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Has Apple Missed the Netbook Boat?
Apple may have missed the netbook boat by not producing a low-priced notebook to compete with the ultra-cheap portables that have cornered a significant portion of the PC market, a survey published today said.
"They have missed the bus from a timing perspective for the holidays," said Manish Rathi, co-founder of Sunnyvale, Calif.-based online retailer Retrevo, which sponsored a poll of over 750 American consumers. "There's a big time window this holiday season, and Apple doesn't have a netbook."
According to Retrevo's survey, 37% of people who said that a Mac was their primary computer already own, or plan to buy, a netbook this year. A slightly smaller number, 35%, of consumers who use a Windows-based PC as their primary system said the same thing.
"Even worse for Apple is the fact that it's already lost the early adopters, like the 59% of the iPhone owners who responded to the survey saying they already own or plan to buy a netbook this year," added Rathi.
Apple's lack of a competitor to Windows netbooks has sparked speculation in the past that the company would be forced to enter the fray, but its most recent quarterly earnings statement seemed to put the kibosh on that theory. In the third calendar quarter of 2009, Apple sold a record number of Macs , nearly two-thirds of them notebooks, without a bottom-end price-point model. Mac sales during July, August and September were up 17% over the same period a year before.
"Sure, Apple missed the bus as far as taking an appreciable share of that market," said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "They missed that bus from Day One."
But that's just the point, Gottheil continued. Apple only "missed the bus" if it's just another computer maker. But it's clearly not that.
"They were never going to come close to matching the price of Windows netbooks," Gottheil argued. "For them to be successful, they don't need to seriously erode the share sold by other vendors. So to say that they 'missed the bus' on netbooks, that's just silly."
Instead, Apple could introduce a device -- call it a netbook, call it a tablet, it doesn't matter, said Gottheil -- and sell only a small number compared to the quantities delivered by the likes of ASUS or Acer, and still rake in lots of cash. It's not a zero-sum game, said Gottheil: Sales of Windows netbooks don't necessarily prevent Apple from selling something priced less than the current lowest-priced MacBook.
Like a tablet, for instance.
"Clearly, those who purchase Windows machines have expressed a certain price sensitivity compared to those who buy Macs," Gottheil said. "But although Apple has stated that they think that phones are price sensitive, they overestimated that price sensitivity by understocking the $200 iPhone, and overstocking the $100 model. I think they have evidence that the notebook market isn't quite as price-sensitive as some think," he added, pointing to Apple's recent refresh of its entry-level MacBook notebook , which it kept at $999.
That, Gottheil, continued, gives weight to a higher-, not a lower-priced, tablet, the long-rumored addition to Apple's line that analysts have been beating the drum on for months .
By contrast, Retrevo's poll indicated that for Apple to sell a tablet in large numbers, it will have to price the device under $600. According to the survey, while 68% of people who primarily use a Mac would be willing to fork over $600 or more for an Apple-made tablet, only 36% of consumers who spend most of their time on a Windows PC would pay that much.
"Mac loyalists will buy almost anything from Apple," said Retrevo's Rathi. "But how do you grow it past the loyalists?"
The only way, Rathi said, was to price it under $600. "If they had priced the original iPhone at $1,000, they wouldn't have sold many," Rathi added, arguing that to make a tablet a break-out buy, it has to appeal to non-Mac owners, as it did with the iPhone.
Gottheil countered that line of reasoning , too. "To say that a table could explode like the iPhone, no matter the price, is just crazy," Gottheil said. "You have to buy a phone, but you don't have to buy a tablet. If Apple enters that market, Amazon's Kindle aside, it will essentially have to establish the category."
Rumors of an Apple tablet received more credence today when reports surfaced of an off-the-record talk at Harvard by a New York Times editor last week. During the conversation, executive editor Bill Keller used the phrase "impending Apple slate" while describing the newspaper's plans to deliver content to mobile devices
The PC World 100: Best Products of 2009
PC World looked at many outstanding hardware, software, sites, and services this year, evaluating each one on its design, functionality, performance, and impact. Here is the cream of the crop, the 100 best of 2009. (Note that we chose not to rate products specifically on their price or value, focusing instead on their overall quality.)
Please let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices or have an unmentioned favorite by commenting at the bottom of this story or on the PC World Facebook Fans page (we'd love to have you join us there).
