New Straits Times, Malaysia
Jan. 2009
By Jason Tan
AFTER having successfully stimulated consumer demand in low-cost notebook computers, Taiwanese computer makers are now betting on the next killer device – the all-in-one (AIO) desktop.
Asustek is pinning hopes on the Eee Top to be another best-selling gadget, riding on the company’s earlier success with the Eee PC – a low-cost notebook introduced late 2007 – which has prompted rivals Dell, HP and Acer to follow suit.
Asustek, Acer, Micro-Star and BenQ are among companies set to introduce their first such offerings by this quarter.
These AIO PCs – one-piece desktops in which computer components are built into the monitor – will come with more affordable price tags, just like their low-cost laptop counterparts, and are expected to woo more budget users.
Asustek again took the lead by debuting a low-priced AIO desktop called the Eee Top last November. The 15.6-inch model, which boasts a price tag of only NT$18,900 (RM1,990), has a touch-screen, allowing Web navigation with a finger tip.
Other features include Windows XP Home operating system, USB ports, Gigabit LAN, wireless LAN, one gigabyte of random access memory, a 160GB hard drive, card reader and built-in camera.
AIOs are not new, with notable machines such as Apple’s iMacs and Hewlett-Packard’s TouchSmart already available in the market for some time. But their steep pricing of as high as US$2,000 has been a turnoff. Now, a combination of new features, including touch panels and improved industrial designs, and lower price points may help them win consumers back.
“A simple-to-use interface and affordability are keys to a wider user acceptance for AIOs,” said Eddie Wu, general manager of Microsoft Taiwan.
While traditional desktop growth has slowed, the introduction of more affordable models could lead a new wave of growth, he pointed out.
For Asustek, it is banking on the Eee Top to lead the way. Its chairman Jonney Shih is pinning hopes on the Eee Top to be another best-selling gadget, riding on the company’s earlier success with the Eee PC – a low-cost notebook introduced late 2007 – which has prompted rivals Dell, HP and Acer to follow suit.
“The Eee Top could create a new segment in the desktop market. Just look at how the Eee PCs are able to gain faster momentum than traditional laptops,” he said.
Smaller player Micro-Star plans to launch its new line of AIOs comprising 18.5-inch and 15.6-inch models this month. Prices are estimated between US$399 and US$499.
Computer giant Acer also is set to unveil its first model sometime this month. The 18-inch model will ditch touch-screen for sensor keyboard, and boast superb sound quality and impressive design. The price tag will be “appealing” to consumers, too, company sources said.
Its machine will carry the Gateway brand instead of Acer, a move for the Taiwanese company to promote the US brand it acquired in 2007, according to Acer’s president, Taiwan operations Scott Lin.
“A better way to sell AIO PCs is to launch models that incorporate the motherboard into the monitor, and prices should be kept lower than NT$20,000,” he said.
