Computex Taipei 2009 promises to be the biggest ever and according to The Inquirer (hat tip: Lilputing), those handy little machines known as netbooks are the reason why!

At Computex 2008, a total of 1,700 companies were booked to exhibit their goods, but for next June’s follow-up they have already booked 100 more, a total of 1,800. Furthermore, 34,000 overseas visitors attended Computex 2008, which saw the launch of many popular netbooks, including the popular MSI Wind U100. Add 6,000 to the predicted total next year, with 40,000 visitors from abroad expected to pass through the doors of the five exhibition venues.

The reason for this surge in popularity and attendance is the netbook, which Taitra Executive Veep Walter Yeh said will be a main focus of the show. Yeh said that Taiwan has become the most important sourcing center for netbooks, and that next year many of its major producers, such as Acer, Asustek, and MSI, along with international companies like Intel, will introduce new products for MID (mobile internet devices) in Taiwan. With the global financial crisis, interest in MIDs is likely to go up in 2009.

In a related note, the Taiwan News reports that Computex 2009 is expected to generate more than US$25 billion in sales.