We've also assembled slideshows for convenient comparison-viewing of our top picks in four categories: cameras/camcorders, laptops, smartphones, and storage devices. Check 'em out!
1. The App Store (iPhone apps, prices vary) What can you say about a store--any store--that moves 2 billion products in just 16 months? We stand in awe of Apple's trailblazing App Store, which this year put the word app on the map, as customers flocked to download iPhone applications by the shopping basketful.
The iPhone is far from the first smartphone that could run third-party software. But one reason for the success of iPhone apps is that there's a store for them. By creating one easy-to-use marketplace for 85,000 free or (in most cases) inexpensive programs, Apple sparked unprecedented interest in phone software from both iPhone owners and developers.
It may seem as though an inordinately large proportion of the items available for downloading are dedeicated to creating fart noises, but if you cut through the cheesy games and novelties, you'll find thousands of innovative, thoughtfully designed apps that can make your iPhone do things no smartphone has done before.
Site | PC World App Guide
2. Google Voice (telephony service, free) Google Voice gives you a single number for all of your phones to use, e-mails you transcripts of your voicemail messages, and sports a host of sophisticated calling features. Set up conference calls for free, record calls, even switch phones in the middle of a call. And it's all free. Ma Bell, eat your heart out.
Full review
3. Intel X25-M Solid State Drive 160GB (internal storage device, $500) A new manufacturing process and a significantly lower price combine with great performance in this top-notch SSD. This model's speedy test results put it at the top of our chart; its price and performance make it a compelling flash upgrade for notebook or desktop users.
More info | Check prices
4. Nikon D300s (digital camera; $1770, body only) The first enthusiast model to include high-definition video capture, this camera is a joy to handle. Changing focus points on the D300s is extremely easy--and the camera takes excellent photos, too. Video output contained impressively smooth images; and the built-in microphone picked up audio well in a crowded environment.
More info | Video | Check prices
5. Twitter (social media service, free) We loved Twitter enough last year to include it on our Top 100 list, and it has only grown stronger since. Twitter's uncomplicated API has led to an explosion of cool client apps and media sites that continually expand what it can do, including robust photo and music sharing. It's not just for pithy sentences anymore.
More info
6. Dell Latitude Z600 (laptop, base price $1999) This superslim 16-inch laptop unites fashion-forward design and high-tech extras--with no cords. A 14mm-thick metallic-yet-rubbery case, a touch-inductive panel alongside the screen that lets you summon on-screen shortcuts, and an inductive-charging base station highlight this status symbol for business travelers.
Full review
7. Microsoft Bing (search engine, free) What sets Bing apart most strikingly from Microsoft's old Live Search and from the Google and Yahoo alternatives is the way it parses and displays search results. Whereas Google emphasizes a stark, quick-loading design and a list of highly relevant search results, Bing organizes its search results into Search Categories--subdivisions such as Web, Maps, Images, and Health. In a particular search, Bing creates Search Categories dynamically in response to the user's query. Bing also packs some new smarts: it attempts to figure out the searcher's intent rather than relying heavily on matching keywords to Web documents.
More info
8. Canon PowerShot SX200 IS (digital camera, $350) It's pocket-size only if you have really big pockets, but the 12X-optical-zoom SX200 IS justifies its size by delivering astonishing versatility. With full manual controls plus a Smart Auto mode, 720p HD video recording, very good image quality, and that powerful lens, the SX200 IS is a budding photographer's best friend.
Full review | Video | Check prices
9. The Beatles Rock Band by Harmonix (game, $140 with instruments) Well, it probably should be number nine, but this gaming experience isn't just a straight setlist, it's a musical history lesson. As a member of the Fab Four, you start at the Cavern Club, jam at Abbey Road, sing on rooftops and go on trippy video experiences to an Octopus's Garden, rocking out the entire time. Amazingly, I find myself battling my wife--and the in-laws--for control of the mic.
More info | Check prices
10. Samsung LN46B750U (HDTV, $1670) This 46-inch TV turned in the best performance we've seen yet in our tests for motion handling. Its 240Hz refresh rate certainly helped, and the LN46B750U offers solid Web service connectivity, too. Want a smaller TV? Samsung's 40-inch LN40B650 ($1190) delivered even better overall image quality, and its 120Hz refresh rate put it just behind its 46-inch cousin in performance on our motion tests.
