Acer, ASUS may not have new netbooks before mid-August
updated 12:20 pm EDT, Thu July 8, 2010
Acer, ASUS holding off new netbook shipments
Taiwanese PC makers Acer and ASUS are currently waiting to sell off their current netbook inventories before shipping new products, according to a Thursday report. Unnamed industry sources speaking with Digitimes say this won't happen until mid-August, and the companies will wait to gauge market reaction before committing to shipment numbers. Their current entry-level notebook and ultra-thin notebooks are not selling in the expected numbers.
Another reason for the hold-up involves the upcoming Atom N550 CPU later this summer, which is only about $10 to $20 more costly than the existing N455/N475 CPUs. At the same, its launch is expected to make buyers overlook the comparatively priced and performing Celeron-based notebooks.
Both companies, as well as Toshiba, have cut prices for slow-selling ultra-thin notebooks in attempts to boost demand.
