Electronics makers expect to sell at least NT$6 billion (US$186 million) in new gadgets such as Windows 7-enabled notebook computers at the annual information technology fair in Taipei, the event’s organizer, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA, 台北市電腦公會), said yesterday.
The annual IT trade show, dubbed “IT Month,” is a barometer for the recovery in consumer spending on electronic devices, TCA said.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
REPLACEMENT DEMAND
The association said exhibitors were quite optimistic about the economic recovery and expected to see a computer replacement shopping spree at the fair.
Local computer manufacturers and vendors — Acer, BenQ Corp (明基) and Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) — as well as Japan’s Sony Corp, plan to showcase their latest notebook computers running Microsoft Corp’s latest Windows 7 operating system.
BenQ also planned to display its first electronic reader, the K66, which has a 6-inch touch screen, before launching it in January in Taiwan. The retail price will be about NT$8,990 per unit.
Targeting the high-end market, Japan’s Fujitsu plans to showcase the world’s first electronic reader with a color touch screen at the show before selling it on the local market probably sometime next year. It sells in Japan for ¥100,000 (US$1,125).
This year, about 350 companies plan to display their products in 1,765 booths during IT Month, TCA said. That is similar to last year’s figures.
The fair begins on Saturday and runs through Dec. 6 at the Taipei World Trade Center.
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