Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), the fifth-largest PC vendor in the world, is planning to launch new Windows 8 notebook computer models in the US next month in a bid to stir up buying in the slow global PC market.
In an investors’ conference on Friday, Asustek chief executive officer Jerry Shen (沈振來) said the PC vendor will team up with Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp to introduce the new models to consumers.
Shen said the efforts to unveil new products next month aim not only to grasp a higher market share, but also to boost global demand and enlarge the global PC market.
According to industrial research firm Gartner, worldwide PC shipments for the second quarter fell 10.9 percent from a year earlier to 76 million units, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of declining shipments, which is the longest duration of decline in the PC market’s history.
Market analysts said the new models could be hybrid products that will be able to function as tablet and notebook computers, running under dual operating systems — Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Google’s Android.
Due to the weakness of the global PC market, Asustek expects its notebook shipments will range between 17 million units and 19 million units this year, down more than 10 percent from last year, while tablet shipments are likely to rise 90 percent from a year earlier to 12 million units.
Because the third quarter is a peak season for the PC sector, market analysts said Asustek could post a 15 percent increase in consolidated sales from the second quarter, when revenue fell 15 percent from the first quarter to NT$89.66 billion (US$3 billion).
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