“The iPad and other tablets may become a major disruptor in mobile computing. If manufacturers get things right, the world of mobile computing may change rapidly,” Bajarin writes. “Sure we have had commercially available tablets for more than 20 years now, and all have failed to catch on in a major way. Still, we have never seen a tablet quite like the iPad before. Apple’s device has an elegant ecosystem of hardware and software and an easy-to-use multi-touch interface.”
Bajarin writes, “If Apple and the competition strike the proper balance of ease of use, simple multi-touch interfacing, and an ecosystem of apps and services, these devices just might succeed in killing off the netbook space.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Frits” for the heads up.]
Of course it will kill netbooks. It was obvious from the day of the announcement.
People are so hyperbolic in their statements! Everything has to be in terms of extremes. “KILL the netbook market.”
Undoubtedly the iPad will have a real impact on netbooks. There will be a lot of attempts to copy the iPad in the tablet space and all the tablets will obviously cut into netbook sales. But there will many people who will continue to want that form factor, and many of Bajain’s worried friends will just start building tablets for the same brand names as the netbooks.
So Mr. B. just chill dude.
40 millions sounds like a lot, but those are sell by about 40 companies so at the end, they still in trouble trying to sell netbooks and worse, they make almost no profit from it.
Some says that the iPad has some limitations compared with the netbook or laptop, but what people don’t understand is that the iPad has created it’s own category and for that reason, it’s going to rule it as the iPhone rule in it’s category (iPhone is not a simple smart phone so it can be compared with “smartphones”).
netbooks were dead already- The iPad will reaffirm this.
40 millions of junk POS are sold each year! Amazing. No wonder Windows PC are still shipping in the hundreds of millions. People will buy cheap, no matter what kind of POS it is and ended up being replaced too early or dealing with malware/viruses/bots…. thus erasing their so called “el cheapo” advantage.
Currently there are two types of tablets that I see with any frequency. One is the tablet the UPS guy carries; it seem safe. The other tablet is found in a lot of private schools. I call it a laptop with swivel screen and optional stylus input. It is essentially a full size laptop that takes less desktop space and costs at least 50% more than the equivalent laptop. The iPad has no competition there. And anyone who has touched a netbook knows what a joke they are. The iPad should do well.
Keep in mind that “the netbook space” is the only space the the Windows PC box makers had growth. If they don’t count the iPad as a computer (like the don’t count the iPad touch, iPhone, and AppleTV) then there will be a negative PC growth in 2010!
Apple doesn’t install all of the Mac OS X in devices that aren’t going to use it. That doesn’t mean it can’t and isn’t a computer.
The company that sells the most netbooks in the US and Europe will be hit hard. They have to sell a lot to make a profit and the iPad will be sold there first. I do not think the rest of the world will be as effect as much. With iPad and other tablets netbooks will look dated and have less shelf space to attract new sales. However I think next year when you have the second generation iPad out netbooks will a small market with few manufactures. Few will be able to stay in the race to the bottom.
The netbook will not die because of the iPad. This weekend when I needed to use my iPhone I was reminded of just how much the lack of FLASH could limit the use of Mobile apps. I wanted to find a restaurant in wine country and out of the 5 places I found I could not see the menu on 4 of the sites because of no FLASH. I then wanted to watch some videos of the healthcare debate and again I could not because of FLASH. I am also amazed at the number of sites that are not optimized for mobile devices and don’t work well on mobile devices. Luckily I had my Acer Netbook with me and for $300 it provided me access to everything I wanted with a better keyboard
Yup, the number of web designers with no clue how much the mobile market has change is mind blowing.
Just as IT is slow to change so are the web designers. But, the iPad is going to focus a spotlight on it.
@ Rich Apple person,
Bullshit. If they don’t communicate with you on the hardware of your choice, you spend your money with businesses that do. If you were an Apple person you would have been following this practice for years on your Mac.
Flash will die a well deserved death in the near future because web sites that use flash will lose too many important hits to remain viable.
Netbooks have gained traction because they are offered free with mobile phone contracts. That avenue of growth may or may not have an effect on the rise or fall of netbooks sales figures but the inexorable rise of the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad will certainly put a stop to then growth.
