(Japanese Site)
|
|
| Mini-notebook PCs Emerge As Brisk Selling Products in Taiwan
|
|
June 22, 1998 (TAIPEI) -- Mini-notebook personal computers have
become popular products in Taiwan in the six months since they were
introduced.
|
Many of Taiwan's major makers of information products, including
Acer Inc., Compal Electronics Inc., Palmax Technology Co., Ltd.,
Lite-On Technology Corp., Universal Scientific Industrial Co., Ltd.
, and MAG Technology Co., Ltd., are selling mini-notebooks.
Palmax Technology was the first Taiwan-based company to introduce a
mini-notebook computer. It started marketing a product similar to
Toshiba Corp.'s Libretto model in late 1997.
Acer Inc. and Lite-On Technology followed Palmax's lead, and
introduced their mini-notebooks at the CeBit trade show in Hannover
, Germany, in March. More mini-notebook computers appeared at the
recent Taipei Computex show.
In addition to these local manufacturers, Fujitsu Ltd., Hitachi Ltd.
and Mitsubishi Corp. of Tokyo also have begun making mini-notebook
computers.
Most Taiwan-made mini-notebooks are equipped with Intel Pentium MMX
microprocessors. Only those from Lite-On and Palmax use Cyrix Corp.
's Gxi.
The Taiwan-made mini-notebooks with Gxi microprocessors are priced
at about US$800-US$900, while those with Pentium chips are priced
in the range of US$1,100 to US$1,400. Acer's mini-notebook computer
costs between US$1,500 and US$2,000. It is said to have more
functions and is equipped with the Microsoft Windows 95 operating
system.
Makers of information products in Taiwan agree that the mini
-notebook computer market comprises a substantial business
opportunity. U.S. companies have not yet entered this field, and
most mini-notebook computer makers here are thus manufacturing
their own-brand products.
This is in sharp contrast to producers of traditional notebooks,
most of which act as original equipment manufacturers for major
foreign PC companies.
However, some companies, including Asustek Computer Inc. and Clevo
Co., are conservative on the market's prospects, and they have no
immediate plans to begin making mini-notebook computers.
(Commercial Times, Taiwan)
|
|
|
