As Netbooks Fade, Successors Await

You may not be able to buy a "netbook" in the not-too-distant future, but a new generation of low-power, low-priced laptops descended from the netbook are poised to conquer much of the PC market, experts tell Wired. Sales of the netbook—one of last year's hottest gadgets—haven't met expectations so far this year, but manufacturers are turning their attention to new categories like "consumer ultralow-voltage notebooks."

CULVs have the similar innards as netbooks, but feature bigger screens and roomier keyboards. And, modestly priced between $500 and $700, they adhere to netbooks' impact on your wallet. As the owner of tech blog Liliputing says, the rise of netbooks over the last year is actually the rise of "computing at low cost. And It’s what a lot of people have been waiting for.” (More Netbooks stories.)