Will Netbook Sales Cool Post-Recession?

It's a little funny, really. Just two weeks ago, we saw a report from ABI Research asserting that netbooks were getting along just fine in the recession, and already another research firm is out to burst that bubble. Essentially, iSuppli is anticipating that netbook sales will begin to cool once our economy is completely back on track, noting that sales have been held up thus far by the recent attractiveness of low-priced everything.


In fact, global shipments of these low cost notebooks are up nearly 70% in 2009, but it's not likely that such a remarkable growth pattern will continue -- at least not so steeply. Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst, compute platforms for iSuppli, had this to say: "People are not buying netbooks because they are truly desirable platforms, but rather because as low-cost PCs, they offer a good mix of features at an acceptable price point. With financial motivation a key factor in many netbook sales, growth of the netbook platform is likely to slow down when the economy comes back and consumers have more money in their pockets."


To be honest, he makes a lot of sense. Netbooks took off initially due to the hype surrounding them and their general "newness" in the market. The novelty has long since worn off, but netbook sales are still doing better than ever. It's reasonable to think that standard notebooks will become more attractive once disposable income goes up -- after all, it's not like netbooks are true notebook replacements. How do you all feel about this? Would you opt for a notebook over a netbook if money weren't as big of a deal? Or do you really see value in the small form factor and long battery life?