Nearly 35 million netbooks will ship this year, rising to 139 million in 2013, predicts ABI Research. Meanwhile, the mainstream media is increasingly reporting on the netbook trend, with a recent New York Times story noting Linux's role in driving down prices and giving Microsoft fits.

Two major trends have catapulted netbooks to the fore, says ABI Research: new low-cost, low-power, high-performance processors such as the Intel Atom (and soon, ARM-based processors like Freescale's i.MX515 ), as well as a realization that smartphones cannot currently meet all the needs of mobile users. These and other "social and technological factors" have created a "perfect storm" that will lead to a boom in the netbook market over the next few years, says the research firm.

Over the last year, dozens of startups and mainstream computer vendors have entered the netbook market, including the new Linux-ready


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