Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/26/asus_admits_eee_supply_issues/
Asus admits big global Eee supply-demand imbalance
Only 30 per cent of customers able to buy one
26th March 2008 14:07 GMT
Asus has claimed that it's only able to sell one Eee PC for around every three people that want one. That's the worldwide supply-demand deficit - in Taiwan, it's able to satisfy 50 per cent of potential Eee customers.
The statistic comes from Asus VP Kevin Lin by way of (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20080325PD226.html) DigiTimes, which focused on Lin's statement that the 8.9in Eee PC 900 will begin shipping in the May/June timeframe - round about the time of Taiwan's Computex computer show, interestingly enough.
Asus Eee PC and friend: able to satisfy only 30 per cent of potential customers
Lin said the desktop Eee, known as the E-DT, should go on sale at the same time, priced at around $199 (£99/€127). The Eee PC 900 will cost the equivalent of $500 (£250/€320).
The VP indicated Asus hopes to sell 5m Eee PCs this year, pushing 650,000 to 700,000 units through retail each quarter.
The hold-up in demand arises from a slow-down in battery shipments, he said, the result of a fire at an LG Chem factory earlier this month. That echoes a claim made by Asus CEO Jerry Shen earlier this month (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/10/asus_ceo_on_eee_future/) that battery supply issues were limiting the company's ability to ramp up Eee production.