iPad presentation at the end of January. The assessment is confirmed with a look at the netbook sales. According to IDC, sales in the first quarter of 2010 only rose 33,6 percent. A year earlier, netbook sales climbed 872 percent.

{jumi [plugins/content/jumi/newsgrafik.php]}

Technological connection important

"To speak of a break-in in the case of netbooks would be exaggerated. After all, the segment always shows double-digit growth rates. Despite all this, the devices have to adapt technologically in order not to lose the connection," said Erste Bank analyst Hans Engel when asked from pressetext. According to experts, the computing power of many netbooks is often significantly limited. Above all, Intel is a "braking force" due to its monopoly position. AMD, on the other hand, would need strong partners.
The hype about the handy tiny PC has cooled noticeably and is already causing great excitement in the manufacturers' management levels. Because the profit margins with small ten-inch models have apparently not brought the desired success, industry giants such as Hewlett-Packard or Dell want to reduce capital expenditure for the devices. A rethink is advisable, not least because of the iPad. Because the netbook concept is only based on the existing PC.

 

Price wars and full stocks depress profits

But it is not only the price war that has been started and a lack of future innovations that are a long-term burden on the netbook industry. Suppliers are also reacting to the lower demand and are cutting production for LCD netbook panels. When asked about the problem, PC manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Acer are taciturn and do not provide any information about stocks of unsold netbooks. As BusinessWeek reports today, Friday, the industry seems to be looking for new innovations - similar to the iPhone back then.
The netbook euphoria, which has faded due to the crisis and the search of consumers for cheap PC all-rounders, is mainly due to the limited performance of the devices. "PC users want to make fewer compromises and, similar to the large stand-alone PC, also want to be able to carry out complex mobile applications", Engel told pressetext. Should netbook demand continue to fall, profits could suffer too. Because netbooks have made up dealers after 26 percent of all PC sales during the holiday periods.

(ck)

.

Source: paste