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Expo promises cheapest ever notebook prices

"We'll focus on the weekend [during the computer show] with the help of promotions and gifts to stimulate sales."

Wendy Liu, senior marketing manager of BenQ's computer products business department

Consumers who want to grab quality portable computers at record-breaking prices should ensure they do not miss the upcoming Taipei Computer Applications Show, as consumer-electronics retailers have prepared to slash prices in an effort to snatch a lion's share of the expected sales bounty during the peak summertime event.

The five-day expo, which features 250 exhibitors, will commence on Thursday at Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall I. It has become the largest of its kind in summer since it was first held 15 years ago.

"Based on past experience, the prospects of the information-technology sector will take a turn for the better in the second half of the year, compared with the first half," said Enoch Du (杜全昌), secretary general of the Taipei Computer Association (台北市電腦公會), at a press conference yesterday.

"In addition, the government's procurement of 3C [computers, consumer electronics and communications] products that have been delayed for months and the booming consumer-electronics market will further benefit the sector by the end of the year," he said.

BenQ Corp (明基), one of the exhibitors to showcase its brand-name products, expects to sell 3,000 to 4,000 laptops during the five-day show, a target that is usually achieved in a three-month-long quarter.

"We'll focus on the weekend [during the computer show] with the help of promotions and gifts to stimulate sales and offer a low price of NT$24,900 for Joybook 2100E laptops to stimulate the entry-level market," said Wendy Liu (劉巧雯), senior marketing manager of BenQ's computer products business department.

The company reported sales of over 7,000 notebooks in the first six months of the year and expects to sell 10,000 units in the third quarter.

BenQ will also launch its latest laptop model, the Joybook S53W, equipped with the Intel 915GM express chipset, to target career women with its stylish design.

In a head-on competition with local vendors including Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), Acer Inc and BenQ, Hewlett-Packard (HP) Taiwan Co plans to shake up the market with a price tag of over NT$20,000 apiece for portable computers.

The company, however, de-clined to disclose details of its promotional ranges yesterday, citing confidentiality.

Acer, Taiwan's third-largest computer maker by market value, is set to present its TravelMate 4011 WLCi laptop at NT$29,900 apiece. The model is equipped with a 15.4-inch wide screen and the Intel Pentium M-725 processor.

The exhibition also features peripheral equipment, software services, digital gadgets, broadband connections and Linux services to showcase top-notch and low-priced products.

To meet the surging demand in the booming online gaming sector, the Taipei Computer Association is holding the first Summer Game Festival at Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall III this week to present the latest online games, animation, digital learning and entertainment software.

A Japanese gaming pavilion has been specially built to feature animation and manga merchandise presented by well-known companies including Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, Broccoli and G-mode Co.
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