Of the factors that netbook buyers prized, portability was tops, with 60% of those surveyed putting it at the No. 1 spot. But even there, consumers said one thing and did another, since that same percentage said that once theit netbook was home, it never left the house.

"I was impressed with the number of people who chose a netbook because of the mobility factor," said Baker. "That means that at least some of the marketing message [by netbook makers] is getting through." 'The attraction of mobility, even if it's a chimera to most buyers, gives OEMs something to work with, said Baker. "There is a value proposition to mobility, and the CULV stuff will address the mobility piece in a form factor that people might appreciate more than a netbook."

CULV, or "consumer ultra-low voltage," is the term slapped on the processors from Intel, AMD and a class of notebooks priced above $500 but below $1,000. They sport screens larger than netbooks, but cost considerably less than current ultra-portable notebooks.

"I think OEMs will be able to convince consumers to spend more on something with a bigger screen and a bigger keyboard," said Baker, answering a question about netbook sales cannibalizing laptop sales.

One response by the consumers NPD polled, however, may make Microsoft a little nervous. "Of the features they cited as important, they said the operating system was the second-most important to their decision," said Baker. Nearly all netbooks now sold run the ancient Windows XP Home.