Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦) aims to sell 80 percent more of its low-cost Eee PC series this quarter on robust demand, mostly in Europe, and sales of enhanced models, putting it well on track to hit the target of selling 5 million units this year, a company executive said yesterday.
To fend off growing competition in the new PC battle ground, Asustek plans to unveil a new Eee PC family in June — one model equipped with Intel Corp’s new Atom chip and another with a 10-inch screen catering to demand for better mobility or a bigger screen, Asustek chief executive Jerry Shen (沈振來) said.
Shen made the remarks on the sidelines of a press briefing unveiling the enhanced Eee PC model. The US$500 Eee PC 900 has a 8.9-inch screen, bigger hardware, 12G or 20G, and runs either Microsoft Corp’s Windows system or open Linux system.
“Our supply now still lags behind demand because of battery shortage and strong demand largely from Europe,” Shen said.
Europe makes up the biggest portion, or 40 percent, of Asustek’s Eee PC shipments, he said.
Notebook sales in Europe were stable last month, while motherboard sales weakened under the shadow of a weakening macro economy, Shen said.
Battery shortage worsened after a fire at an LG Chem plant last month, but the problem will abate by June as other battery makers are sourced, Shen said.
Despite insufficient battery supply, Asustek still hit its first-quarter target of selling 700,000 low-cost Eee PCs, which brought the total sales to a million after its release in October, Shen said.
He expected unit sales to expand 80 percent in the current quarter to 1.3 million units from last quarter.
“The launch of the enhanced Eee PC series strengthens my confidence of reaching the goal of selling five million units this year,” Shen said.
If not affected by battery problems, the company would have a higher sales figure, he said.
Commenting on growing competition from bigger rivals including Hewlett Packard Co, Dell and Acer, Shen said Asustek aims to keep its leading position in the market.
Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) is expected to share his views about the artificial intelligence (AI) industry’s prospects during his speech at the company’s 37th anniversary ceremony, as AI servers have become a new growth engine for the equipment manufacturing service provider. Lam’s speech is much anticipated, as Quanta has risen as one of the world’s major AI server suppliers. The company reported a 30 percent year-on-year growth in consolidated revenue to NT$1.41 trillion (US$43.35 billion) last year, thanks to fast-growing demand for servers, especially those with AI capabilities. The company told investors in November last year that
Intel Corp has named Tasha Chuang (莊蓓瑜) to lead Intel Taiwan in a bid to reinforce relations between the company and its Taiwanese partners. The appointment of Chuang as general manager for Intel Taiwan takes effect on Thursday, the firm said in a statement yesterday. Chuang is to lead her team in Taiwan to pursue product development and sales growth in an effort to reinforce the company’s ties with its partners and clients, Intel said. Chuang was previously in charge of managing Intel’s ties with leading Taiwanese PC brand Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), which included helping Asustek strengthen its global businesses, the company
Taiwanese suppliers to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電) are expected to follow the contract chipmaker’s step to invest in the US, but their relocation may be seven to eight years away, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) said yesterday. When asked by opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) in the legislature about growing concerns that TSMC’s huge investments in the US will prompt its suppliers to follow suit, Kuo said based on the chipmaker’s current limited production volume, it is unlikely to lead its supply chain to go there for now. “Unless TSMC completes its planned six
TikTok abounds with viral videos accusing prestigious brands of secretly manufacturing luxury goods in China so they can be sold at cut prices. However, while these “revelations” are spurious, behind them lurks a well-oiled machine for selling counterfeit goods that is making the most of the confusion surrounding trade tariffs. Chinese content creators who portray themselves as workers or subcontractors in the luxury goods business claim that Beijing has lifted confidentiality clauses on local subcontractors as a way to respond to the huge hike in customs duties imposed on China by US President Donald Trump. They say this Chinese decision, of which Agence
RSS