While it’s not too surprising to see Intel claim that the netbook market is on the rise, there is no question that the market has still ways to go. For starters, we still have not seen netbooks reach their full potential. There are plenty of netbook / tablet hybrids available on the market. Let’s not forget that Intel is touting dual-core netbooks and Intel-based tablets (which we could see released to the market soon). That means the iPad has not managed to kill off netbooks just yet.

For Intel, it’s all about providing the best performance possible on netbooks. Tablets can do simple things, and they make great web devices. But netbooks can easily go beyond that if they are equipped with more sophisticated processors. Energy efficiency and battery life is always going to be an issue for laptop manufacturers though netbook makers will improve as the market becomes more mature.

Is Intel too optimistic about the netbook market? Probably. It’s not that netbooks won’t be around and in demand. There are just too many alternative devices in the works. That’s great news for consumers but maybe not so much for manufacturers. The iPad is not going to kill netbooks but lack of innovation will.