Quanta to manufacture Apple netbooks in 2009 - report
Apple is in talks with one of its Taiwanese system manufacturers to begin manufacturing netbooks sometime next year, according to a recent report out of the Far East.
An article published by the Taiwanese Government Information Office on Monday cites Quanta vice chairman and president C.C. Leung as saying his company expects to see considerable growth in the global netbook market during the 2009 calendar year thanks to a flurry of new contract orders.
U.S.-based HP and Sony of Japan are said to have signed new netbook manufacturing agreements with the original systems manufacture this quarter. The report adds that in addition to "orders from existing brand clients as Acer, Lenovo, Hewlett Packard and BenQ, Quanta is expected to add Sony [U.S.] and Apple as clients for the contract manufacture of netbook computers in 2009."
Quanta shipped a total of 9.7 million netbooks during the third quarter of 2008 to its various customers but is expecting sales of the budget notebooks to remain relatively flat for the fourth quarter, which ends shortly.
When asked recently about the prospect of an Apple netbook, chief executive Steve Jobs was quick to downplay the offerings as a "nascent category" in the portable computing market, saying the devices are off to a slow start. However, he noted that his company would be prepared to enter the market should it pick up.
"As best as we can tell, there's not a lot of them being sold," he told analysts during an October conference call. "But we'll wait and see how that nascent category evolves, and we have got some pretty interesting ideas if it does evolve."
An article published by the Taiwanese Government Information Office on Monday cites Quanta vice chairman and president C.C. Leung as saying his company expects to see considerable growth in the global netbook market during the 2009 calendar year thanks to a flurry of new contract orders.
U.S.-based HP and Sony of Japan are said to have signed new netbook manufacturing agreements with the original systems manufacture this quarter. The report adds that in addition to "orders from existing brand clients as Acer, Lenovo, Hewlett Packard and BenQ, Quanta is expected to add Sony [U.S.] and Apple as clients for the contract manufacture of netbook computers in 2009."
Quanta shipped a total of 9.7 million netbooks during the third quarter of 2008 to its various customers but is expecting sales of the budget notebooks to remain relatively flat for the fourth quarter, which ends shortly.
When asked recently about the prospect of an Apple netbook, chief executive Steve Jobs was quick to downplay the offerings as a "nascent category" in the portable computing market, saying the devices are off to a slow start. However, he noted that his company would be prepared to enter the market should it pick up.
"As best as we can tell, there's not a lot of them being sold," he told analysts during an October conference call. "But we'll wait and see how that nascent category evolves, and we have got some pretty interesting ideas if it does evolve."
Comments
That's funny - isn't Apple TV a "nascent" product itself?
"there's not a lot of them being sold' for sure.
Take off the screen and that's about what I'd like for the Mac Mini. A trackpad and bring your own display.
This means nothing as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes you have to ignore all rumors and think for yourself. "What could Apple be thinking?" When I think that I see "tablet". That will be their netbook. That that they won't release a netbook too, a year or two later. All bets say tablet to me.
Having used both, I would never go back to a tablet or slate computer; the Netbooks win. Personally I use mine for some fairly intense Sketchup work, MS Office, Quickbooks, and Firefox. I can actually multi-task with it as well... and it supports an external monitor. I can lay down in bed or on the couch with the screen open to watch a movie or lazily browse the internet.
In contrast, using my iPhone in the same position, I have to constantly fight the rotating screen, my hand gets cramped holding it up, data entry is painful, and is not nearly as useful.
There are exactly three problems with the existing offerings:
- Windows
- Poor build quality/cheapness
- Terrible trackpads
All of these are issues that Apple can resolve with a very competitive product offering priced to maintain Apple's historical margins.Going a tablet/slate route though you need to make significant hardware and software improvements to the user interface for it to be a compelling competitor to a netbook. Apple might try and define a new market, or compete more directly with the likes of PSP and DS, but it wouldn't be a full-functional computer.
Having used both, I would never go back to a tablet or slate computer; the Netbooks win. Personally I use mine for some fairly intense Sketchup work, MS Office, Quickbooks, and Firefox. I can actually multi-task with it as well... and it supports an external monitor. I can lay down in bed or on the couch with the screen open to watch a movie or lazily browse the internet.
