Laptop computers are not facing an imminent demise in light of the growing popularity of tablets, says Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn, even though he himself suggested as much in a newspaper report earlier this month. 

As sales of tablet computers, particularly the iPad, rise, the notion that they could soon replace netbooks and notebooks has gained traction. Dunn implied as much in an article in The Wall Street Journal Sept. 14, noting that tablet sales have cannibalized laptop sales--particularly netbooks--by as much as 50 percent. But on Sept. 17, he attempted to mitigate the comments, issuing a statement assuring everyone that "computers will remain a very popular gift this holiday because of the very distinct and desirable benefits they offer consumers."

But as TechCrunch's MG Siegler points out, Dunn did not actually retract his earlier comment. Calling the Sept. 17 statement "the classic old non-denial denial," Siegler questions whether Dunn was under pressure from some PC vendors to distance himself from the cannibalization idea. He notes that Dunn's retraction-like statement was immediately retweeted via Microsoft's Twitter account.

While Best Buy's CEO pursues damage control, analysts continue to note declining sales of low-end notebooks, which they are attributing largely to the iPad. eWeek's Nicholas Kolakowski offers a round-up of some of the most recent analysis and predictions. Sales for notebooks in the United States declined between March and August, ending that period 4 percent down over the previous year, according to research out of the NPD Group. A UBS analyst, Maynard Um, noted earlier this month that vendors appear to be racing to launch tablets as traditional notebook computers come under mounting pressure. 

For more:
- see Brian Dunn's statement at Best Buy
- see MG Siegler's post at TechCrunch
- see Nicholas Kolakowski's article at eWeek

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