Netbook study finds that netbook buyers don't know what netbooks are

Oh noes! According to some market research dudes, the average consumer cannot tell the difference between a netbook and a notebook. We're inclined to believe that this is simply because the average consumer hasn't perused this handy chart, but what do we know? Of course, the readers of Engadget are an intelligent and sophisticated bunch, one that understands all the intricacies of this -- one of the most important questions of our time. But what about the folks that need to sell netbooks (and notebooks) to 18-24 year olds, one of the main demographics that manufacturers hope to reach with their products? Hit the read link for what's sure to be a gripping (if wicked expensive) report titled Netbooks II: A Closer Look. Or, if you're only moderately curious, feel free to check out the PR after the break.

NPD Finds Consumer Confusion about Netbooks Continues

Port Washington, NY, June 22, 2009 – Netbook, notebook – they sound the same. According to a new report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, many consumers believe the two have the same functionalities. NPD's Netbooks II: A Closer Look report, found that 60 percent of consumers who purchased a netbook instead of a notebook thought their netbooks would have the same functionality as notebooks.

That confusion about functionality is leading to some dissatisfaction. Only 58 percent of consumers who bought a netbook instead of a notebook said they were very satisfied with their purchase, compared to 70 percent of consumers who planned on buying a netbook from the start.

Satisfaction was even harder to ascertain among 18- to 24-year-olds, one of the main demographics manufacturers were hoping to win over with the new products. Among that age group, 65 percent said they bought their netbooks expecting better performance, and only 27 percent said their netbooks performed better than expected.

One marketing aspect that has interested buyers is the portability factor. It's been the key marketing tool for netbook manufacturers, and consumers agree that it is a great feature. Sixty percent of them said that was a main reason they bought their netbooks. However, once they got home, 60 percent of buyers said they never even took their netbooks out of the house.

"We need to make sure consumers are buying a PC intended for what they plan to do with it," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "There is a serious risk of cannibalization in the notebook market that could cause a real threat to netbooks' success. Retailers and manufacturers can't put too much emphasis on PC-like capabilities and general features that could convince consumers that a netbook is a replacement for a notebook. Instead, they should be marketing mobility, portability, and the need for a companion PC to ensure consumers know what they are buying and are more satisfied with their purchases."

Methodology
Nearly 600 adults from NPD's online panel who were identified as netbook owners completed this survey between April 27 and May 4, 2009.

[NickNick @ Jun 24th 2009 1:07PM]

Oh silly average consumers.

[OneLove @ Jun 24th 2009 1:51PM]

jeez, you guys really get pissy about people opinions on a topic.

[OneLove @ Jun 24th 2009 2:09PM]

@Paul a. Chapel : iPhone? Are You lost?

[crsh @ Jun 24th 2009 2:34PM]

Are we really surprised? They just see the price tag and think "oh cool, this laptop is really cheap, I'm gonna get one". Incidentally, it's also the same people who give you a blank stare when you ask them what's the CPU or video card in their machine, they just have no idea.

[maveric101 @ Jun 24th 2009 2:36PM]

everyone who hates Paul chapel report him. let's get him banned (again).

[Mike10010100 @ Jun 24th 2009 2:56PM]

@Paul

What on earth? I thought you said that Apple won! Why are you so concerned about the Apple haters when you've made it so clear that Apple has won and everyone else is wrong in their liking of other products?

In other words, STFU.

[Decoy @ Jun 24th 2009 4:00PM]

Seagoon:
Can I help you, sir?

Henry Crun:
Are you a policeman?

Seagoon:
No, I'm a constable.

Henry Crun:
Oh, what is the difference?

Seagoon:
They're spelt differently.

[kjb434 @ Jun 24th 2009 1:09PM]

Duh!

Most netbook buyers just think they are cheaper laptops.

As long as they are happy with their purchase, so what.

[Csht @ Jun 24th 2009 1:14PM]

they are cheap laptops... that is all.

[BigD145 @ Jun 24th 2009 1:21PM]

Small, cheap laptops. Which they are.

[brandon @ Jun 24th 2009 2:01PM]

One word: Atom

[OneLove @ Jun 24th 2009 2:05PM]

Its not just netbooks.

How does an "average" consumer make a reasonable purchase decision with all the high tech lingo, acronyms and large variety of similar hardware floating around the market. I feel for them.

For example: How to tell the difference between all the atom cpu's or intel GMA's.

[Tsing Tao @ Jun 24th 2009 2:33PM]

How to tell the difference between an atom and an intel GMA? Umm ones a slow video card and ones a slow(ish) processor and your netbook probably has both.

[puhsitch @ Jun 24th 2009 2:48PM]

Yeah, but it doesn't look like they *are* happy...

[MikeWard1701 @ Jun 24th 2009 2:51PM]

@OneLove

Simple, you reseach your purchase. You wouldn't buy a house without checking everything was in order (surveys, deeds etc). If you dont know what DDR RAM, CPU, SSD, or FSB mean, look them up! Not only will you make a more informed purchase, you'll learn something as well.

[darkstar @ Jun 24th 2009 3:28PM]

doesnt matter what we call it. the average person uses it for email, music, youtube, and word. you dont need quad core xeon processors to do those tasks!