In contrast, using my iPhone in the same position, I have to constantly fight the rotating screen, my hand gets cramped holding it up, data entry is painful, and is not nearly as useful.
There are exactly three problems with the existing offerings:
- Windows
- Poor build quality/cheapness
- Terrible trackpads
All of these are issues that Apple can resolve with a very competitive product offering priced to maintain Apple's historical margins.Going a tablet/slate route though you need to make significant hardware and software improvements to the user interface for it to be a compelling competitor to a netbook. Apple might try and define a new market, or compete more directly with the likes of PSP and DS, but it wouldn't be a full-functional computer.
You've nailed pretty much all the points I was going to make.
I would have bought one already but for (comes with windows) which would have ment running a hackintosh.
the ONE thing I could NOT live with, would be a crappy Keyboard, trackpad I can live with, but if I can't type on it, then what use is it?
-----
Tablets are doomed to failure.. Apple branded water FTW!
The-iPod-will-never-do-video seemed totally believable at the time as one of those 'oh-that's-SO-apple-stubbornness' bits.
Having used both, I would never go back to a tablet or slate computer; the Netbooks win. Personally I use mine for some fairly intense Sketchup work, MS Office, Quickbooks, and Firefox. I can actually multi-task with it as well... and it supports an external monitor. I can lay down in bed or on the couch with the screen open to watch a movie or lazily browse the internet.
In contrast, using my iPhone in the same position, I have to constantly fight the rotating screen, my hand gets cramped holding it up, data entry is painful, and is not nearly as useful.
There are exactly three problems with the existing offerings:
- Windows
- Poor build quality/cheapness
- Terrible trackpads
All of these are issues that Apple can resolve with a very competitive product offering priced to maintain Apple's historical margins.Going a tablet/slate route though you need to make significant hardware and software improvements to the user interface for it to be a compelling competitor to a netbook. Apple might try and define a new market, or compete more directly with the likes of PSP and DS, but it wouldn't be a full-functional computer.
I'd love for Apple to simply offer a quick on/off button on-screen to disable screen rotation. Bugs the heck out of me sometimes.
Having used both, I would never go back to a tablet or slate computer; the Netbooks win.
They win running windows but we aren't talking that here.
Personally I use mine for some fairly intense Sketchup work, MS Office, Quickbooks, and Firefox. I can actually multi-task with it as well... and it supports an external monitor.
Then you are really using the device as a small laptop not a Netbook. The small tablets that many of us want to see are communications devices and net access devices first. Few of use would be foolish enough to use such for extended sessions with desktop apps.
I can lay down in bed or on the couch with the screen open to watch a movie or lazily browse the internet.
In contrast, using my iPhone in the same position, I have to constantly fight the rotating screen, my hand gets cramped holding it up, data entry is painful, and is not nearly as useful.
Having done both above, with a number of laptops, I have to call BS on this point.
There are exactly three problems with the existing offerings:
Which for some of use make them less useful than an iPhone. Give use a bigger device based on Touch and the crap you describe above wouldn't have a chance. Of course that presuposes that we would be using the device for it's intended purposes.
All of these are issues that Apple can resolve with a very competitive product offering priced to maintain Apple's historical margins.
Actually I don't think Apple has a chance of improving something that is fundamentally wrong. Netbooks just don't deliver the value and the capabilities required to compete with a good tablet.
Going a tablet/slate route though you need to make significant hardware and software improvements to the user interface for it to be a compelling competitor to a netbook.
Tell that to Touch or iPhone users whom almost all use the devices for net access and apps from Apples App Store. The problem you have is that you want to compare your legacy apps to modern software focused on entirely different use cases. All a netbook is is a shrunken laptop with all the same limitations in use.
Apple might try and define a new market, or compete more directly with the likes of PSP and DS, but it wouldn't be a full-functional computer.
The above statement just makes you look uninformed. Todays iPod Touch is much more than that, in fact it is a computer. A computer more functional than at least half the computers I've ever owned. A few simple upgrades in the next release could expand that power considerably.
Dave
Small and light.
These may be somewhat basic (and dumb) questions: How exactly does one hold one of these to work on it? Is it for the lap? Or to be held in one's hand? Or both? Laid flat on a desk? Have a little tail out the back to make it stand, so as to be viewed at a normal viewing angle? Given that it will be too big for one's pocket, how will it be carried? How will the screen be protected in transit? Will it accept an external keyboard or will it be completely touch-based?
