Samsung is flogging lots of netbooks in Europe

SAMSUNG LOOKS SET to overtake Asustek and HP to become the second largest netbook outfit in Europe.

Sources who claim to have seen the latest IDC figures say Samsung apparently has managed a bit of a coup in the third quarter. It will play second fiddle only to Acer and HP will be forced to play the bassoon.

Samsung's success has come from bundling its netbooks with services from mobile telecom carriers in Europe. It is trying to duplicate this cunningly successful plan across the pond and in Asia.

Samsung shipped 2.15 million notebooks globally in the first half of 2009 with a market share of three per cent and an eighth-place ranking. One million units were shipped to Europe, giving the company a market share of five per cent and ranking at number six.

According to Digitimes, Samsung could flog six million notebooks in total in 2009, and over 10 million units in 2010. The Korean outfit has been hardselling ultrathin notebooks by bundling them with 3G services. µ