Netbooks #1 computing device for schools, but not for long
Schools will purchase 50% fewer netbooks in 2013 than in 2012.
by Beth Bacon
As popular as tablets are in education, netbooks are predicted to be the computing device most frequently purchased by the education market in 2013. In the coming years, however, tablets such as Apple’s iPad, are going to take the lead, according to a report titled “Education Market for Computing Devices” by ABI Research.
An announcement by the company predicts that in 2013 educational instituions will still purchase more of these lower-priced, lower-performance laptops than any other type of digital device—but they will purchase 50% fewer of them than they did last year in 2012.
There’s a prevailing assumption among technology analysts that “netbooks are on the cusp of extinction” in schools. Tablets will be on the rise, taking their place as the dominant computing device in schools in 2014 and beyond.
Tablet sales are growing in education.
“Although the education sector is now, and going to be, one of the netbook’s main markets, we are also seeing media tablet/hybrid tablets beginning to emerge and surpass netbooks. Ultimately, the netbook’s market share in education will diminish and media tablets will become the dominant computing device,” says senior analyst Josh Flood.
The report forecasts a total of 15 million new computing devices overall to be sold to the education sector in 2013. This information is part of ABI Research’s Research Service: Media Tablets, Netbooks & eReaders. (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/service/media-tablets/) ABI Research perfoms market analysis in global technology markets.
Images of netbook and tablet via Shutterstock.
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The problem with netbooks is Windows. Gotta pay Microsoft to upgrade on a regular basis. Funny how the periodic table has not changed since 1940.