MID device sales far lower than estimates, only Intel surprised

You know that MID / UMPC craze (remember origami?) that was supposed to change our lives? Well, it hasn't. In fact, if the unofficial numbers reported by DigiTimes are correct, then sales of bulky, Menlow-based MIDs have been a disaster which helps explain why manufacturers have grown skeptical of the platform. DigiTimes is reporting sales of just 30,000 units compared to the 150,000 - 200,000 units Intel promised estimated. Intel claims that the weak sales were due to the global economic downturn but we have another opinion: mainstream consumers don't want a device that is too big for the pocket, provides less functionality than a netbook, and is priced like a laptop. That, and we still haven't seen a compelling usage scenario for this device category -- simply pairing Intel's next generation Moorestown with Moblin isn't a fix. Of course, it's no surprise that Intel got blindsided by the rise of the modern smartphone, that's not their turf... yet.