ASUS to launch $180 Smartbook Q1 2010

At yesterday’s investor conference held in Taipei, ASUS boss Jerry Shen confirmed that a Smartbook device will be launched in the first quarter of 2010, with the price of the device likely to fall in the vicinity of NTD6000 (USD184). Shen suggested that the Smartbook category had the potential for huge growth and volumes and that an ASUS device could be the “secret weapon” that takes the company to a new “Eee PC-like peak” – something of a departure from his comment during an investors conference earlier this year where he remarked, “I still don't see a clear market for smartbooks”.

Shen emphasized that ASUS’s R&D innovation, speed and cost competitiveness will be the keys to achieving its aim of becoming the world’s top NB manufacturer. Smartbooks, eBooks, as well as tablet-type products are the subject of internal innovation and brainstorming committees that will be running for the next 6 months with an aim of showing off devices at next year’s CeBIT and Computex events.

Shen’s comments are particularly interesting in light of ASUS’s “disappearing” ARM-based Smartbook unveiled at this year’s Computex event – a disappearance roundly attributed to Intel’s influence. Is Intel’s grip on the Tier 1 OEMs loosening a little?

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