Netbook, notebook — they sound the same — but they aren’t! According to a new report from the NPD Group, many consumers believe the two have the same functionalities but netbooks are less powerful and have fewer features than a notebook computer. Netbooks should generally be purchased as secondary computing devices or where limited IT functionality is acceptable. Unfortunately NPD’s “Netbooks II: A Closer Look,” found that 60 percent of consumers who purchased a netbook instead of a notebook thought their netbooks would have the same functionality as notebooks. That confusion about functionality is leading to some dissatisfaction. Only 58 percent of consumers who bought a netbook instead of a notebook said they were very satisfied with their purchase, compared to 70 percent of consumers who planned on buying a netbook from the start. The 18-to-24-year-old demographic was the most disappointed.
Portability is a key marketing factor for netbook manufacturers, and consumers agree that it is a great feature. Sixty percent of them said that was a main reason they bought their netbooks. However, once they got home, 60 percent of buyers said they never even took their netbooks out of the house.
“We need to make sure consumers are buying a PC intended for what they plan to do with it,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “There is a serious risk of cannibalization in the notebook market that could cause a real threat to netbooks’ success. Retailers and manufacturers should be marketing mobility, portability and the need for a companion PC to ensure consumers know what they are buying and are more satisfied with their purchases.”
