Asustek Computer Inc (
"We are still working on the project and more details are yet to be settled," Asustek's global brand marketing director Sunny Han (
However, local users should be able to see the products in June, about the same time as US consumers, he said.
CeBIT, the world's largest technology trade fair, opened on Thursday in Hanover, Germany. At the fair, Microsoft and its hardware partners took the wraps off its mysterious "Project Origami" to unveil a new breed of PCs which are super-portable, full-fledged computers that weigh about 1.1kg, roughly the size of a paperback book, and feature a 17.8cm touch screen.
"These ultra-mobile PCs combine the functionalities of personal digital assistants and notebooks, offering users real-time information wherever they go," Han said.
The prices of Asustek's machines -- codenamed Asus R2H -- haven't yet been announced.
They reportedly come in two versions, with the more expensive device containing an embedded global positioning system that can be used with car navigation software running on Windows XP.
The R2H will also use a special fingerprint sensor that analyzes not only the surface of the skin but also the flesh below.
The built-in Webcam allows the computer to work as a video phone.
Joining forces with Microsoft and Intel Corp for the "personal digital lifestyle" push, Asustek said the R2H is the company's commitment to new innovations.
"Compared to Dell or Hewlett-Packard, which outsource most of their computer production, we still have a strong advantage in research and development and can come out with brand new computer products," he said.
In addition to Asustek, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co and Chinese manufacturer Founder Group (方正集團) are expected to unveil their ultra-mobile machines next month and in the summer, respectively.
"These machines are geared toward niche markets for power users and fashionable mobile users, who are looking for second computers. They are a new innovation and we don't expect the initial volumes to be as high as those of portable computers," Han said.
At CeBIT, vendors showing off their latest wares also include BenQ Corp (
BenQ, for instance, unveiled six new mobile phones, including one that slides open to reveal the dialing pad.
"Our average selling price per handset will for sure rise this year on a better product mix," the Bloomberg financial news agency quoted BenQ Mobile CEO Clemens Joos as saying yesterday. "We don't want to position ourselves in the low-end market where there is no means of differentiation other than through price."
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