The demand for larger netbooks is increasing, according to industry sources

10-to 12-inch devices to become the mainstream in this market division

Netbooks are getting smaller and smaller and starting to look more like smartbooks. Reportedly, the 10- to 12-inch devices will be the mainstream in this market section in 2010.

According to industry sources, the demand for netbooks with larger screens is evident and the 8.9-inch netbooks will probably not be very popular as they are just too small.
The defense line against the penetration of smartbooks or smartphones will be held by the 10-inch ultra-portable notebooks, which are also expected to address the entry-level market demand. Those equipped with touch-screen displays will compete in the mid-range markets.

Seemingly, the larger 12-inch devices will be the generator of bigger profits for notebook vendors.

Intel’s Atom platform is mainly used in smaller netbooks and some PC manufacturers have reportedly introduced Nvidia’s Ion chip in their 12-inch models in order to meet the demand for larger ultraportable devices.

The future of the bigger netbooks seems bright with the upcoming Pine Trail-M and Nvidia’s Ion 2 platforms. Customers will be able to choose between the discrete graphics offered by Ion 2 and the N450 processor with GPU.