Micro-laptops Poised for Increased Popularity in 2009

This year, because of the dismal economy and laptop buyers' increasing comfort with these miniature computers, more netbooks are headed to store shelves. Some netbooks will keep their lower-than-a-cheap-PC price, but others will cost what bigger laptops do, and include features like touch screens and metal casings as companies look to keep the category's momentum going.

At the International Consumer Electronics Show last week, Taiwan-based AsusTek Computer Inc. - which launched its $269-to-$699 Eee PC netbooks in 2007 - introduced a new one called the Eee PC Touch. It sports a nearly 9-inch touch screen that swivels or folds over so it can be used as a tablet-style PC. Asus expects the Touch to be available in March for $499 and plans to release a version with a 10-inch screen.