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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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As Netbooks Fade, Successors Await

Sales slowdown hides fact that low-cost laptops are taking over

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(Newser) – You may not be able to buy a "netbook" in the not-too-distant future, but a new generation of low-power, low-priced laptops descended from the netbook are poised to conquer much of the PC market, experts tell Wired. Sales of the netbook—one of last year's hottest gadgets—haven't met expectations so far this year, but manufacturers are turning their attention to new categories like "consumer ultralow-voltage notebooks."

CULVs have the similar innards as netbooks, but feature bigger screens and roomier keyboards. And, modestly priced between $500 and $700, they adhere to netbooks' impact on your wallet. As the owner of tech blog Liliputing says, the rise of netbooks over the last year is actually the rise of "computing at low cost. And It’s what a lot of people have been waiting for.”

A sixth-grader works with a new Dell
A sixth-grader works with a new Dell "netbook" during math class in Austin, Texas last month.   (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
Dell Vice President of Global Consumer Sales and Marketing Michael Tatelman holds up the new 10-inch
Dell Vice President of Global Consumer Sales and Marketing Michael Tatelman holds up the new 10-inch "netbook" Inspiron Mini 10 at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
An Intel employee demonstrates a Lenovo netbook at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
An Intel employee demonstrates a Lenovo netbook at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)
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The concept of the netbook is beginning to vanish as a thing itself. By the end of the year it’s just going to be called a cheap PC.
- Michael Gartenberg, a technology strategist at Interpret

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3 comments
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2-bits
Jun 17, 09 9:54 AM CDT
Wonderful. I can't imagine what the suits were thinking: "We have learned consumers want computing at low cost. Therefore, we will start offering the same thing at the price of a regular laptop." $500 to $700 is almost DOUBLE the netbook price range. I really hope Wired has this wrong. Reply
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wwwonderer
Jun 17, 09 12:08 PM CDT
Yeah if people weren't paying $200 for a netbook, why would they pay $500-$700 for not-a-laptop? Reply
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Bryanw55
Jun 17, 09 5:50 PM CDT
I love my netbook, and it is suprisingly powerful. Don't do much gaming on it, of course, but I preferred my desktop for gaming anyway, even when I had a more powerful laptop. Reply
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