Back in 2007 Asus announced their first low cost Eee PC netbook, catching the attention of many budget-minded mobile consumers who welcomed the idea of an auxiliary take-anywhere computer. The product category has since grown to include a plethora of devices from as many companies and is now considered to be crucial to keep the entire PC market as a whole afloat.

This rapid expansion represents an attractive opportunity for display suppliers. In fact, according to iSuppli, with the rise of the segment netbook panels will nearly quadruple to 47.4 million units in 2012, up from 13.1 million units in 2008. These screens would range in size between 8 and 12 inches. Market revenues will also more than triple during the same period, rising to $2.1 billion in 2012, up from $625.2 million in 2008.

Indeed with the line between entry level notebooks and so-called netbooks getting increasingly blurry, the much-hyped term might not even apply in three more years, but demand for portable devices sporting such displays will likely keep on growing.