Much has been made about the popularity of netbooks, but now the statistics are pouring in to back up these claims. The market intelligence and research company IDC’s latest report confirms that netbooks accounted for an astonishing amount of computer sales over the Christmas season. This popularity is clearly reflected in the number of computing manufacturers that have jumped on the netbook bandwagon, and, according to the IDC, fuelled in large part by mobile broadband deals offering netbooks on the side for ‘free’.

In terms of actual units sold in the fourth quarter of 2008, netbook sales reached an incredible 3.6 million. This figure alone accounts for 20% of the entire laptop market and easily eclipsing the popularity of business laptops. The pack was led by the netbook giants Acer and Asus, with 1.1 million and 1.01 million units sold respectively. However, the report’s most interesting conclusion is on the role mobile broadband packages, which often offer netbooks for free, played in the mini-laptop’s success. Offered by all of the UK’s major mobile service providers, such as 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and others, the packaged mobile broadband deals offer easy internet access to all at an affordable rate; indeed, given the fierce competition and numerous providers of mobile broadband, consumers have managed to be on the receiving end of some incredible bargains.

Whilst netbooks are valued for their low cost, simplicity and ability to go online, mobile broadband is treasured for exactly the same reason. Mobile broadband is affordable, easy to sign up for, available to all, and only requires a dongle to get started; since even the netbook is often provided by the mobile provider. Of course, with the excess of mobile broadband providers in the market today, finding the best plan is often a difficult task. Aside from taking the time to examine every single plan individually, however, you can find the best for you by simply using the numerous websites that compare all the providers for you. The amount of websites offering this comparison service are as extensive as the different deals available; nevertheless, one website, namely Broadband Genie, stands out from the rest on account of its ease of use, accuracy, positive user feedback, and depth.

Not only does Broadband Genie offer the most recent mobile broadband deals available, with a comparison of over 100 different offers, but it also lists separately all the packages that include a free laptop. It allows customers to find the most competitive mobile broadband plan among providers that are offering laptops, ensuring that the customer receives both a new netbook, as well as the best bargain available. With just a cursory glance we see major providers like O2, T-Mobile, Orange and Vodafone, offering high quality netbooks, like the Asus Eee PC 904HD, or the Samsung NC10, for free as part of their mobile broadband packages; no wonder so many people are getting their hands on netbooks.

All indicators point to a continuance in this trend over 2009, with many going so far as to proclaim 2009 as the year of the netbook, even while PC sales decline. Analysts claim netbook sales could reach 30 million over the year, and Acer alone is targeting a 10 million sales figure for its Aspire netbooks. Of course, if the most recent data from the end of 2008 is anything to go by, then these projections are anything but fantastical, and 2009 could truly shape up to be the year of the netbook.

Intel announced their first “Solid State Disc” (SSD) at the Taiwanese Computex 2008 convention. The module named “Z-P230” will be delivered starting in the third quarter of 2008 and should help to further reduce the cost of inexpensive mini-laptops, as well as conserve power.

Unlike previous developments, such as the compact flash module in Asus’ Eee PC 701, Intel’s SSD is equipped with a PATA connection. This parallel port, the forerunner to SATA, is compatible with every PC chipset. The Z-P230 will then fit in to practically any design, from cheap mini-PCs up to industry computers.

Intel has achieved this through a combined controller chip for the two flash building blocks and the PATA port. They then use only three chips in the 54 x 38 x 4 millimetre module, very much like SanDisk’s new SSD. With these measurements the new SSDs take up only around a fourth of the space of 1.8 inch hard drives. But SanDisk must of either measured differently or done something incredible: the SanDisk SSD should only weigh 5 grams, while Intel’s puts theirs at 10 grams, even at practically the same size.

According the Intel’s data records, even the Z-P230 is not a frontline product. The device only manages 35 MB/s reading and 7 MB/s writing. With the SanDisk model it’s 35 and 17 MB/s. 2.5 inch hard drives, and even some 1.8 inch devices are far faster – but also more expensive and not quite as impact resistant as the mini-SSDs. And many other types of Flash media, such as SD cards, are faster, but also more expensive because they are not made from Multi-Level-Flash. This form of construction is far more affordable than the faster Single-Level-Flash.

These new models will above all find room in the increasingly popular mini-laptops, which are especially inexpensive. The 4 GB Z-P230 should cost 25 US dollars when sold in packs of 1,000 to PC manufacturers and resellers, while the 8 GB variant will cost 45 US dollars. Intel wants to release both of these models in the third quarter of 2008, after which a 16 GB model should follow, whose price has not yet been determined.