Asus talks Eee Top and market share

CHEAPISH ALL-IN-ONE PCs are the key to getting the desktop market back on its feet again, according to Asustek chairman Jonney Shih.

Appearing at a recent Asus product launch, the firm’s chairman said he believed AIOs would make up 30-40 per cent of the global desktop market within three years and act as a kick up the backside for the flailing desktop market.

Asus’ own predictions in the AIO segment are ambitious, with Shih declaring, “the preliminary sales target is five million units of Asus AIOs in two years time”. Shih added Asus is still aiming to become a global top-three notebook vendor in terms of market share by 2009-2010, despite recent reports the company will cut its shipments forecast for 2008.

Jerry Shen, Asus’ Chief Exec added to the optimism, by noting the 15.6-inch display Eee Top was already getting a fair bit of interest from Taiwan, Hong Kong and the UK and saying “Our first wave of shipments is estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 units”.

The Eee Top, which will also come in 20-inch and 22-inch flavours, should hit European shelves before Christmas, just in time for the festive shopping season and it’s believed it will give Apple’s Imac and HP’s TouchSmart a run for their money at only $565. The manufacturing has apparently been outsourced to Quanta Computer.

Based on the mini Eee netbook, the new EeeTops will have touch screen technology to go along with their 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160GB SATAII 5400 RPM hard drive, 1.3 megapixel web cam, 802.11n wireless and two USB 2.0 ports.

But while Asus is being very energy conscious by only using one processor, it also packs less of a punch than its rivals which have tended to go for dual-core processors. Still, the EeeTop is targeting the cheaper end of the market, offering itself as a bare-bones multimedia center for the family, rather than an-all frills version like Apple’s Imac. But Asus can’t afford to rest on its laurels, Acer has also said it’s planning on coming out with an AIO by early 2009.

Asus is also quick to deny whispers the Eee top might cannibalise its Eee box or motherboard business, noting the Eee box was very strategically priced and that the motherboard business has very loyal clients.

So all three products have different customer targets and, according to Shih, the only place the Eee Top’s impact might be felt is by second-tier PC and motherboard vendors. µ

L'Inq
Taipei Times