Local computer maker Asustek Computer Inc (
The company's low-cost laptop computer has received a warm response since its launch late last month, resulting in insufficient supply, an Asustek official said yesterday.
"In Hong Kong, limited supply has caused price hikes," said Kevin Lin (
Lin attributed the insufficient supply of Eee PCs to a shortage of 7-inch liquid-crystal-display panels, batteries and wireless chipsets.
The popularity of Asustek's Eee PC has led rivals, such as Acer Inc, the world's No.4 computer vendor, to speed up the development of similar products.
At home, sales of Eee PCs are expected to grow 60 percent to 40,000 units next month, up from 25,000 units in the first month following its debut, said Jose Liao (
The 60 percent increase in sales predicted next month includes the boost expected to come from the nation's annual electronics fair, or IT Month, in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung that targets mainly local consumers, he said.
"We hope to sell as many as we have ... Insufficient supply has limited sales," Liao said.
By the end of this year, the Taiwanese computer company is looking to sell more than 350,000 Eee PCs worldwide and top 5 million units next year.
Asustek is expected to ship 8 million own-brand notebook computers next year, CLSA Ltd (
Without counting the new category notebook computers, such as the Eee PC, shipments of notebooks are expected to grow by 25 percent annually to around 118 million units next year, up from 94.3 million this year, Taipei-based market researcher Market Intelligence Center (
Asustek also expected branded notebook computer sales during IT Month to increase 30 percent to more than 30,000 units from last year's 24,000 units, excluding Eee PCs, Lin said.
"The sales will certainly boost Asustek's December revenues, but we see it more as a benchmark of consumer confidence," Lin said.
Asustek, the nation's biggest notebook computer brand, is looking to expand its local market share by up to 40 percent next year from its current 34 percent to 35 percent share, widening the gap with Acer, Liao said.
Asustek shares fell 1.89 percent to NT$98.60 yesterday.
PATENTS: MediaTek Inc said it would not comment on ongoing legal cases, but does not expect the legal action by Huawei to affect its business operations Smartphone integrated chips designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科) on Friday said that a lawsuit filed by Chinese smartphone brand Huawei Technologies Co (華為) over alleged patent infringements would have little impact on its operations. In an announcement posted on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, MediaTek said that it would not comment on an ongoing legal case. However, the company said that Huawei’s legal action would have little impact on its operations. MediaTek’s statement came after China-based PRIP Research said on Thursday that Huawei filed a lawsuit with a Chinese district court claiming that MediaTek infringed on its patents. The infringement mentioned in the lawsuit likely involved
Taipei is today suspending work, classes and its US$2.4 trillion stock market as Typhoon Gaemi approaches Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain. The nation is not conducting securities, currency or fixed income trading, statements from its stock and currency exchanges said. Authorities had yesterday issued a warning that the storm could affect people on land and canceled some ship crossings and domestic flights. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) expects its local chipmaking fabs to maintain normal production, the company said in an e-mailed statement. The main chipmaker for Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp said it has activated routine typhoon alert
GROWTH: TSMC increased its projected revenue growth for this year to more than 25 percent, citing stronger-than-expected demand for AI devices and smartphones The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台灣經濟研究院) yesterday raised its forecast for Taiwan’s GDP growth this year from 3.29 percent to 3.85 percent, as exports and private investment recovered faster than it predicted three months ago. The Taipei-based think tank also expects that Taiwan would see a 8.19 percent increase in exports this year, better than the 7.55 percent it projected in April, as US technology giants spent more money on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and development. “There will be more AI servers going forward, but it remains to be seen if the momentum would extend to personal computers, smartphones and
Catastrophic computer outages caused by a software update from one company have once again exposed the dangers of global technological dependence on a handful of players, experts said on Friday. A flawed update sent out by the little-known security firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc brought airlines, TV stations and myriad other aspects of daily life to a standstill. The outages affected companies or individuals that use CrowdStrike on the Microsoft Inc’s Windows platform. When they applied the update, the incompatible software crashed computers into a frozen state known as the “blue screen of death.” “Today CrowdStrike has become a household name, but not in