Asus to spin off notebook biz - report

TAIWANESE GIANT Asus will spin off its notebook division as a separate company, according to a report on Digitimes.

The wholly owned subsidiary will be called by the wholly uninspiring name Asusalpha, according to the report.

It adds that its motherboard and game business will stay under the Asus umbrella.

The big question is how the considerable business it does selling OEM notebooks will fare. According to the D, Dell has issued a diktat that it must spin off this unit before Q1 of next year, otherwise it might think about future orders.

The logic of the Asus move is puzzling. Why it feels it needs to have a separate unit pursuing OEM business doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Why doesn't it just spin off its mobo business instead? Or just have a restructure if it feels it's got to be seen to be fiddling about.