Taiwan's Asustek, Acer unveil new laptop PCs

Asustek Computer added the latest netbook products to its slim "Eee PC" family, which has boosted the company's global market share since 2007.

Acer, Asustek's rival, unveiled its first Aspire One netbook featuring the Android operating system. The company said it will provide users with faster connection to the Internet, further enhancing efficiency on-the-go.

Equipped with a 10-inch (25 cm) display, Asustek's Eee PC Seashell 1008HA touts a 18 mm profile and weighs only 1.1 kilogrammes (2.42 pounds), making it easy to carry. It is installed with a battery that lasts up to six hours.

"Getting thinner is the trend as users pursue mobile Internet," an Asustek official said. It will sell for around 430 US dollars.

The company also launched its U series, with one of the world's first notebooks powered by Intel's consumer ultra low voltage (CULV) processor, which allows its battery to operate for up to 12 hours.

The series will be priced a minimum of 30,800 Taiwan dollars (954 US).

With a market share of 4.2 percent, Asustek was eighth in the world PC vendor rankings, according to the Taiwan-based think tank Topology Research Institute. It moved up two notches last year with a share of 5.30 percent.

Acer's Android is a free, open source, and fully customisable mobile platform. Acer said Aspire One netbooks with Android will hit the market in the third quarter this year, declining to specify prices.

(c) 2009 AFP