Hanvon facing pileup of e-reader stock due to iPad?
updated 07:30 am EDT, Mon July 19, 2010
Hanvon denies iPad killing its sales
Hanvon today denied a claim by China's Sina that the iPad was leaving it with as many as 500,000 unsold e-readers. Chairman Liu Yingjian admitted that the spring was historically the 'weak season' for e-readers but insisted Hanvon's sales were healthy. He still expected the company's net profit to triple in 2010 as a result of the rapid expansion of its business this year.
The claims of overstock may have been partly spurred on by Hanvon's attitude towards Apple, which involved smashing an ice apple at an introduction for its B10 tablet. Hanvon makes both conventional e-readers and tablets but sees the B10 and its sister the F10 as competing with the iPad through their size but with more features; either uses an Intel processor and a full version of Windows.
The effect of Apple's tablet in China is likely muted, as the iPad isn't yet officially available in the country and is mostly limited to gray market imports.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2008
That thin tablet from Hanvon that's running
and Intel processor and Windows is likely to have a battery life of only a few hours at best. It looks very similar to the HP Slate and I'm guessing that was the reason why HP decided not to go ahead with it. It will really be costly if Hanvon really can't move those tablets due to lack of demand even if the iPad isn't the cause.