Gartner: $100 notebooks won't arrive anytime soon

“The economic benefits of IT literacy in emerging markets are currently driving the push for the $100 PC but there are many open questions that remain. These include determining the relevant hardware specifications, power availability, availability and cost of Internet connection, as well as providing adequate finance and payment options for emerging markets where funds may well be extremely limited,” said Annette Jump, research director at Gartner.

Ms. Jump said that while Gartner believes that increased demand for the devices, along with declining component prices, could potentially reduce prices by 10% to 15% in the next two to three years; packaging, assembly and software costs are likely to remain the same.

Gartner warned that while it is important that prices continue to come down, companies that become too focused on breaking the $100 barrier could be distracted from addressing other issues surrounding mini-notebooks.