‘ipad’ won’t kill my hackintosh netbook!
It will also (ultimately) kill the desktop metaphor for computer UI.
Yeah, netbooks are giveaways because they’re crap. The recent version of logo’d keychains and water bottles. An appliance at best, and barely usable. Throwaways. No-one ever took them seriously. One half-step up from a Sidekick.
Jersey is right. The most salient point to take from this is, if the box- builders only growth in recent years has been from netbooks, iPad is going to marginalize their advances.
If the netbook is gaining in popularity, at the expense of the desktop, because most people don’t need much more than what a netbook offers, Dell is in big trouble. HP not so much, because of their size and diversification, can afford to reduce profit margins enough to cause Dell real pain.
Apple redefining the category once again. This is what Apple does best; identify a potential market that is poorly served, in this case netbooks, and rethink it from the ground up. That’s how they’re able to design their success.
Rich Apple person
“The netbook will not die because of the iPad. This weekend when I needed to use my iPhone I was reminded of just how much the lack of FLASH could limit the use of Mobile apps. I wanted to find a restaurant in wine country and out of the 5 places I found I could not see the menu on 4 of the sites because of no FLASH. I then wanted to watch some videos of the healthcare debate and again I could not because of FLASH. I am also amazed at the number of sites that are not optimized for mobile devices and don’t work well on mobile devices. Luckily I had my Acer Netbook with me and for $300 it provided me access to everything I wanted with a better keyboard”
Oh Puh-lease
Do you think anyone here buys this nonsense?
MW: leave, wow how ironic
I agree that the words “kill” and “killer” are unnecessary and extreme in their place in any discussion regarding business, technology, and capitalism. Sounds crude- is one’s aim to succeed, to thrive, to innovate- or is the objective killing or murder?… No wonder we have such parasitic activity and cookie-cutter technology out there. Bill Gates was a big practitioner of this philosophy- not an innovator, did not “invent the internet” or the personal computer, as many believe.
Soooo basically “Rich Apple Person” shelled out $300 for a Flash player . . .
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Wish I had that kind of discretionary spending.
it’s not a case of netbooks dying. they were a transitional product. there’s always room for lots of products. just not so much room at the top, where apple occupies its space. it really doesn’t matter that individuals express their personal perspective. they are all relevant in their own way. they can buy one of the 15,000 units some vendor produces. maybe buy spare parts in the clearance bin. if you want a product that changes the way you live your life for the better, you will make the right decision. apple will never make a product for what you do today. it is not them. that is general electric. what matters is apple continues to lead.
The key here is that netbooks have razor thin margins.
For these suppliers who have invested a huge amount of capital to increase their factories so that they can produce more parts for cheaper, they are very sensitive the fluctuation in demand.
The problem is then, will I ever get my investment back? If the iPad places more downward price pressures on netbooks or decreases the demand, these could be in serious trouble.
An example is Dell, who last year who had revenues around 18 B, but only netted less than a million. (I’m going off the top of my head).
That’s why you never want to be a bottom feeder in business. Your just digging your own grave.
*Yawn* the same crowd all patting each others back. Luckily Apple has “people” like you to be good “Apple People” and buy the iPad.
Let’s come back later this year and compare overall sales. Not having stock I could careless about profit margin. Nor does Joe consumer who last I saw was losing jobs, facing an upside mortgage and just paid for health care for people who don’t want to work.
iPad – 190,000 pre-sold, I’ll be generous and give you another 100,000 reserved.
Netbook – 40 million sold to date.
Is the Kool-Aid fruit punch or lemonade?
“…and other tablets may become a major disruptor…” how charitable.
Why don’t they just come out and say it – iPad has no competitors in the tablet space.
But they ignore the truth in order to appear “fair.”
Recommendation: buy AAPL.
@Mark Texas
So how many of those suppliers of the 40 M had sight unseen pre orders of xxx,000 ( I use xxx as no one really knows the true figure except apple ). I think if you were generous you just might stop and think shit netbooks are in trouble….