ASUS considering Android or Chrome smartbooks

Taiwanese PC maker ASUS is currently testing smartbooks running on both the Android and Chrome OS software, and is considering adding an ARM-based PC to complement its Intel-powered Eee PC netbooks, according to a Thursday ZDNet report. ASUS chairman Jonney Shih revealed this information in a recent interview, adding that the company is trying to determine the size of the market willing to sacrifice application compatibility offered by an Intel netbook with Windows in favor of a lower cost device running on an ARM CPU and a Linux-based OS. Shih also revealed the company is developing a tablet or slate device.

Shih and others at the company that pioneered the netbook category with its Eee PC in 2007 believe a simple, low-cost PC is what a netbook should be. As for Android or Chrome, the former is older, but the latter is more suitable for netbooks and can multi-task better. Shih also believes it is "maybe more suitable."

As for a slate PC in the vein of Apple's rumored slate, Shih is wondering whether something between a netbook and a smartphone is needed and the market needs more consideration. In order for such a product to be successful, he says, it needs a large amount of content, including e-books, videos on demand, gaming and music. ASUS does have such a product in development, Shih adds.

By Electronista Staff