The global notebook market will continue to face challenges in 2013. Although the launch of Windows 8 in October 2012 is supposed to give a boost to the notebook market, the rise of the tablet platform as well as other key issues such as notebook makers looking to develop more detachable designs and questions about the health of the global economy, make it unlikely that 2013 will be a better year for notebook shipments than 2012. Digitimes Research expects that global notebook shipments will suffer a further drop in 2013 while facing the specter of strong price pressure.
However, despite the poor market conditions, some brand vendors including Lenovo, Apple, Asustek Computer and Samsung, are still expected to achieve shipment growth in 2013, leaving other brands to deal with shipment declines. Taiwan-based ODMs will also see a situation similar to brand vendors, with only a few makers able to achieve shipment growth. Overall only a few notebook players can achieve an outstanding performance in 2013.
Although Windows 8 will only have a limited effect on boosting notebook demand in 2013, the operating system will accelerate the penetration rate of touch panels in notebook products, helping touchscreen notebooks become the product line with the most potential in terms of growth in 2013. Notebooks with solid state drives (SSD) as the main storage device will have the second largest growth, contributed mainly by Apple products. As for Intel's ultrabook, with overall notebook prices dropping, the continued relative high prices associated with the product make it unlikely the platform will see strong success in 2013.
