The first 168 units of Asustek Computer Inc’s (華碩) “Zenbo” robot sold out in less than five minutes when preorder sales were launched on Sunday.
Orders for more than 1,000 units of Zenbo were received on the company’s Web site in 4 minutes, 18 seconds after preorder sales started at noon on Sunday, Asustek said in a statement yesterday.
The initial orders far outstripped supply, with only 168 units available in the first batch.
Zenbo is part of Asustek’s efforts to diversify its product line and generate more sales revenue amid a slowdown in the global PC market.
Asustek said it would conduct a lucky draw to randomly select 168 buyers from the more than 1,000 orders.
It is to start shipping the robot after the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Jan. 27 and runs through Feb. 1.
The company unveiled Zenbo on May 30 last year during the Computex Taipei show. Last month, the company introduced the robot to local consumers and priced the standard version of the Zenbo with 32G memory at NT$19,900 and a 128G version at NT$24,900.
Through Zenbo, the company will strive to bring smart living to every household by connecting the divergent elements of life, Asustek chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) said.
The robot is able to assist older people by reminding them of medical appointments and when they need to take their medicine, while keeping children entertained, Asustek said.
Market analysts said that Zenbo is competitive in terms of pricing, costing less than a high-end smartphone, so it is expected to help Asustek generate additional sales this year, as robots become increasingly popular at home and abroad.
Spurred by the robust preorder sales, Asustek shares rose 0.75 percent to close at NT$267 in Taipei trading yesterday, outpacing the TAIEX, which edged up 0.21 percent.
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