Netbooks, another mobile computing device, are also a hot item this year. Last week, Acer said it had shipped 2.4 million Aspire One netbooks in the third quarter, and forecast fourth-quarter shipments would exceed that amount. Asustek Computer shipped 1.7 million of its popular Eee PC in the third quarter, and predicted fourth quarter shipments of between 1.6 million and 1.8 million units.

The mini-laptops, which are light and allow people to access the Internet wirelessly, are becoming popular for their low price and portability.