Lenovo Releases New Windows 7 ThinkPad Laptops
Lenovo announced two new additions to the business-oriented ThinkPad family, the 14-inch ThinkPad SL410 and 15.6-inch SL510, both of which come with Windows 7.
These new ThinkPads are designed with small- to-medium businesses in mind and feature higher-resolution webcams, clearer microphones, and a microphone mute button for voice and video conferencing. The higher-end configurations for the SL410 and SL510 feature built-in 3G broadband internet via AT&T mobile broadband, as well.
Both models are available in different configurations that range from $500 to $700, the lower-end model with a 160GB hard disk drive and an Intel Celeron T3000 1.8GHz processor and the higher-end with a 250GB hard disk drive and an Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 2.0GHz processor. All configurations have the same integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD chipset, Dual Layer 8x DVD Recordable optical drive, 4-cell battery, 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, HDMI and VGA output, and multitouch trackpad.
These models also fall under Lenovo's Windows 7 Enhanced Experience Certification, which is advertised as booting and shutting down up to 56% faster than other laptops on an identical un-optimized configuration. (Haven't heard of it? Read our news post here.)
The ThinkPad SL410 and 510 are currently available through retail channels (TigerDirect, Amazon.com, and Best Buy, though Best Buy only has the SL410) as well as Lenovo's website
Nook Might Steal Apple Tablet’s Thunder
The Nook e-book reader announced by Barnes & Noble offers several novelties, including an Android OS, two screens and the ability for users to lend e-books, but its biggest impact could be on the widely rumored tablet computers expected from Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch told reporters in a conference call today that the bookseller is open to giving the Nook a full-functioning Web browser for its lower 3.5-inch color touch display. It would also be willing to open up the platform to third-party Android developers.
Lynch did not directly compare the Nook to the rumored tablets coming from Apple and Microsoft, preferring instead to compare it to Amazon.com's Kindle 2 , which is priced the same as the Nook at $259. The Nook goes on sale in November.
However, Gartner Inc. analyst Allen Weiner compared the Nook to the Kindle and coming devices, saying the Nook "should not only throw a scare into Amazon but also put somewhat of a damper on the e-reading capabilities of planned tablets/devices from Apple and Microsoft ."
To that point, Lynch made it clear that his company's Nook is capable of being much more than a typical e-reader with future browsing and open application support.
"There's no browser on the Nook today, but could we have one in the future? Sure," Lynch said, indicating the touch-screen area which he likened to an iPhone's touch capability and virtual keyboard. "We're looking at all kinds of features sets for the [Nook] roadmap ... What people want to do today is read trade books and bestsellers ... In the future, consumers may want and demand additional features."
Lynch also said using Android version 1.5 on Nook "opens up exciting opportunities" for third-party Android applications built by the open source community. While that application capability was not the driving reason for picking Android, Lynch said that Barnes & Noble is planning to put out an SDK for Android developers. He said the Android OS was primarily selected for its navigation and user interface capabilities.
Customers will primarily use the Nook's lower screen to shop for e-books on the Barnes & Noble e-bookstore and perform other navigation functions, using the touchscreen and wireless access from AT&T or Wi-Fi, Lynch noted. There will be daily content accessible over wireless that Barnes & Noble provides, with some special offers to customers who are using the Nook while visiting one of the more than 700 Barnes & Noble stores, which are already Wi-Fi enabled.
The lower color screen will also provide a virtual touch keyboard for searches, annotations to e-books and notes, and for sending books to lend to others using Barnes & Noble e-reader software on a variety of devices, including some BlackBerries, Motorola smartphones and iPhone and iPod touch devices, Lynch said.
Weiner added in a blog that besides shopping, the lower screen will be used for running Android applications, although but it wasn't clear when support of Android apps will occur.
Lynch also said that Nook users who lend books will be granting the specific e-book's license for two weeks to another user. The e-book will appear on the second user's device for two weeks and will then "time out" or disappear for the second user, and will then return to the original user.
There's enormous potential for Internet browsing on the Nook on a separate screen from a screen used for reading text. Many observers have noticed the Nook's combined screen potential and said it could rival the rumored Apple tablet, expected next year.
Combining the functions of an e-reader with the full multimedia advantages of the Web have been touted as the next-generation of computing by some prognosticators, including Daniel Lyons who wrote in Newsweek this week that the purported tablet devices could speed up the arrive of a "golden age of journalism."
