Notebook computer sales increased 35% in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, according to a report by market research firm DisplaySearch. HP led the way with 20.8% of sales, followed by Dell with 15.1%. Acer, Toshiba and Lenova rounded out the top five, and Apple surged from 8th place last year to 7th place this year. Asus moved to 8th place, no doubt partly because of the EEE’s success.

Interestingly, 15.4″ 1280 × 800 screens accounted for almost 50% of all notebook PCs shipped in the quarter, while 14.1″
1280 × 800 screens took a 22% share. Larger screens are attractive, but most people are opting for portability and low-cost over big power-hungry screens.

Given their convenience, pricing, features and performance, today’s notebooks are a solid choice for many consumers and business users — even if they don’t really need the portability. Notebooks are also the green choice, using less materials in manufacturing and less energy in use.