Intel Thinks Netbooks No Longer Appeal to First-Time Buyers

Santa Clara, California-based Intel said on Wednesday that it no longer expected the netbook computer system to appeal to first-time PC buyers. However, the company stated that it saw continued sales of the ultraportable form factor as PC users were still looking for a secondary machine or a durable option for kids. The world's leading chip maker, one of the pioneers of the fast growing market, believes that first-time users will be looking for a computer system that can provide them with a complete computing experience, being the first PC system they purchase.

 

In a recent news-article on Reuters, Sean Maloney, Intel's general manager of sales and marketing, said that he didn't “think first-time buyers are going to buy netbooks. The first time you buy something you want the real deal. It's consistent not just in China, but all around the world.” Maloney insisted that people were more likely to look for a complete computing experience with the acquisition of their first PC. “If you're going to spend your hard-earned money for the first time, you're going to put a computer in your house,” he said.

 

Netbooks have been made popular by Intel, with the launch of its low-power, 45nm-based Atom processors, as well as the ASUS Eee PC models. At the moment, Intel holds the majority in the netbook business, with its Atom processors powering up most netbooks available on the market. At the same time, ASUS is one of the main competitors in the field, rivaling with Acer, which has quickly gained market share with the help of its popular Aspire One.

 

According to Maloney, netbooks have reached a new milestone, becoming “well established” in global markets, an important step for a PC segment that was fighting for a place a year ago.