Recent sales figures of notebooks surpassed that of PCs for the first time, a trend that is set to continue "and grow in strength" - although tablet PCs are now waiting in the wings.
This is the opinion of Christopher Riley, CEO of leading notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company (www.notebook.co.za). Riley said he has been predicating this would happen for the past two years. "I think it is actually happening sooner than I originally expected. But it is a trend I doubt will be reversed. Notebooks will consistently outstrip PC sales in the future," he said.
According to US-based sales and marketing research company, the NPD group, the latest statistics reflect that, during May this year, dollar sales of notebooks outstripped the dollar sales of desktops by US retailers for the first time.
This trend is apparently being duplicated locally in the commercial market - although not as noticeably as in the US.
Riley said, however, that while notebook sales are starting to outshine those of normal desktops, the `new kid on the block`, the tablet PC, is going to "start usurping the popularity of the notebook".
"It is, however, also interesting to note how notebook sales have caught up to PC sales since 2000. In January 2000, the sale of laptops accounted for less than 25% of sales in the US. But today they make up more than 54% of the $500 million of retail computer sales in that country. Our figures here in SA might lag a bit, but I think we are also going to see this trend emulated locally.
"But, even though the notebook computer has now proven to be much more popular, especially with power users, we will soon see tablet PC picking up in the sales arena. Within the next two to three years we are going to see these new devices becoming more popular than today`s laptops. Technology, due to the need to work `anywhere anytime`, is changing more rapidly than ever. Notebook vendors must realise that tablet PCs are going to become a far more important stock item for them."
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