Austin, Texas – The impact netbooks are having on
the portable computer market is nearing its peak, according to DisplaySearch.
The company reported it expects 2009 shipments to increase 103
percent compared with 2008, but while shipments will continue to increase, they
will do so at a much lower rate. DisplaySearch expects 2010 netbook shipments
to rise an additional 19 percent and then begin to tail off in 2011.
Table
1: Notebook PC and Mini-Note Revenue (Billions of
US$)
Source: DisplaySearch’s new Q4’09 Advanced
Quarterly
Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report
Netbooks also saw a major lift in overall revenue, which climbed
72 percent in 2009 over 2008, to $11.4 billion. The other mobile computing
categories, ultraportable PCs, portable PCs and desktop replacement PCs all saw
revenue totals fall for 2009. This trend will continue in 2010, except for
desktop replacements, which will see a healthy 21 percent uptick.
Mobile computing shipments will continue to grow across the board,
with the netbook category growing 19 percent and the remainder of the category
increasing 16 percent.
The negative impact netbooks are having on the revenue and
average selling prices (ASPs) will continue, DisplaySearch reported. ASPs were
down 20 percent in 2009 and could be down a similar amount in 2010.
This pushed total revenue for the category down 12 percent to
$109.4 billion in 2009. This trend will continue in 2010 with revenue slipping
an additional 1 percent on sales of $108 billion. In 2008, the year netbooks
first came to market, portable computing revenue was at $117 billion.
Netbook revenue will be flat in 2010 compared to 2009.
“”Mini-notes continue to be a significant piece of the notebook
PC pie, in terms of both units and revenue. However, our long-term outlook is
that the mini-note share of the notebook PC market has stabilized, and will
remain at approximately 20 percent through 2011 before starting to erode,” said
John F. Jacobs, DisplaySearch’s
notebook market research director.
Table
2: Notebook PC and Mini-Note Shipments (Millions of
Units)
Source: DisplaySearch’s new Q4’09 Advanced
