Market researchers have lost their optimistic view on growth opportunities for the netbook.

A forecast published by DRAMeXchange in Taiwan estimates that shipments of netbooks will decline about 18% to about 27 to 28 million units in 2011. The reason for this sobering outlook is the fact that tablets are “cannibalizing” the entry-level computer segment in the $550 to $650 range in developed markets. While the netbook has still a cost/performance advantage, DRAMeXchange believes that the netbook will primarily depend on emerging markets to see growth.

According to the company, the netbook appears to almost have been a fluke in the traditional PC market as consumers have been switching back to regular notebook form factors in the second half of 2010. With the added pressure from tablets, the netbook may be pushed into a niche that could be slowly fading away in developed markets.

So far it does not seem that device manufacturers are giving up the netbook segment. Asus reportedly will introduce three or four more EeePCs and noted that it focuses on growing its market share. However, DRAMeXchange said that Chinese whitebox manufacturers that built netbooks in the past are now moving toward tablets.

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