Laptop Trends

Choosing Cheap

Not long ago, the market was geared to providing consumers with lavish, expensive and oh-so-thin and lightweight notebooks (laptops). Now, with the dollar in dire straits, everyone's keen on inexpensive netbooks. The term netbook was coined in February 2008 to describe a type of cheap laptop that is small in size and offers core computing services. While there is a current glut on the market of these little laptops that are bought for a song (around $250), those in the know expect them to meet an eventual inevitable end, due to the lack of high powered services we've come to expect from a laptop.

It's a strange turn of events to have high tech turned back to low tech since mobile computers have gone through unforeseen and unprecedented technological advancements in recent years with sales going through the roof. It had been anticipated that sales would double within the next four years, but with the dollar in an advanced state of rigor, the higher powered notebooks are being edged out.

But let's look at what we've come to expect from high powered notebooks combined with high-speed wireless internet connectivity. We can create or upload high-quality video content and we can do it on the run. We get longer battery life to keep us as untethered as possible. Video processing algorithms and the ability to optimize display power and quality at system level have brought us superior video quality and lowered power consumption leading to an even longer battery life. The impact of these machines on our daily lives cannot be underestimated.

These notebooks are well on their way to replacing the desktop computer forever. Portable personal computer sales are growing 33% faster than desktop sales. It is estimated that the portable machines will comprise half of all computer sales by the end of 2008.

In a recent report detailing the growth forecast for the mobile personal computer market, David Daoud, research manager in personal computing at IDC said, "Consumers continue to be attracted by mobile platforms and are benefiting from the proliferation of channels and heightened competition, which continue to bring prices down."

Flexible Option

That means that if you're considering an upgrade for your PC, you might want to go for mobile over desktop. Due to the proliferation of mobile computers, more initiatives are concentrating on developing solutions for hosting multiple desktops by single data center servers to make laptops a more flexible option.

In plain and simple language, that means hassle-free access to your desktop no matter where you may be, at home, at work, or on the road.