[BloodyHell @ Jun 24th 2009 3:45PM]

even if they looked that up, they probably still wouldn't understand. I could never expect my father to understand the difference between DDR2 and DDR3 even if i gave him all of wikipedia

[IvanP91 @ Jun 24th 2009 1:10PM]

yeah i always thought that. I just dont like it when people tell me they bought a $350 "laptop" only to find out a month later that it doesnt have an optical drive

[mikeg @ Jun 24th 2009 1:42PM]

well at least they didn't buy an ultra-light $1500 laptop only to find out later it didn't have an optical drive........

[gyffes @ Jun 24th 2009 2:30PM]

Well, remember all the people who bought the gOS machines from Mall-Wart and then returned it 'cause they couldn't play on it the games that they'd bought 1 aisle over.

Whereas people who bought gOS machines through Newegg knew what they were getting and proved, for the most part, quite satisfied by the transaction.

I think it's the people who stood at BJs and saw a $400 lappie and said, "WOW, a $400 lappie!" who proved unsatisfied. Either linux to noobs or XP on a netbook w/512mb RAM will prove a massive disappointment if you're not prepared for the experience.

Actually, XP is a massive disappointment on anything short of 2gb, really...

[Templarian @ Jun 24th 2009 1:12PM]

Maybe Microsoft was onto something with their naming idea. lol.

[Sisyphus @ Jun 24th 2009 1:12PM]

Is this surprising to anyone?

Most people don't even know whether or not their monitor is plugged in.

[Mark @ Jun 24th 2009 1:14PM]

Are you kidding? Most people don't even seem to know that there is such a thing as a monitor, they just assume that the screen IS the computer.

[Templarian @ Jun 24th 2009 1:17PM]

I was setting up an all in one XPS One for my moms friend and she asked me where the "box thing" was. I have little faith in normal people and tech.

[Makavre @ Jun 24th 2009 1:17PM]

LOL, these two comments made my day ....

(most people call the screen the "computer" because they call the case/tower the "cpu"

[CtrlBurn @ Jun 24th 2009 1:21PM]

I call the screen the computer, and I call the tower the battery.

[webran61 @ Jun 24th 2009 2:12PM]

But on a netbook, the screen mind as well be the computer.

[OneLove @ Jun 24th 2009 1:56PM]

If the screen has a 1 inch bezel and is attached to the keyboard, its a netbook!


....or If the cpu specs say "Atom". :)

[elBravo @ Jun 24th 2009 2:06PM]

"The files are INSIDE the computer...?"

[Ninbrendo @ Jun 24th 2009 2:39PM]

This thread reminds me of the "Medieval Help Desk":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ

My apologies if you've already seen it (which is likely). ^-^

[Mike10010100 @ Jun 24th 2009 3:24PM]

I was truly surprised at how many people out there are completely computer illiterate. I mean, it was understandable when computers were introduced in the 80's and early 90's, but now...it's just pathetic.

Computers aren't going away. They control every aspect of your life nowadays. I say, if you're going on the internet, you should at least have a basic idea of what a computer is, the parts of it, and how it works. The problem though is that people just get overwhelmed with the jargon that computer salesmen throw out. Although really, there are only about 5 things you really need to know: Screen size, processor/speed, hard drive size, ram, and type/inclusion of an optical drive. Anything more than that is just personal preference.

It's horrible that people merely see the computer hardware as a portal to the internet. I've met many people who have simplified the computer to "a box" that connects them to the internet. This isn't wrong, but it explains people's total helplessness as far as troubleshooting/ understanding goes.

The worst part about this lack of knowledge is that it doesn't end with the older generation. I've met plenty of high school students that have barely an inkling about computing technology. This is not good. There is something clearly wrong with the educational system if people are leaving high school with less than basic knowledge of computers. I'm not saying that they should know how to take them apart and put them together, but they should at least know enough to be able to solve some basic problems (aka. not enough ram, software troubles).

Because what people don't realize is that their lives are controlled by tech people. You want your banking to work correctly? Facebook? Ordering anything online? Telephone infrastructure? Power? Radio? Cell phones?

I realize that liking of computers has to do with a love of problem solving. Some people don't like to problem solve and simply prefer that answers are handed to them on a silver platter.

Because of this, I and others like me, have dedicated our lives to helping people understand technology and giving advice and help whenever we can. There are those who would be douchebags and say "No I will not fix your comptuer": I am not one of them. I will fix your computer, and maybe teach you something along the way. In this manner, we can stop the bloodsuckers (computer manufacturers/ greedy salesmen/ price gouging tech support) from manipulating the population.

[eric @ Jun 24th 2009 4:31PM]

sure, most people may not know a lot about computers and we all think they should know better.

but you know what, this same logic can be applied to everything else in life.

Who knows everything about their car?
how about fixing something in your house?
maybe fix a little button on your shirt...

better yet...you can put together your own computer?....but you can barely put together a decent meal?

just because you know a lot about computers doesn't mean everyone else should be the same.

