"Schumpeterian" times of "creative destruction" seem to be upon us. Note a recent ChangeWave poll on PC purchasing. You wouldn't be surprised to learn that Apple ranks number one in customer satisfaction.
You might be shocked to learn that Asus and Acer rank second and third, above Sony. As satisfaction rankings are about value and price, something is going on here.
Apple doesn't win because of its price. Asus and Acer play there, but I think something more profound is going on.
Both firms have created a new value position in the market with their hot-selling netbooks. Prior to that, both firms had staked out positions in the value-priced notebook segment as well. But it is probably the netbook that will have the greatest implications for Asus and Acer over the next couple of years as each attempts to establish a retail brand.
It isn't simply that their netbooks sell at retail for a bit less than $300. It also is that the value of a netbook might be higher than the notebooks it is intended to "complement or replace."
That's disruptive, at least for PC retailers. What isn't clear yet is whether netbooks will be disruptive in other ways. It is clear that lower-end PCs and higher-end mobile phones are heading for each other. In fact, Acer already has unveiled a line of smart phones.
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