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Asus started out claiming that they would sell 5 million EEEs in the first
year (Larry D--- chief marketing director for Asus in the nz.comp region ---
boasted that EEEs would fly off the shelves at the rate of one-a-minute).
But then Asus revised doiwn its projections by 20% to 4 million. Now it
seems that even that target couldn't be reached. In the first 6 months of
2008, just 1.7 million shipped.

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...-feeling-pinch

"thingy" <> wrote in message
news5akm5-...
> impossible wrote:
>> Asus started out claiming that they would sell 5 million EEEs in the
>> first year (Larry D--- chief marketing director for Asus in the nz.comp
>> region --- boasted that EEEs would fly off the shelves at the rate of
>> one-a-minute). But then Asus revised doiwn its projections by 20% to 4
>> million. Now it seems that even that target couldn't be reached. In the
>> first 6 months of 2008, just 1.7 million shipped.
>>
>> http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...-feeling-pinch
>
> Considering when it went to market even the cheapest "full size" laptop
> was over $1000 and now its the same cost ($600~$700)....its not surprising
> the sales have suffered...one reason I would have looked at a EEE was as a
> low cost laptop, size is not an issue for me, cost is....So at present I'd
> buy the Acer, however if that Acer had stayed above $1000 and the EEE was
> costed where it is or cheaper I'd get an EEE.
>

The EEE was never a bargain. Teeny-tiny keyboards, 7-inch low-resoloution
screens that require you to scroll horizontally just to read most web pages,
a weak processor that was deliberately crippled by Asus to run at 2/3 the
advertised speed limited mobility due to a hopelessly weak battery. And of
course no Windows, so you had to be either a linux-head yourself or know one
to even consider the idea. Hence the extremely poor sales until a Windows
version was released early this year.

You're right about Asus having established a new price point with the EEE.
But Asus is steadily backing away from that lowball strategy. Each new
version of the EEE that it releases is both more rugged and pricier.
Meanwhile, everyone (including Asus) is selling conventional notebooks that
are much better equipped at around the same price. So Asus, like Apple,
seems to be trying to create a market for the EEE now that is
self-consciously upscale, catering to folks who have money to burn if only
the "cool" factor is sufficient. We'll see how that works out.