Netbooks survey shows laptops are still king

The results of a study conducted by Experian subsidiary Pricegrabber show that more than half of American consumers do not regard netbooks as a feasible replacement for standard-size laptops, and that almost two-thirds view the role of the netbook as a complementary device to other computers.

However, netbook ownership is on the rise, according to the study, rising to 15 percent of those surveyed from 10 percent in a similar study done the previous year. Pricegrabber reports that 11 percent of online consumers said they planned to purchase a netbook in the coming year.

Netbooks have also exerted an influence on the mobile computing world overall, acting as drivers of lower prices across the board, the study showed. “Survey data reveals a significant difference between the dollar amount consumers are willing to pay for their next computing device and the amount they paid for their last device,” the company reported.

Experts say that new form factors and increased capabilities could yet see wider adoption of the netbook model.

Ladies can’t bear the thought of losing their laptop

Four out of 10 women would be devastated if they lost their mobile phone, a third could live without their man, and 1 in 5 couldn’t bear the thought of being without their laptop according to a new survey.

Tracy from Liverpool said: “My life would fall apart if I lost my Sony VAIO! It has everything on it from my photos and addresses to my diary and accounts. I’m constantly backing it up, terrified I’ll lose it all.

Bryony from Northampton confessed: “I have a little travel laptop which is perfect for emails and Facebook on the go.”

The survey of 4,000 women put their mums at top of their list of 20 most treasured possessions – boyfriends only scraped in fifth behind friends and photos. Diamond rings, laptops and mascara also made the top 20.

A fifth of Americans have ditched books for ebooks

The Book Industry Study Group released a report January 15 detailing statistics about US e-book readers. Among findings, the group reports that about 20 percent of readers in the US stopped purchasing physical books in the last 12 months, instead switching over to electronic editions.

The Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading survey found that the majority of print book buyers rank “affordability” as the top reason they buy a title in its digital form. Searchability and environmental friendliness were ranked lower.

Other findings:

- Survey respondents prefer the following devices to read their e-books: computers (47%), Kindle (32%), other e-reader devices (about 10% each)

- 28% said they would “definitely” purchase an e-book with Digital Rights Management (DRM), which prohibits readers from sharing e-books across devices.

- 81% of survey respondents say they currently purchase an e-book only “rarely” or “occasionally.”

Lenovo disputes reliable laptops survey results

Last week, we reported on the SquareTrade survey that hailed Asus and Toshiba as the most reliable laptops around, but Lenovo have taken serious umbrage and hit back with vengeance.

Lenovo didn’t come out too well in SquareTrade’s comparative analysis of laptop brands, with the company now attempting to discredit the research methodology.

SquareTrade looked at laptop reliability based on 30,000 laptops from various brands over a three year period, claiming that Lenovo’s notebooks were not as reliable as those manufactured by the likes of Asus, Apple, Toshiba, Dell, and Sony.

Ray Gorman, executive director of external communications at Lenovo, claims that the “total number claimed in this report is not a statistically significant sample for a study where no attempt is made to control key variables affecting repair rates, such as comparable machine types, end users, geography, and applications.”

He goes on to argue that SquareTrade “has a vested interested in showing scary failure rates as they have done here [as] they are in the business of selling after sale warranties,” adding that Lenovo’s internal data shows that its own laptop failure rates are “two-thirds lower than what is claimed in the Square Trade survey.”

“This study is full of holes, the method is flawed, the data is inaccurate, and the conclusion is wrong,” the Lenovo man adds.

Most reliable laptops revealed

A survey by warranties provider SquareTrade illustrates that Asus and Toshiba are the most reliable laptop manufacturers. The insurance firm released a set of figures today detailing the failure rate of every major laptop manufacturer that they cover.

Nearly one in three laptops covered by SquareTrade needed replacing within three years of purchase. Of those, two thirds were caused by manufacturer faults and one third were down accidental damage.

Netbooks were the worst offenders, with a 20 per cent higher malfunction rate than hi-end laptops (although one in five premium laptops are still likely to break down within three years).

The industry giant, HP laptops, which sold nearly 16 million laptops in the past year, was the worst performer, with one in four of their laptops needing repairs within three years according to SquareTrade.

Surprisingly, Sony and Apple, brands that market their goods based on their build quality, occupied the middle ground as the third and fourth most reliable laptop manufacturers.

If you’re wondering what laptop to buy for Christmas, here’s the chart in full: