Netbooks to star at atomic-powered Computex

May 30, 2008

Dell netbookWhile Mac addicts have Steve Jobs and a new iPhone to look forward to at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco on June 9, PC fans can salivate over hundreds of new products to be unveiled at Computex in Taiwan next week.

“Computex is kind of the world’s number-one hardware geek fest,” Sean Maloney, Intel executive vice president, told me before flying off for his opening keynote speech at the show.

Intel’s low-power Atom microprocessor is expected to feature in dozens of new small-format notebooks, known as netbooks, at the show.

The category has developed quite a buzz. Michael Dell was spotted this week toting a new Dell netbook that could turn up at Computex and excitement increased when pictures of a new Acer netbook appeared on the web.

Asustek, which started the craze with its best-selling eee netbook, is expected to show an updated version with Atom inside.

Jerry Shen, Asustek chief executive, told the FT last month he expected a severe shortage of Atom processors due to the level of demand from netbook makers following Asustek’s lead.

Mr Maloney admitted Intel had received more orders than expected for Atom:

“We’re ramping it strongly and are still catching up with the demand,” he said.

“In the next six to eight weeks, it’s still going to be [in] pretty short [supply], but I don’t expect that to last long.”

One Response to “Netbooks to star at atomic-powered Computex”

Comments

  1. Netbooks with IP phones is one way to the future…

    a)and makes you wonder where is Motorola ? they got a nice Razr with modem , why they didn’t push a mobile Razr AWD with netbook looks and modem to all: bluetooth,dial-up, ethernet ,WiFi-n and Wimax as well as cellular,etc.,and with global multi-charger, why they never went forward ? because the Boards (Exec. and Comp. and …) of Motorola must be a Cable-TV retirement and special interest center, so like this they will wreck a real great U.S. asset, what a shame!…. and where is Texas Instruments too ?

    b) i just hope that this new Computex show and others solve the problem of simple people trying to telecommute to work, to tele-work, to videoconf. from home to many points, to make it aesy to set up sessions with videoconf., with e-mail, with voice multi-conferences, with fax and voice on IP, with graphics and 3d sharing, with all what’s needed to work but for non-geeks like me, simple and easy and clear, so that grandma and grandpa can get on the action too, there is a huge market out there that does not know how to set up a video-voice-data session with 3 or 4 other peoples, we need simple tools for simple people, point and click and go !

    Posted by: blogger | June 2nd, 2008 at 8:18 pm | Report this comment

Post a comment




As a final step before posting the comment, please type the two words you see in the image beloweight numbers in the audio clip; this test is to prevent automated robots from posting comments.

FT Techfeed

More FT Blogs and Forums

  • Clive Crook's blog The FT's chief Washington commentator blogs about intersection of politics and economics

  • Economists' Forum Leading economists and the FT's chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, debate the big issues

  • Gadget GuruThe FT's personal technology expert Paul Taylor answers your gadgetry questions

  • Margaret McCartney's blogA forum by GP and FT opinion columnist on healthcare issues

  • Gideon Rachman's blog The FT's chief foreign affairs commentator on world issues and his travels

  • The Undercover Economist Tim Harford's blog on economics in everyday life

  • Willem Buiter's Maverecon The LSE professor blogs on 'economics, politics, ethics, religion, culture, free and open source software (FOSS), and whatever'

  • John Gapper's blog FT chief business commentator talks about business, finance, media and technology

  • Management Blog A forum for the latest thinking about the issues that preoccupy managers around the world'

  • FT Alphaville Instant market news and commentary for finance professionals

  • Brussels Blog By our Brussels writers

  • Westminster Blog By our UK parliament writers

  • Dear Lucy Columnist Lucy Kellaway and readers solve your workplace woes

  • Editors' blogAn insight into the content and production of the Financial Times, written by the decision-makers