Many tech journalists and analysts scoff when anyone calls a new technology a game-changer or a product that will reinvent computing, but Lyons contended that full functioning tablets that play video and music and display text, while connected to the Internet at all times, will help fuel a revolution in the way stories are told.
While Lyons was focused on what the coming Apple tablet could offer, the same capabilities seem well within the reach of Barnes & Noble, assuming it equips its Nook with a full browser and open applications. Weiner has noted that the bookseller has an advantage over Amazon with its hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores where users can browse with the Nook or other devices, including the iRex e-reader or the coming Que from Plastic Logic that Barnes & Noble also supports. And Barnes & Noble is also supporting an open e-book publishing format, e.pub, that Amazon is not, Weiner noted.
Lynch said that having the physical stores will be a "huge benefit" to the success of the Nook, since users will be able to go a store to get help with their devices from workers there.
Asked whether Barnes & Noble could be in the early stages of becoming more of a technology company than a bookseller, Lynch noted that it has already made entries into an e-book device and online store. But despite such efforts, he said that "Barnes & Noble is about reading at its core, and we have an understanding of readers and content. There's a lot of technology, but really it's about reading and the reading set that readers told us they want."
Lynch also said that e-readers will alter the way books are written, read, distributed and published. Books, for example, will be broken into snippets and distributed wirelessly or even sold with alternative endings. "There are all types of models in content and book publishing that haven't been envisioned yet that this technology will unleash," he said.
Barnes & Noble expects e-books to account for less than 5% of all book sales in the next few years, Lynch added, with "minimal impact." However, he said the company is projecting a long-term conversion to digital books and is "committed to giving books to people regardless of the format ... We're the largest bookseller, and with the announcements we've made, we plan to be the largest seller of digital content as well." He also said he agreed with findings from Forrester Research that sales of e-readers will double in 2010, reaching about 6 million sold, up from about 3 million in 2009.
The Nook's announcement is just a start, Lynch said. "We see this as just the beginning, as we have a lot more in store, so stay tuned
HP Tries to Find Business Use for Touchscreen PCs
Hewlett-Packard sees businesses in the future adopting touchscreens, but the technology needs further development to be an alternative to keyboards and mice in corporate environments, a company executive said.
Touch is a natural way for humans to interact with PCs, and businesses are experimenting with the technology to see how it can be used, said John Cook, vice president of marketing at HP's consumer PC global business unit. HP ships PCs with touchscreens where fingers can be used as an alternative to mice to zoom into maps, scroll through documents or manipulate images.
Touchscreens could be used for engineering and design applications where higher levels of precision are required when manipulating images, Cook said. Touchscreens could also be relevant for database tasks, where screens can be touched to retrieve data without typing or clicking a mouse multiple times.
For example, customer support agents could quickly retrieve names, addresses and other customer data by just tapping the screen a few times. However, there is room to improve software designs and user interfaces to effectively exploit touchscreens, especially for databases, Cook said.
"I don't think anybody has cracked that code yet. But somebody will come up and figure out a way to give me the most access to the most information," Cook said.
A strong software ecosystem is emerging for businesses to adopt touch PCs, and Cook is encouraged with Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 OS, which builds in native support for touch capabilities. The native capabilities could expand the use of touchscreens and encourage developers to focus software design around touch. For its part, HP is developing a software ecosystem through which it provides tools and support for developers to write touch-enabled programs.
Touch is a new interface that is more convenient for some tasks, for example being able to run through a data list or a set of icons or thumbnails, said Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates. Seeing the edge of the data set with a visual bounce at the end of a running gesture is handy.
"Since business is all about time savings and efficiency, anything that increases productivity is a useful tool," Kay said.
Beyond software, designing touch hardware to meet business needs is key to adoption, Cook said. Keyboards and mice remain better for writing huge reports, but HP is monitoring how businesses find new uses for touchscreens, Cook said.
"Sometimes what happens is usage develops, and our design evolves around it," Cook said. "If it's there and it can more efficiently replace the mouse or keyboard, then do it. If it doesn't, then don't try to force fit it."
HP has already seen innovative business uses for touchscreens. A bakery in California uses HP's all-in-one Touchsmart PC to take and record orders. Similarly touchscreen PCs could be the "cash register of the future," Wolff said.
