New trend: Now we want an extra computer

Netbooks are an extra electrical appliance
New sales figures show that we have really taken to these new small computers – but not as an alternative to desktop or standard notebook computers. Instead the figures show that we tend to buy a netbook as a supplement to our existing computer.

A recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) anticipates that electricity consumption will triple within IT and consumer electronics by 2030. Volume sales of netbooks will playetheir part in this upward trend.

Netbooks becoming more and more popular
"Consumers have really taken to these small netbooks, and have bought them as an extra computer in their homes. This is giving us yet another electrical appliance. However, a netbook is usually not used in the same way as an ordinary computer and is therefore rarely used all day," says Anders Elbak, Research Manager at IDC Nordic, which produced the sales figures.

These small netbooks have become more and more popular since they appeared on the market. Figures from Quarter 2 2009 show that the number of netbooks in Danish homes has more than doubled in the space of one year that they have been on sale. In the same period, the sales of desktop computers remained more or less the same, but the sales of notebooks increased by 1/3 compared with Quarter 1.

Go for energy efficient computers
The fact that consumers prefer notebooks to desktop computers shows that they place great emphasis on energy efficiency. Since a netbook is an extra computer at home it's important to choose an energy efficient one.

"Many consumers would prefer to buy an energy efficient appliance, but they have difficulty in identifying them in the market. We are working with the producers to make it easier for consumers. Our message is to go for a product with the Energy Saving Label ," says Anders Hjorth Jensen, Project Manager at the Trust.

Netbooks generally consume small amounts of energy, but in line with the growing numbers of electrical appliances, these small devices add to the overall bill. If you need to buy a netbook, then ask the seller to tell you about its power consumption, and whether it fulfils the requirements of the Energy Saving Label. You can also check whether the product is listed in the Trust's IT product overview (in Danish).

IT and consumer electronics will use the most power consumption in a home
The sales of netbooks underline the growing trend for having more IT devices and gadgets in the home. In its latest report the IEA anticipates that electricity used by IT and consumer electronics will triple. By 2030, annual power consumption by IT and electronics will be 1,700 billion kWh  . The increase will be equivalent the total amount of electricity used today by all private homes in the USA and Japan.

The IEA has calculated that this will cost private householders around the world over 200 billion US dollars in extra power, and require new power stations with a total capacity of 280 million kWh.

At the present time, consumer electronics account for 28% of the electricity consumed in Danish homes, which is somewhat higher than the world average of 15%. However, this percentage is expected to increase significantly worldwide.

The IEA believes that more pressure should be brought to bear on producers, who need to develop more energy efficient products. In fact, producers can use existing energy saving technologies to halve the amount of electricity used by consumer electronics.

Facts about computer sales figures
A total of 245,100 computers were sold to private consumers in Quarter 2 2009 compared with 172,00 in Quarter 1. In Quarter 2 2008, before netbooks appeared on the market, sales were about half what they are now, namely 129,900 units.

Sales in 2009 broken down in 2 Quarters:

• Notebooks: 92,700 (Q1) 138,300 (Q2)
• Desktops: 30,700 (Q1) 29,200 (Q2)
• Netbooks: 48,800 (Q1) 77,600 (Q2)

The Trust's IT product overviews
You can find the most energy efficient notebooks, desktop computers and monitors listed on the Trust's product overviews (please note the lists are only in Danish). The overviews are updated when new products are launched by producers.