ASUS chief debunks claims about Eee PC price hike
updated 04:50 pm EST, Thu February 12, 2009
ASUS price increases
ASUS CEO Jerry Shen confirmed there will be slight price increases for its notebook and netbook products beginning in March, but not close to the 20 percent bump previously rumored, the CEO said in a Tuesday conference call attended by CrunchGear. Shen says the price increases for its netbook products will mostly be a function of the growth in the average size for its Eee PC netbooks from 9 inches to 10.
While more mainstream 10-inch Eee PCs are already shipping, a faster version of the 10-inch Eee PC known as the 1000HE is due to be released sometime in February, with pricing starting at $399. The netbook will include a new 1.66GHz Intel Atom CPU, 160GB hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a built-in webcam.
Shen adds market competition for its larger, more functional notebook business also keeps ASUS' pricing in check.
