Netbooks beat Apple Macs with student laptop shopper

Netbooks beat Apple Macs with student laptop shopper 23 August, 2009 By eWEEK More than a third of the students surveyed by Retrevo reported wanting small, lightweight notebooks this year, and more than half had a budget under $750. The result, says Retrevo, is that back-to-school shoppers are passing on Apple laptops. Retrevo, a product search engine, says it polled more than 300 of its 4 million monthly visitors and found that the "majority of student laptop shoppers will not consider buying a Mac," the company reported in an Aug. 18 statement. According to Retrevo, 34 percent of students said they want laptops that are small and lightweight, while 49 percent wanted full-size PC laptops. Price was also a considerable factor. "While Apple has done well historically in the education market, 2009 marks the dawn of the netbook," said Retrevo CEO Vipin Jain, in a statement. "Students told us they wanted longer battery life, smaller size and a lighter laptop. [Fifty-eight] percent of them plan on spending less than $750.00. Only 18 percent have a budget over $1,000. Netbooks are affordable; some costing only $170. In contrast, Apple laptops start at $949." Jain added: "At a time when many people are experiencing economic hardship, having a new Apple laptop isn't a necessity." >>Click here to read the full article