Netbooks with higher specifications are gradually morphing into very functional, small, form-factor notebooks, as described in the Strategy Analytics updated Wireless Enterprise Strategies service report, “Netbook Vendor Product and Specification Database.”
“The netbook market is no longer only a low-cost market for casual use, as highlighted by the shift in price tiers Strategy Analytics analysts have seen,” commented Andrew Brown, Director of Wireless Enterprise Strategies and author of the report. “Now available are a number of new models with higher specifications, and mobile broadband bundling, provided by companies like Sony which have enthusiastically entered this market.”
The average price of a netbook is now up to $456, while the most popular price point remains $349 overall. The average price of a Linux-based netbook now stands at $322, with the average price of a Windows-based notebook much higher, at $531. Over 40% of netbooks now even have 160GB hard disk drives. Both Dell and HP are shipping larger, 250GB versions, a trend that Strategy Analytics believes will be replicated by other vendors.
Windows-based netbooks remain the most popular product, with Windows XP Home the most dominant operating system with 55% operating system share. Linux-based netbooks, already unpopular, stand at only 23 percent.
