We have heard a lot about how Apple is not giving the netbook market enough respect. We know that Steve Jobs is not exactly a fan of Apple making budget notebooks anytime soon. The cheapest Apple laptop still costs close to $1000. Besides, Apple has Macbook Air which comes very close to being a netbook, as long as you can forget about the large price tag. I have been a big advocate of Apple introducing a more budget netbook but I can see why analysts don’t see a point for Apple introducing a cheap netbook (even though Apple has been working on prototypes). Mac users are not looking for a cheap laptop that may not be powerful enough for them to do cool things. With Macbook Air, you get a slim device that is bundled with a piece of software that makes it easy to get your job done whether you are at home or on the go.

Netbooks are not for everyone. They are cute. And they are portable. But so is Macbook Air. It just happens to cost a whole lot more than your everyday netbook models. A lot of people buy a netbook with unrealistic expectations. Netbooks are mini laptops but they are not designed to take on heavy duty tasks. They are designed for bloggers and people who produce and consume content on the Internet. Apple is more interested in making higher-end, feature-rich laptops. That’s why we probably won’t ever see an Apple netbook. But a 9.7″ iPod DX (hence Kindle DX) would certainly help. Maybe Apple needs to advertise its Macbook Air as a real netbook. A lot of other laptop manufacturers are doing it, so why not Apple?