Netbook Future Bright, But PC Sales Fall

A new report from ABI Research says netbooks have an opportunity to capitalize on this sad global economy. The obvious reason is that they are less expensive than traditional desktop PCs and laptops.

But ABI researcher Philip Solis says that’s not all. “First, netbooks are a fairly new class of device, and widespread adoption has only recently begun,” said Solis. “[And] they can run inexpensive operating systems that don't require powerful hardware.”

Meanwhile, industry tracker IDC says overall, global PC sales were down more than 7 percent in the first quarter, despite the increasing popularity of netbooks, which are considered part of the PC market. The U.S. market was off just 3 percent, beating economic forecasts.