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Asus Plotting a Chrome OS Netbook?

Posted on 17. Mar, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey in Chrome OS, Rumors

The hit-or-miss Digitimes, which follows the PC manufacturing market in Taiwan, is reporting that Asustek is making plans to develop a cheap netbook that could either come with Android 3.0 or perhaps Chrome OS. The expected price of this unit is estimated to be around the $200-$250 price range.

While the PC market is still strong, sales of netbooks are falling because of the availability of tablets. Asus’ intention is to capture a market for cheap computers that don’t have to pass the Windows licensing premium onto the consumer in terms of price. It’s a valid strategy: sell an Intel Atom-based netbook for a low enough price and you’ll get the interest of wireless carriers, who will help subsidize the cost even more with data plans.

The Asus 1015PED runs Windows 7 and costs $310.

I’m not going to dismiss this rumor, but I would not expect a netbook like this from Asus until at least the fourth quarter of 2011. Google has said that initial Chrome OS devices will be laptops, which are bigger in size than netbooks. Asus’ plan, supposedly, is to offer their cheap netbook with a 10″ screen size. The prototype Chrome OS laptop released by Google, known as the Cr-48, comes with a 12.1″ screen and a full keyboard.

via CrunchGear, DigiTimes

Tags: Asus $200 netbook, Asus Chrome OS, Asus Chrome OS netbook, Chrome OS hardware, Chrome OS hardware market, Chrome OS laptops, Chrome OS netbooks, netbooks vs tablets