Hospitals could be attracted to touch PCs because of the ability to manipulate data with fingers. Touchscreens could be placed as secure workstations on walls or desks for nurses or doctors to quickly retrieve patient information. Touch PCs also lend themselves to educational environments as kids interact better with touchscreens than mice or keyboards.
Some of the top PC makers offer touch-based desktops and laptops. HP and Dell offer laptops with two-finger touch input, while Lenovo recently introduced a laptop with four-finger input. HP updated its Touchsmart PC lineup on Tuesday with new screen sizes and hardware capabilities. The Touchsmart 300 and Touchsmart 600 all-in-one PCs come with 20-inch and 23-inch screens, respectively.
HP has been talking about touch since 1983, when it introduced the HP-150 PC with a touchscreen monitor. Touching the CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor launched programs from the PC.
"But the reality is, it was a little ahead of its time. What we're seeing now is integration of touch as a more natural interface," Cook said.
Tablet PCs earlier offered the ability to input data using a stylus, but the laptops struggled to find wide adoption. Touchscreen PCs won't meet the same fate as tablets, as the stylus was a barrier, Wolff said.
"If you lost the stylus or it didn't charge right or something like that, you couldn't use it," Cook said. "I think having one less piece in the mix is a difference," he said.
A stylus could still find use in devices where users need a high level of precision, for example in design applications, Cook said
A Bevy of New Macs: More For Less, But No Major Surprises
As expected, Apple has rounded out its computer line with a bunch of new models which follow the traditional Apple pattern: They have better specs, upscale features, and the same prices as the models they replace-and they're missing some rumored features, too. (Blu-Ray in this case, which is apparently still a bag of hurt.)
The new entry-level MacBook is mostly much what you might guess it would be: A white-plastic model that brings a bunch of features from Apple's higher-end models, including an LED backlit screen, a multi-touch touchpad with a built-in button, and a Mini DisplayPort connector. It loses the FireWire connector-oh no, not again!-but, strangely, doesn't seem to gain an SD slot. It's also got Apple's sealed "unibody" design (in a curvier-looking form than the old MacBook case) with a built-in battery which Apple says is good for up to seven hours. And it's 4.7 pounds, down from 5 pounds for its predecessor.
The MacBook didn't get a price cut: It still starts at $999, which gets you a 2.26GB Core 2 Duo CPU, Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. The mythical $899 Mac portable remains mythical for now.
The iMac line also got an upgrade, with new 21.5? and 27? models (starting at $1199 and $1699), both of which have 16-by-9 widescreen displays with LED lighting, SD slots, and the ability to connect external video sources such as a game console or Blu-Ray player via an adapter. (Some models ofHP's latest TouchSmart have a similar feature.) Processors now go up to a quad-core Intel Core i7.
The new iMacs come with a new wireless mouse called the Magic Mouse (sorry, Little Roquefort) with a multi-touch surface that lets you perform iPhone-like gestures such as swiping and pinching. It's also available separately for $69.
Apple also beefed up the specs on the Mac Mini, and introduced an intriguing server version with Snow Leopard Server preinstalled, two hard drives, and no optical drive. It's not a home server like HP's MediaSmart, but maybe Apple is tippy-toeing in that direction.
For more smart takes on technology, visit Technologizer.com. Story copyright © 2009, Technologizer. All rights reserved
Dell Slams Netbooks, Says Windows 7 Is Our Savior
Michael Dell has given netbooks a big thumbs down, but he thinks Windows 7 can restore our faith in PCs.
The Dell founder and CEO answered questions Tuesday night at a Silicon Valley dinner sponsored by the Churchill Club, where he also owned up to the "biggest mistake" of his career and described his company's plan to expand further into IT services.
Asked about the rise of netbooks, Dell had not a good word to say. "Take a user who's used to a 15-inch notebook and then give him a 10-inch netbook. He'll say 'Oh, this is so cool, it's so lightweight.' Then 36 hours later he'll say the screen's not big enough, give me my 15-inch back."
"A fair amount of customers" have been unsatisfied with the smaller screens and lower-performance parts, he said later. "For a replacement machine or for a high-end machine, it's not what we'd recommend."
They were somewhat surprising remarks give that Dell sells a line of netbooks on its Web site.