To me, something like this looks prima facie to be an awkwardly-sized product that's neither here nor there.
To me, something like this looks prima facie to be an awkwardly-sized product that's neither here nor there.
Agree that the use case seems convoluted.
Right now, in the mobility space, Apple has so far laid out a pocketable-one hand operation in the iPod Touch and iPhone, and an envelopable but full-screen operation (esp for browser) in the 13.3" MacBook Air (MBA).
The Big Question: what are the mobile somethings in-between, if anything, for Apple?
There are multiple dimensions to be considered for any product;
-cost bracket (assumes a quality threshold),
-mobility (includes both easy-to-carry; quick-to-use),
-connectivity (includes both always-on; capacity),
-usage/performance (includes screen size; processor/apps; keyboard type; hours of use between recharges).
Of course, Apple will rule out certain combinations because it would require unacceptable compromises across these dimensions (i.e., today's netbook).
I've thought about this for awhile and it seems like there really should be something more. But even after having used a MBP, MBA, and iPhone in many different personal and business travel contexts, I haven't yet found an answer that has enough distinctive use cases to stand out as a separate product. Sure the MBA could be a bit lighter and thinner and more functional - and of course that will happen over time. And the iPhone/Touch could add more functionality (faster CPU, better camera, etc) and more battery life - and of course that will happen over time. But is there something other than the MBA and iPhone that's still needed?
Frankly I'm sick of all this netbook talk, what is so special about them besides being cheap?
There are other small and light laptops out there, the only thing a netbook has going for it is the price.
Tell me again why I need to spend $800-1000 for Apple's version. So it can be thin and sexy and aluminum? I need a computer, not a status symbol.
so why not use Windows if you're on the cheap!
I get your point and agree totally... shhhhhh, I have an Acer AspireOne netbook and I love it....although, I can't put OS-X on it like the MS Wind but i'm not gonna be too picky... I love the ultra portability of it and the fact it's so small I can take it anywhere without putting too much thought to it, almost like carrying a cell phone around but much more useful.
They usually mean exactly the opposite!
I believe it is his way of letting us know exactly what is happening without actually commenting on future products…
And the reason he usually has that little shit-eating grin on his face when he steps on the stage at keynotes…
Sniff… I'll miss Jobs helmed keynotes…
Apple won't call it a netbook though. It will come out as the Macbook Mini.
Nah- something more creative- like the iNetBook.
They win running windows but we aren't talking that here.
Then you are really using the device as a small laptop not a Netbook. The small tablets that many of us want to see are communications devices and net access devices first. Few of use would be foolish enough to use such for extended sessions with desktop apps.
Having done both above, with a number of laptops, I have to call BS on this point.
Which for some of use make them less useful than an iPhone. Give use a bigger device based on Touch and the crap you describe above wouldn't have a chance. Of course that presuposes that we would be using the device for it's intended purposes.
Actually I don't think Apple has a chance of improving something that is fundamentally wrong. Netbooks just don't deliver the value and the capabilities required to compete with a good tablet.
Tell that to Touch or iPhone users whom almost all use the devices for net access and apps from Apples App Store. The problem you have is that you want to compare your legacy apps to modern software focused on entirely different use cases. All a netbook is is a shrunken laptop with all the same limitations in use.
The above statement just makes you look uninformed. Todays iPod Touch is much more than that, in fact it is a computer. A computer more functional than at least half the computers I've ever owned. A few simple upgrades in the next release could expand that power considerably.
Dave
Your whole post is utter nonsense!!
* You call BS on someone who says that can lie in bed with their netbook open? What? Co's you have tried it and can't that means everybody can't? What a weird thing to say.
* The OP is using the device as a small laptop and not a netbook!!! What? Do you know what a netbook is? it is a small laptop. That is the point, the whole point. Netbooks are light, more portable and small laptops. They are to be used as laptops. Don't let the name fool you, they are for more than surfing the net.
* The iPhone is not a small computer. Anyone who says it is is being foolish. You cannot run more than one application at the same time, you cannot edit documents and save the hard-drive, you cannot cut and paste, you cannot run OSX applications.
The iPhone is a phone (the clue is in its name), a smart phone maybe, but certainly not a computer.