iSuppli, a market research firm, today broke the pretty big news that for the first time in quarterly history (a quarter year), global notebook sales exceeded global desktop sales. Notebook sales in Q3 2008 were up a massive 40% over the same period last year, and the thing that catapulted them to this achievement was none other than netbooks.

Matthew Wilkins, the principal analyst for computer platforms at iSuppli, said that the performance of Taiwan’s Acer, which shipped 3 million more notebooks in Q3 ‘08 than Q2 ‘08, had much to do with it, and the majority of those 3 million were Acer’s netbook products.

This surge is also bringing Acer closer to the number two manufacturers spot in the United States, currently occupied by Dell.

Source: CNET News