For Windows 7 he was more enthusiastic. "If you get the latest processor technology and you get Windows 7 and Office 2010, you will love your PC again," Dell said. "And we actually have not been able to say that for a long time. It's a dramatic improvement."
With a big installed base of PCs still running Windows XP, the arrival of Windows 7 and new chips from Intel will lead to "a very powerful refresh cycle," Dell predicted.
Asked by an audience member about his biggest mistake as an executive, he said it was sticking for too long with the strategy that had been working so well for Dell -- its direct sales model -- and not diversifying his business sooner.
"We probably should have -- or could have -- intervened a bit earlier, and said we should hit the reset button here and try some new things to anticipate this challenge coming up," he said.
Dell is trying to make up for that now. Last month it agreed to buy computer services company Perot Systems for $3.9 billion, in a move to help it compete better against rivals such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard.
He said his company is "somewhere in the middle" of its transition from a hardware company into one that will provide a broader mix of hardware, IT services and "solutions."
His goal isn't to emulate IBM and HP, he said. Those companies moved earlier into IT services and now have large businesses there. "We want to do this different to the other guys," he said, by offering more remotely managed services "instead of just throwing labor at it."
He offered as an example physicians, who he said are finding it hard to move to electronic medical records. "It turns out software-as-a-service is a great way to build those electronic records systems online, and when we complete our acquisition we'll do that even faster," he said. Most of Perot Systems' business is in the health care market, though he suggested that will change. "Perot gives us a certain scale, but it's not so big that we can't materially alter the mix of the business," he said.
He's also not interested in building complete, vertical stacks of hardware and software, as Oracle is doing with its Exadata storage system, for example. "We're going to forge a bit of a different path," he said. Most companies don't want a single vendor to own their technology stack, he argued. "Many more are interested in a company that will integrate the best technologies and bring them a solution
Acer Debuts Liquid Android Smartphone, New Netbook
Acer, the world's third largest PC vendor, on Wednesday announced two of its most highly anticipated products with Google's Android mobile operating system on board, the Liquid smartphone and an Aspire One netbook.
Acer Liquid is a touchscreen smartphone running Android version 1.6, formerly codenamed Donut and the latest upgrade to the software. Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset inside the smartphone provides processing power and other capabilities.
The smartphone also includes a camera that tags photos with location information from the built-in GPS receiver, so people know where and when they snapped a shot. Songs and videos can be played on the handheld. Liquid is designed for Internet browsing, and allows high speed Web access through HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) mobile networks.
The smartphone will use a new user interface, Acer said in a statement. Few other specific details were immediately available about Liquid.
Acer chose Android over other varieties of Linux because it has the best connectivity of any Linux OS built-in, said Jim Wong, president of global product operations at Acer during a news conference in London that was broadcast over the Internet.
Acer also offered a further glimpse at its Aspire One with Android netbook.
The device will run both Android and Microsoft Windows, and users will be able to switch between the two simply by clicking to switch OS, Acer said.
Android will give people access to the Web on start up, with just an 18 second boot-up time. The OS shuts down in 3 seconds, Acer said.
Other details about the new netbook, including when the device might go on sale and how much it would cost, were not immediately available from Acer. But the device showed up for pre-order on Amazon.com, where a full listing of its specifications was displayed.
The netbook is listed at US$349.99, comparable to other Aspire One's with similar components. The Aspire One with Android has a 10.1-inch screen, an Intel Atom N280 microprocessor, 1GB of DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) DRAM and a 160GB hard-disk drive, as well as a 6-cell battery for long-lasting power. It can be booted in either Android or Windows XP Home, according to the sales data on Amazon.com.
Acer executives said the main reason the company decided to make the Aspire One with Android a dual-boot netbook was so people can use Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser. Many Web sites say they are optimized for IE, said Wong.
The company has not yet started planning for new product development using Android next year. "We will continue to monitor Android development," Wong said.
IE held a 65.7 percent share of the Web browser market as of September, according to Net Applications, which tracks the statistics. Firefox was second with a 23.8 percent market share and Apple's Safari was third at 4.2 percent, followed by Google's Chrome at 3.2 percent.
A survey by SurveyWare on Net Applications' Web browser market share page, however, reported that 63.1 percent of respondents said Firefox was the best browser, followed by the Opera browser at 13.5 percent, IE at 12.1 percent and Safari at 11.3 percent