Netbook demise?

Two major research organizations, IDC and Gartner, have looked into their crystal balls and are predicting the demise of netbook computers in the not too distant future. They are predicting a steep falloff in sales after 2010 for several reasons. They see the price and size of more powerful notebooks cutting into netbook sales and slowing growth dramatically.

I disagree completely. Netbooks aren't being bought as notebook replacements, they're being bought as additional computers. Netbooks are ideal traveling companions and email machines. They will always be smaller, lighter and cheaper because they are simpler to build and use.

If computer makers made a full sized notebook that was as inexpensive as a netbook it would still be too large to travel with on an airplane or carry with you all day long. The expert prognosticators are missing the point completely. I see a rosy future for netbooks for many years to come.