“But Apple also needs innovation. A big idea. Soon,” Beyers writes. “Netbooks are the problem. Apple shouldn’t rush to create one, but eventually, it will need an alternative to what Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and others are creating; netbooks are the next great format for innovation.”
“Researcher Gartner says that netbook unit shipments rose to 4.4 million in the third-quarter. Analysts there predict that total netbook sales will double in 2009,” Beyers writes. “But, again, Apple needn’t hurry to build a netbook of its own. A recent survey from Biz360 shows that ‘net advocacy’ for netbooks was 40% lower than that for traditional laptops. Users prefer a full-featured system.”
“What if Cook believes it’s smarter to avoid the category altogether? Color me worried,” Beyers writes. “Not because netbooks are The Next Big Thing, but because thanks to the disruptive nature of netbooks, someone is going to invent The Next Big Thing. Something that solves the problems Cook spoke of during the earnings call: Underpowered hardware, limited software, cramped keyboards, miserly displays.
“Jobs’ Apple would see this as an opportunity. Will Cook’s? I hope so,” Beyers writes. ” So do most investors, I suspect.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Beyers worries way too much. A little birdy tells us that everything is under control.
