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Everyone to Have One Low-price Laptop 5Yrs LaterSHENZHEN, Jan 19, 2009 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- Talking of the most popular IT product in the year of 2008, it must be pirated-edition, low-price but super-function mobile phone. In 2009, the leading role is likely to change to low-price laptops. After the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) tightened its restrictions on low-price mobile phones, manufacturers began to shift to the production of low-price laptops. Under such circumstance, the traditional laptop market may face challenges from low-price products in a long term. An industrial analyst even forecasts that everyone will have a low-price laptop five years later. Low-price mobile phones impress consumers as counterfeits that are bad in quality. However, the general manager of a Shenzhen-based laptop hardware manufacturer opens out by saying that the company will publicly announce its identity as a low-price laptop producer, and dedicate itself to creations. Previously, low-price mobile phone manufacturers borrowed or embezzled licenses of other companies that had gotten approvals from the government regulator, thus their production was illegal. But, laptops only need 3C certification, namely, China compulsory certification. As long as a producer has business registration, it is allowed to manufacture and sell low-price laptops. Thus, the product should not be considered equal to bad-quality counterfeits. In fact, they are more diversified in functions, and competitive in terms of prices. Actually, many homegrown mobile phone makers have forayed into the low-price laptop market. Telsda Deputy General Manager Wu Yuce discloses that the company's new laptops will be oriented as medium-end products. As to the prices, he is discommodious to release. CEC Telecom Co. Ltd (CECT) Board Chairman Wu Zhiyang says the company so far has no plans to make laptops, but is possible to develop products that combine the functions of mobile phones and laptops. Recently, rampant talks arose on the Internet that Tencent Holdings Limited (SEHK: 0700) would promote QQBook, a laptop named after its instant messaging tool QQ. Each with a screen of ten inches and a weight of 1.4 kilograms, the product supports wireless Internet access and telecom network entrance. Bundled are a series of Tencent software. As to the story, the public relations department of Tencent clarified on January 13, 2009, that the company was brewing launching the product, but would not shift its pillar business from Internet to laptop hardware. An insider releases that many companies have dipped toe in the low-price laptop field, but they are afraid that the new business will affect their existing operations, and dare not revealing their identities as low-price laptop manufacturers. (USD 1 = CNY 6.84) Source: www.enet.com.cn (January 19, 2009) |