Netbooks may have won over many consumers with their comparatively low cost and small size, but Dell Inc. doesn't see the lightweight machines ever replacing laptops with more powerful processors inside.

"There's been some over-exuberance on this invention in the marketplace," said president of Dell's user and small and midsize business unit, during a conference call with reporters.

"Some of our rivals have positioned netbooks as a substitute device, and then you see feedback from clientele that are dissatisfied when they give up their notebook for a netbook and find that it's not rather as fast or doesn't have relatively the same functionality," he said.

Disappearing passion for netbooks in favor of more powerful laptops was reproduce in processor shipment figures reported by research firm IDC in April.