Apple Still Oblivious to Netbook Opportunity
During its quarterly earnings call Wednesday, Apple reinforced its skepticism in netbooks, saying their low-powered CPUs, cramped keyboards and small displays are not enough to satisfy customers.
"We've got some ideas, but right now we think the products there are inferior and will not provide the experience to customers that they're happy with," said Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer. Cook added that netbooks are "principally based on hardware," and throughout the call he repeatedly stressed that Apple believes "software is the key ingredient."
Despite Cook's criticisms, the economic downturn is driving sales of netbooks — inexpensive, low-powered, miniature notebooks — through the roof. Powered by Intel Atom processors, netbooks usually measure 8 to 10 inches in screen size, and pricing on average hovers around $300 to $500. Their cramped keyboards, trackpads and screens certainly can be frustrating to some, but in hard times, consumers don't appear to mind the compromise.
