According to statistics of the ITIS project, a project initiated by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and conducted by Taipei-based MIC, worldwide notebook PC shipment volume in 2009 is forecasted to reach 138 million units, growing about 11.3% compared to the expected shipment volume of 124 million units in 2008. Worldwide netbook PC shipment volume in 2009 is forecasted to reach 22.64 million units, growing 102% compared to the expected volume of 11.21 million units in 2008. The combined shipment volume of notebook PCs and netbook PCs is expected to grow 18.8% in 2009 compared to 2008, making these two product types the main growth driver of the global PC industry.

According to MIC Industry Analyst Nicole Huang, "the global notebook PC industry is about to enter maturity. This development towards maturity will be further pushed by the weakness of the overall economy, the fact that the market is gradually becoming saturated and the intense price competition. Although netbook PC shipment will see significant growth rates, this product type is only in the early stages of development, and its ability to boost overall industry growth is still limited."

In 2009, the distinction between notebook PCs and netbook PCs will become increasingly blurred. Lightweight and convenient features, multimedia functions and price will become key factors in consumer market purchases. The focus in future notebook PC product development will be on personalized features, lightweight aesthetics and strong entertainment multimedia functions.

As for future specification trends of notebook PCs, HDMI is expected to remain a stable feature in the consumer market, while the development potential of DisplayPort cannot be overlooked due to its cost advantages. Furthermore, 16:9 displays will become more prominent in order to meet consumers' demand for these specifications. Also, the demand for LED BLM (Backlight Module) is expected to continue to increase in light of green IT trends, as LED BLM possesses power-saving features and does not contain mercury. Meanwhile, the mainstream size of netbook PC products is expected to be 10" in 2009.

About MIC

Market Intelligence Center, based in Taipei, Taiwan, was founded in 1987. MIC is Taiwan's premier IT industry research and consulting firm providing intelligence, in-depth analysis, and strategic consulting services on global IT product and technology trends, focusing on markets and industries in Asia-Pacific. MIC is part of the Institute for Information Industry. For more information, visit http://mic.iii.org.tw/english.

About ITIS

The ITIS (Industry and Technology Intelligence Services) project is managed by the Department of Industrial Technology of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. As part of the project, research is conducted in a variety of fields, including the ICT sector. The project serves both the public and private sector. For more information, click here.