Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), the world’s No. 6 PC brand, yesterday showcased a slew of key innovations before the opening of the Computex expo today, including its first smartphone/tablet model, a serious rival to the MacBook Air, and a netbook that sells for US$199.
The veil on the Padfone — its most-anticipated product at the trade show — was lifted by company chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) at a press conference, which was given the theme “Breaking the rules. Innovation beyond expectation.”
“You guys are more important, Steve [Jobs] will have to wait,” Shih said during a product demo when the Padfone received an incoming call, which he then switched off to address a roomful of analysts and international and local media.
The Padfone combines a smartphone and a tablet — you can talk on the smartphone while walking down the street and dock in at the back of the tablet on the subway for a bigger screen to check e-mails or watch online videos.
By docking the phone into the tablet, the tablet could make use of a 3G Internet connection, while charging the phone’s battery at the same time.
Asustek didn’t offer many details on the Padfone, except to say that it would go on sale by Christmas, with a price tag somewhere between that of a smartphone and a tablet PC.
Another product that won “oohs” and “ahs” at yesterday’s preview event was the UX ultraportable notebook — considered by many in the industry as a rival to Apple Inc’s MacBook Air.
“The UX series is ultra powerful, ultra thin and ultra beautiful,” Shih said, adding that this model would help Asustek cushion the impact of cannibalization by tablets PCs into the notebook PC market.
Due out later this year, the UX series has two models — one of which is 11.6 inches and the other 13.3 inches, with weights of 1.1kg and 1.3kg respectively.
They measure 17mm at their thickest point.
Clad in a light aluminum alloy shell that has a unique “spun” finish, the UX series can support Intel Corp’s core i7 processor and run for up to seven hours.
The artistry of the series draws inspiration from luxury timepieces by displaying sharp edges, an oversized keyboard and a smartphone-like touchpad for comfort, as well as reinforced hinges for extended longevity.
Shih also said that Asustek is not going to miss out on showcasing its latest netbook model at the world’s second-largest technology trade fair.
Asustek was the first maker to introduce netbooks in 2007.
Seven to 10 inch netbooks compromise computing power, but are sold at only half the price of traditional notebooks, and therefore successfully created a fad among consumers, prompting other PC makers to follow suit.
The new Eee PC X101 runs on the Intel MeeGo operating system (OS) and supports a wide range of social networking applications. The Windows OS is also supported and users can choose from either a solid-state drive (SSD) or a hard drive.
Prices for the netbook start at US$199 — bringing the cost down to yet another new low.
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