Mark Perry:

WALL STREET JOURNAL — In an effort to drive sales, PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard and Dell have shifted their product lineups toward cut-rate laptops that appeal to frugal consumers. Netbooks — mini-notebooks with small screens and low-powered processors that sell for less than $500 — have rapidly gained popularity as manufacturers release new models. And in recent months, computer companies have started selling hybrid machines that blur the lines between netbooks and traditional laptops in terms of pricing, size and computing power.

Dell, meanwhile, is offering a 12-inch netbook — the Inspiron Mini 12 — that is almost the same size as a regular laptop. It sells for $399. Asian rivals Acer and Lenovo Group have expanded their discount lineups with more than half a dozen new laptops for under $800 each. And netbook pioneer Asustek Computer recently introduced several new models for less than $350.

All of this means 2009 is looking like a year-long bargain sale for PC buyers. In February, the most recent month for which data are available, the average laptop sold for $671, down from $864 a year earlier, according to research firm NPD Group (see chart above).

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Tags: dell, laptop prices

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