Asus is Eying Beyond Netbook, Getting to eBook Reader
The low margin Netbook market is surely crowded, Asus, the pioneer of the Netbook wave had its large share of profits and has started looking to new opportunities. It will venture to affordable ebook reader to compete with Amazon and Sony.
Asus confirmed last week that it is planning to shake up the market in the same way it did when it launched the first netbook
Asus would offer more flexibility to its customers than the current products from Amazon and Sony and the goodies might come in more than one flavor as indicated in one of the first leaked picture – a 2 panel version with hinge - User can read in newspaper style or could use 1 of them as a soft keyboard. In this mode the device could become a netbook. Unlike the current monochrome offerings, Asus products will be in full living colors. The maker also revealed it may also feature “speakers, a webcam and a mic for Skype”, allowing cheap phone calls over the internet
Unlike current ebook readers, which take the form of a single flat screen, the Asus device has a hinged spine, like a printed book. This, in theory, enables its owner to read an ebook much like a normal book, using the touchscreen to “turn” the pages from one screen to the next. It also gives the user the option of seeing the text on one screen while browsing a web page on the other. One of the screens could also act as a virtual keypad for the device to be used like a laptop. Whereas current ebook readers have monochrome screens, the Asus would be full colour. The maker says it may also feature “speakers, a webcam and a mic for Skype”, allowing cheap phone calls over the internet. [Via TimesOnline]
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