We’d already said that netbooks are dead, but it was maybe more accurate then to say that they were dying. Now, not only have netbook shipments precipitously declined, they’re getting positively banged out by tablets. As they should.
There’s no point to rehashing why netbooks don’t provide a good enough consumer experience to justify their brief popularity. And even as they’ve improved dramatically — you can watch video on them now! — it’s still very hard to find a compelling argument as to why you’d prefer one over a tablet. According to ABI Research:
Media tablet shipments surpassed netbook shipments this quarter, reaching 13.6 million units, compared to just 7.3 million netbooks. Netbooks had previously led the way with 8.4 million shipments in 1Q11, compared to just 6.4 million media tablets.
So say your goodbyes while you can, you lovers of netbooks. Unless you’re too busy playing with your iPad. [BGR]