Could the Asus $499 PC change computing?

Next month, Australians will be able to get their hands on Asus’ $499 laptop in one of the most significant IT launches in years
(www.techpartner.news/?95949).

In June, I was in Taiwan for Computex Taipei and was given the first glimpse of the Eee PC by Jonney Shih, chairman and chief executive officer of Asus, during his keynote speech (www.techpartner.news/?83071).

Since then I have been on the lookout for details of the Eee PC’s local release as its arrival could well drive Internet usablility and build out computing skills.

Ted Chen, managing director of ASUS Australia, said of the Eee PC: “Standing by our commitment to aim to provide everyone a chance to own a PC, Asus has introduced the affordable and very easy Eee PC, giving people the chance to access the Internet and share in this 21st-century opportunity.

“Being online has now become a big part of daily computing operations for work and fun, for young and old.”

Technology moves in cycles and so does its pricepoint. There is usually a defining moment which changes the landscape of a particular technology and the Eee PC could be such a release.

To cite a famous example could be the Ford Model T which is accredited with being the car that “put America on wheels”. When Henry Ford released the Model T in 1908, it was generally regarded as the first affordable automobile.

The Eee PC is not on the same scale as the Model T, but it will have a huge impact in rural Australia and the education vertical. If appropriate funding is given to the right areas and it works alongside Australia’s broadband expansion plans, then more children could find themselves online than ever before. The Internet gives children access to an unsurmountable wealth of information and learning tools.

The Eee PC is a simple idea – a low pricepoint with basic access to the Internet. Any consumer who has previously not invested in a laptop as their need for one against the cost hasn’t weighted up will now be rethinking their decision.

The release is not going to have a huge effect on the lives of most corporate resellers. Businesses are not going to be investing heavily in a seven-inch fundamental PC, but it is going to introduce basic computing to a wider audience.

It could well be the release which “puts Australia online”. However expect other vendors to follow suit. Asus may be first to market with a $499 laptop, but other vendors would have taken note, so the HPs, Dells and Lenovos of the market will not sit by idly and allow Asus to run free with the Eee PC. This is all good news for the consumer as it has reshaped what will be on offer over the coming years.

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