Press release
LONDON, February 16, 2009 - Following a major surge in the back-to-school season, mini-notebook momentum continued unabated in the final quarter of the year. Thanks to robust consumer demand in Western Europe in the run up to Christmas, overall EMEA mini-notebook shipments reached 3.6 million units, in line with expectations, representing 20% of total portable sales and 30% of consumer portables in EMEA in 4Q08.
Positioned as a secondary device for Internet-centric use and representing the first affordable ultraportables in the retail channel, mini-notebooks drove strong consumer momentum and resulted in a major sales boom in 2H08.
"As expected, mini-notebooks were one of the most sought-after items in the Christmas season, particularly in Western Europe, which represented over 80% of volumes," said Eszter Morvay, research manager at IDC's EMEA personal computing group. "Driven by strong vendor and channel push, consumers benefited from the plethora of new models appearing on the shelves from October onwards, and the explosion in the product offering stimulated fierce competition for shelf space. Following in the footsteps of Asus, there are currently more than 50 vendors, from international players to local assemblers, with a mini-notebook offering across EMEA, which is clearly contributing to the ongoing buoyancy."
The telco channel has also been playing a pivotal role in the development of the EMEA mini-notebook market. While telco operators have been looking at the notebook market for some time to drive new revenue sources, mini-notebooks offer a better fit in terms of value proposition - small and attractive products at lower price, therefore lower subsidy costs. Telco operators also offered additional exposure, which acted as a major accelerator of mini-notebook demand.
Vendor Highlights
Acer has made a strong push in the EMEA mini-notebook market since the Aspire One was launched in June. Although its primary focus is the retail channel, the vendor has also been working on building its presence in the telco channel, partnering with the likes of Phone House, T-Mobile, TIM, and TMN. In addition to the successful Aspire One series, Acer also launched the Packard Bell Dot in October 2008. However, focusing solely on the 8.9in. segment, the vendor is facing increasing competitive pressure from the growing success of 10in. mini-notebooks.
Asus maintained a key position in EMEA, boasting the largest and most complete product portfolio, and continued to play a pivotal role in the market from a branding standpoint. In 4Q08, Asus continued to enjoy strong demand for the Eee PC family and benefit from a large and expanding number of telco partnerships across EMEA, with SFR in France and TIM in Italy being the largest from a volume perspective.
Hewlett-Packard took third place in the EMEA mini-notebook market, helped by the launch of its first consumer mini-notebook, the Compaq Mini 700, in December. The commercial-focused HP2133 saw gradual uptake, due to the higher price and lack of retail presence, but it benefited from several telco deals across the region, including Bouygues, Cosmote, Elisa, and Mobistar.
Samsung was a newcomer to the mini-notebook market in 4Q08, launching the NC10 in October 2008. The product received excellent reviews and enjoyed rapid uptake across EMEA. In addition to strong retail demand, Samsung also benefited from several telco deals, including Phones 4u, T-Mobile, and Vodafone.
Dell introduced the Inspiron Mini in September 2008, launching it across most EMEA countries throughout 4Q08. The vendor continued to work with its key retail partners DSGi, Carrefour, and Tesco, while also benefiting from its EMEA-wide partnership with Vodafone.
Top 5 Vendors: EMEA Mini-Notebook Shipments, 4Q08
Vendor Units (000) % Market Share
Acer 1,095 30.3%
Asus 1,011 28.0%
HP 253 7.0%
Samsung 232 6.4%
Dell 156 4.3%
Others 864 23.9%
Total 3,610 100%
Source: IDC EMEA Quarterly PC Tracker, Final Results, 4Q08
