Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/26/asus_admits_eee_supply_issues/
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.
MSI releases £235 desktop Eee PC rival ahead of Asus (8 May 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/05/08/msi_punts_desktop_eee_rival/
Asus to spin off Eee product line? (28 April 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/04/28/asus_ponders_eee_spin_off/
HP launches Linux-loaded Eee PC rival (8 April 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/04/08/hp_launches_eee_rival/
Asus releases application kit for Eee PC coders (28 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/28/asus_releases_eee_sdk/
Asus Eee PC 900 flips one at MacBook Air with multi-touch input (27 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/27/asus_apes_air/
ECS spills more beans about 'super 3G' Eee PC rival (20 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/20/ecs_spills_g10il_beans/
Desktop Eee PC spied on web (17 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/17/desktop_eee_seen/
Wal-Mart stores drop cheap-as-chips Linux PC (11 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/11/wal_mart_stores_drop_gpc/
eBayer offers carbon fibre-clad Eee PC (5 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/05/ebay_asus_carbon_fibre_eee/
Asus 8.9in Eee PC surfaces (4 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/04/asus_eee_900_surfaces/
Fujitsu Siemens pitches Eee-style sub-notebook at pros (3 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/03/fs_launches_1kg_lifebook/