Mini Netbooks Make Big Splash At CES
Posted on: Monday, 12 January 2009, 08:39 CST
The massive introduction of mini netbooks at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas gave indication of the direction in which many computer makers are hoping to move during a struggling economy.
Netbooks were introduced as slimmed-down devices that offer users access to many common features. Many of these can be purchased for $300-$400.
However, some high-end netbooks, such as Sony Corp's $900, 8-inch device, offer users all of the features of a traditional full-scale notebook PC.
HP announced its newest addition to a growing line of netbooks on Saturday. Weighing in at 2.6 pounds the third-generation Mini 2140 starts at $499 for the 80-GD-flash-memory based drive and goes up to $629 for a beefier model that features a 160GB, 7200-rpm hard-disk drive.
Reuters cited analyst J.P. Gownder calling netbooks the “third form factor in the consumer PC space, in addition to laptops and desktops."
Phil McKinney, chief technology officer for Hewlett-Packard Co's personal systems group, seemed to agree.
"We kind of look at the minis as what we call a tweener product," said McKinney.
Other firms, including Dell Inc and netbook pioneer Asustek, introduced new netbook products at CES.
Dell unveiled Adamo – its new luxury line of laptops.
Alex Gruzen, senior vice president in Dell's consumer product group, declined to mention how much the new machine would cost, but emphasized that it would be a high-end, high-performance laptop.
"It's not the only product we're launching," he said. "It's the right time, with the technologies and materials for us to satisfy a very important Dell customer segment."
Asustek, which was one of the first firms to introduce the concept of a netbook, unveiled new additions to its products, including a tablet model netbook.
Toshiba Corp also plans to enter the netbook market, according to Carl Pinto, vice president of marketing for digital products at Toshiba America.
He conceded that netbooks do eat into the notebook segment, but dismissed the reality. "Even if there's some cannibalization, it's still complementary," he told Reuters.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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