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ASUS Eee PC shipments to soar in second quarter

Asustek Computers will nearly double shipments of the popular Eee PC low-cost laptop in the second quarter, as compared to the first. Eee PC shipments will rise to between 1.2 million to 1.3 million units in the three months ending June 30. The company shipped 700,000 Eee PCs in the first quarter. The company also expects to continue releasing new Eee PC models aimed at different user groups.


The original Eee PCs went on sale for prices as low as US$230 for a stripped down version running a Linux OS late last year. The newest version, the Eee PC 900, has a larger 8.9-inch screen and other improvements, and launched in Taiwan earlier this month. Both devices weigh less than a kilogram.


New versions of the Eee PC could sport more functions and better specifications, including larger screen sizes. The company hopes to capitalize on the popularity of the device. The company's Eee PC shipment target for this year is 5 million units.


Asustek's Eee PC is a low-cost laptop originally designed for people in developing nations, particularly kids. Eee PC will likely face a lot more competition in the future. Several companies, including Acer, Micro-Star International, Elitegroup Computer Systems and Giga-byte Technology have revealed plans to market a low-cost laptop similar to the Eee PC. -IDG News Service

Xbox: prices reduced

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft Corp is cutting prices on the Xbox 360 in four Asian regions by as much as 20 percent in an effort to expand the audience for the video game console. The reductions will take effect this week.


The price of the main Xbox 360 Premium model with a 20-gigabyte hard drive was cut nearly 20 percent in Singapore, 17 percent in Taiwan, nearly 11 percent in Hong Kong, and 5 percent in South Korea. The Xbox 360 competes against Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii consoles.

[Mohammad Sajid]

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