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Mio Technology, the world’s third largest vendor of PNDs (portable navigation devices) under its brand Mio, will enhance its software to offer value-added location-based service (LBS) as well as adding functions such as 3.5G mobile communications and mobile TV, according to the company.

Mio PNDs are produced by its parent company Mitac International, Mio Technology noted.

Average selling prices (ASP) of PNDs dropped from US$299 to US$199 in 2007 and have now declined further to US$149 in 2008, Mio Technology indicated. Thus, product differentiation is a way to avoid such price wars, Mio Technology emphasized. (continuare…)

Notebook HDD

Seagate Technology, Western Digital and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, in response to the calls for cost reductions from PC vendors, are developing low-cost 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDDs) for use in netbooks and other low-cost PCs. The HDDs are targeted to be 40-50% less expensive than existing 2.5-inch entry-level HDD models. Availability could start as early as the second half of 2009, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

As the consensus among PC vendors is that low-cost PCs will dominate the global market in 2009, they are under pressure to reduce production costs by all means possible, the sources indicated. For netbooks, the cost of key components including CPUs, LCD panels, optical disc drives and batteries mostly fall (continuare…)

HP

With Acer grabbing market share from Hewlett-Packard (HP) in the notebook market in the third quarter this year, HP has decided it will offer its 13-inch notebook models below US$800 in the first half of 2009 in order to regain its position in the market, according to market sources.

HP was not available for comment at the time of publishing.

The company recently released its first 13-inch notebook, which is reportedly being marketed in the US for US$999. HP is trying make the 13-inch notebook segment the mainstream in 2009 and is pushing sales of a 16:9 aspect ratio for the segment, the market sources noted. (continuare…)

First came the slim fashion models, hugging the slim new laptops. Then a tuxedo-clad Jerry Shen, chief executive of Asus, stepped onto the stage last month to introduce his company’s new S101 mini-laptop to a horde of reporters. He stood in front of a sign that likened the new product, which is now on sale in the United States, to “fashion on the go.
Later in the month, another low-profile Taiwanese tech company took center stage: Little-known HTC introduced the much-hyped first cell phone based on Google software.

These moves signal a dramatic shift in the island’s high-tech focus as it seeks to step out of its behind-the-scenes role as a manufacturer and into the spotlight as a direct challenger to Silicon Valley’s dominance in the consumer product market. (continuare…)