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Generally known for top-end laptops, Asus is launching a range of budget notebooks scheduled for launch in the second half of the year.
Details of the systems still need to be ironed out, but according to the Taipei Times the five budget laptop models would be priced from $199 to $549.
They will also come loaded with an Intel Solid State Disk with flash memory ranging from 1 GB to 40 GB, rather than a standard mechanical hard drive. The 7-inch panels will be sourced from AU Optronics.
"Tech giants such as Intel don’t want to miss out on the potential of the budget PC segment, and we are working with [Intel] to tap into the market," confirmed an Asus official, who requested anonymity, in an interview with the Taipei Times.
Some are also predicting that the move will benefit the firm’s economies of scale.
"Although profit margins for these low-end PCs will not be as good as its other notebook computer series, Asus will immediately benefit from the scale," Daniel Chang an analyst with Macquarie Research Equities. "Asus’ technology strength will help it penetrate various PC segments. Its global notebook market share will continue to rise at a fast rate."
