Gartner: Weltweiter Mini-Notebook-Markt wird 2008 die 5-Millionen-Grenze knacken

Although mini-notebooks started as low-cost education PCs, since the end of 2007 the targeted audience has expanded from education to consumers in both mature and emerging markets and a few business buyers.

Gartner states that the largest growth opportunities for mini-notebooks are in the consumer subcategory and that this segment will eventually account for about 70 per cent of all mini notebooks. The main drivers for mini-notebook adoption will be market positioning, device price, availability of wireless connectivity and its costs as well as support from channel partners and retailers.

“Mini-notebooks create opportunities to reach some new PC buyers and expand within existing buyers across all regions,” said Mr Shiffler. “Considering the majority of mini-notebooks will be sold to consumers, PC vendors will need to pay increasing attention to the design and ease of use of mini-notebooks. These will be two crucial factors in this segment.”

Gartner does not expect any major cannibalisation of mobile PC shipments by mini-notebooks in 2008 and 2009, because there is a significant functionality and performance gap between notebooks and mini-notebooks. However, from 2010, mini-notebooks may start to cannibalise some low-end mobile PC volumes, and from 2011, they could significantly boost business PC shipments if their performance should increase substantially and they prove attractive to general business users.

Mr Shiffler said that PC vendors should definitely be planning new revenue opportunities around mini-notebooks, but at the same time they should not stake their businesses on them. He advised vendors to regularly review and adjust their product positioning and channel strategies for each of their notebook subsegments, especially during the next 12 to 14 months as they search out mini-notebook opportunities.

“For consumer mini-notebooks to succeed, they need to be positioned differently than standard notebooks, and PC vendors will need to decide if the existing channels to market are appropriate and possibly look for new channels, such as telecom, gadget shops and so on,” Mr Shiffler said. “PC vendors will have to convince retailers to take on those products, as they are still emerging products and potentially present some risk from an inventory point of view.”

Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Dataquest Insight: Forecast Scenarios for Mini-notebooks, Worldwide." The report is available on Gartner's Web site at http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=725410&subref=simplesearch.