Netbook Sales Plummet

Sales of netbook computers are tumbling, and the once impressive growth rate, has now dwindled down to single digits -- could the iPad be responsible?

It seemed inevitable to me that tablet computers would eventually make a comeback, and knock the netbook from its portable computer perch. Netbooks are just too similar to notebooks, and not revolutionary enough to change the way we use portable computers, the iPad however is a different story altogether.

I read with interest on TheAppleBlog, that according to a Morgan Stanley report, the iPad could be responsible for the recent decline of the netbook.

As you can see there has been a downward trend since US sales peaked in July 2009, but around the same time as the iPad announcement by Apple in January this year, the decline has accelerated drastically. This could be a mere coincidence of course, but I doubt it, because there were already a lot of rumours and speculation about an Apple tablet computer, long before the official announcement.

Apple sold 1 million iPads within the first 28 days of it going on sale in the US, and with the international release later this month, I believe iPad sales are going to go gangbusters!

If you ask me, the iPad is definitely the netbook killer, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.

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