[Mike10010100 @ Jun 24th 2009 5:08PM]

But I DO know about those things. I know how most parts of my car work. And I'm willing to learn and look up more. Most people just shut down when they hear technical information about computers.

As to the other things: the magic of the internet.

Like I said, you don't have to be a master at everything. Just have a sense of how things work and how to do things so that you aren't completely helpless.

[chefgon_ign @ Jun 24th 2009 6:27PM]

I had a part time job working at the Customer Service desk at Kmart a few years ago (when I was in college), and you would not believe the level of computer illiteracy I encountered from people attempting to use the computerized job application kiosk.

There were about a dozen times when I literally had to spend ten minutes teaching someone what a mouse does. How can you possibly survive in today's society without ever encountering a mouse?

[quillaja @ Jun 26th 2009 3:16AM]

@Mike

"I've met plenty of high school students that have barely an inkling about computing technology. This is not good. There is something clearly wrong with the educational system if people are leaving high school with less than basic knowledge of computers."

Let's teach them to read and write first. Then we can teach them the "hard" stuff.

[Eddie @ Jun 24th 2009 1:13PM]

You mean the computer industry is conning thick people into buying expensive but cheaply made crap!?

That'll be PC WORLD's company mission.

[mikeg @ Jun 24th 2009 1:43PM]

no, only parts of it.
the other part is conning them into buying cheap cheaply-made crap.....

[Sam Robinson @ Jun 24th 2009 1:15PM]

Is it just me, or does that "thing" have a watered down user interface of Aqua? I love Apple, so this is just embarrassing.

[wuwtk @ Jun 24th 2009 1:17PM]

If the consumer did any amount of research before hand than this probably wouldn't be an issue at all. I don't see companies and retail stores outright lying or trying to hide that netbooks can not do as much as notebooks. I think its more of a completely ill prepared consumer that is looking for the cheapest solution possible.

[Gordy @ Jun 24th 2009 1:37PM]

cosign

After all, the customer is always right..."right price", that is...

[Jonboybryson @ Jun 24th 2009 1:57PM]

Good point,

I have no problems with Netbooks but people that point out that laptops are 200 bucks now, yea thats misleading. Laptops are not 200 dollars.. Netbooks are cheap. A decent laptop is 4 to 5 times that price. I agree there would be alot more satisfied customers if they actually knew what they needed, and not went with what they think they want.

[Greg @ Jun 24th 2009 1:58PM]

"I think its more of a completely ill prepared consumer that is looking for the cheapest solution possible."

Wow. You couldn't have summed up the success of Windows any better if you tried.

[Tsing Tao @ Jun 24th 2009 2:38PM]

This sums up the Laptop Hunter ads quite well. Here's some money, find the cheapest POS with the "Specs" you "need".

Good job, It’s a PC.

[Eddie @ Jun 24th 2009 1:17PM]

Yay for being tech savvy? I love my mini9 in conjunction with my desktop and normal 14" laptop. Although I suppose I actually take mine outa the house and never expected it to have things like an optical drive...or the ability to play modern games XD
I guess I never really understood the "buy something without doing SERIOUS research" part of the average consumer.

[Devin @ Jun 24th 2009 2:35PM]

I really agree with that second part. But I guess after working at Staples for 2.5 years I've learned that sales people prey on that. If people actually did serious research they wouldn't buy computers at places like Staples.

[MikeWard1701 @ Jun 24th 2009 3:27PM]

@Eddit
@Devin

I agree on both points. I've always researched my purchases, it ensures you're getting what you need/want and avoids disappointment later down the line.

Places like; Staples, PC World, Comet, Currys, [insert high-street electrical/tech retailer] dont just prey on the average customer having no/inadequte knowledge, they rely on it because those who are tech-savvy and know what we want/need shop elsewhere.

I ocasionally pop into these stores, never with the intention of buying but to check out a specific product in person. Whilst there I'll quiz the sales staff from the perspective of an average user to assess their knowledge and often have to correct them.

[Alex @ Jun 24th 2009 1:17PM]

I'm pretty sure most netbook buyers think, "if it's got a screen and a keyboard all in one, it's a full-on laptop". This is dangerous to the computer industry's technological progress.

[Josh @ Jun 24th 2009 1:19PM]

Obviously a netbook is a notebook but a notebook is not necessarily a netbook.

[elBravo @ Jun 24th 2009 2:09PM]

like squares and rectangles.... right.... right?

[dagamer43 @ Jun 24th 2009 1:19PM]

One of the main reasons I haven't purchase a "netbook" is because it's not that great for it's intended purpose. When you consider all the things people use the Internet for, it's often too demanding for most "netbooks". Take a look at all the things i have running right now on my MacBook Pro that are connected to "the net".

1) Mail
2) Firefox
3) Adium
4) Entourage

There's just no way to run all of that smoothly on a "netbook". And part of the problem is the name. I know that netbooks are intended just to have the web browser open most of the time and do the heavy lifting, but if that's the case, then the name should be WEBbook, and not netbook. Besides, most of these netbooks such majorly at Flash, making even the web something it can't do that well.

Maybe in a couple years, the market will short itself out. Right now, it's just going through a LOT of growing pains (with absolutely no market strategy).