Asus, Acer racing each other

Two of Taiwan's largest computer brands took advantage of the latest "Mi-nhon" laptops, affordable prices at Computex 2008, with predictions: their factory sales are not less than a few million right now. in this year.

After the initial success of the Eee PC family, Asustek Computer surpassed it, announcing a new model called "Eee PC" 901/1000 on the opening day of the exhibition. Compared to previous versions, 901/1000 owns a larger screen (10 inches compared to 7 inches), connects to Wi-Fi 802.11n and equipped with many improved Internet services.

For example, you will be able to download a 30-minute movie with high resolution quality within just 1 minute, the company's representative said. " These corrections and improvements all stem from suggestions and user feedback over the past year ," CEO Jerry Chen told reporters.

In addition, the Eee PC 901/1000 has memory of up to 2GB and can store up to 40 GB of data. Battery life is up to 7.8 hours and is designed to withstand good impact. Estimated selling price is about 560 - 660 USD.

The first version of the Eee PC was released in October last year. Just 2 months after its release, Asustek sold at least 350,000 products.

Entering 2008, particularly in the first 3 months of the year, the company continued to sell 650,000 units. It is estimated that Asus will sell 5 million Eee PCs in 2008.

Aspire One blockbuster?

Acer Aspire one jewel.Source: Gizmodo

Meanwhile, Acer, Taiwan's No. 1 computer maker and the world's third-largest, also launched the "Aspire one", its first low-cost mini-laptop ever. " This product will help users enjoy a true wireless and mobile experience ," declared Senior Vice President Jim Wong.

As expected, the Aspire One will hit the market at the end of June, at a price of $ 399 - $ 499, which is significantly cheaper than the Eee PC.

Confident, Acer President Gianfranco Lanci predicts that the Aspire One's sales may reach 7 million units in its first year of release. Reason? Simple " because our brand is bigger than Asus ", Mr. Lanci smiled.

" Aspire one has many features that the Eee PC does not have, " Wong said, such as the Linpus Linux Lite operating system specifically for ultraportable devices. According to Acer, the operating system has a short startup and shutdown time that maximizes battery life while saving battery life and saving time for users.

Netbook or Laptop?

Weighing less than 1 kilogram, the Aspire is closer to the idea of ​​"netbook" than a traditional laptop.

Like the rival Eee PC, the Aspire one also connects to Wi-Fi. However, it uses an 8GB solid-state drive instead of the hard drive. If nothing changes, this product will appear on store shelves from July 10.

" Aspire One will open a new front for the computer industry. These are mini laptops, simple and cheap configurations, aimed at users who want to surf the Net everywhere. They are appropriate. With "watching and enjoying content" rather than creating content, "Intel UK general manager Graham Palmer commented.

" If you need photo editing or video editing, these devices will not be for you ."

By the end of this year, Acer will continue to release two variants of the Aspire One, adding 3G or WiMax connectivity next to Wi-Fi connectivity. In addition, if you don't like Linux, you can also wait until the end of the year to own an installed version of Windows XP.