Michael Dell: Netbooks aren't all that

Netbooks are unlikely to change the shape of the personal computer market, according to Michael Dell.

A number of hardware vendors, including Dell with its Inspiron Mini 9, have been unveiling their own versions of the ultraportable devices, but it seems the CEO himself is not convinced.

When asked about the netbook phenomenon, Dell said: "I'm not that fond of the phraseology. If you look at screen sizes for portable computers, 85 per cent of portable computers that run advanced operating systems are in the 14- to 15-inch screen space. What percentage will be 8.9- to 10-inch is hard to say."

He said it's unlikely that netbooks will be a massive growth factor in the industry. "I think it's a second machine in developed countries and a first machine in newly developed countries," he said.

Dell dodged the question of whether the company will move into making phones, saying only: "I think you will see smaller and smaller-screen devices from Dell." He also noted that operating systems such as Windows Mobile and Google's Android have created the potential for disruption in the mobile space.

Dell pointed to where much of the future growth in PC sales will come from: emerging markets. "The PC is an echo of the cell phone, about three years after. If you want to know where people are going to buy PCs, go where they were buying cell phones three years before for the first time," he said. -Steve Ranger

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Source: silicon.com

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• Dell,
• Inspiron,
• Android,
• Windows Mobile,
• Netbooks