Attack of the Clones: Malata’s netbook assault
Normally, clones and knockoffs are associated with high-end goods, like Prada and Gucci. There’s just not enough money in the low-end stuff to be worthwhile to copy, like counterfeiting $1 bills. That being the case, I guess netbooks aren’t all that cheap since Chinese company Malata has been introducing even cheaper clones this month.
Word trickled out from Liliputing earlier this month when they spotted Malata clones of Sony Vaio and ASUS Eee netbooks. But it’s their R108T touchscreen convertible that’s got real legs with its introduction making its way through Engadget and Slashgear after being outed by pirate-watcher Shanzai. Per the experts:
The Malata R108T uses a new mold, looks to have very nice workmanship, and comes in a range of colors including Ferrari Red, Piano Black, Coffee, Gold and Champagne.
New mold means it’s not an exact copy, though that could be for engineering purposes, not legal ones. Supposedly it will be cheaper than its ASUS Eee counterpart, but that’s sort of the point of clones. Looks like they shaved some of the cost by excluding vertical orientation.
No word on whether it will make it to the States or remain a Chinese exclusive. The version of Windows 7 it runs is not specified, but from this shot of the wallpaper, it’s clearly not the Starter edition. Hanwang handwriting software is included for Chinese character recognition.
About the Author: A pioneer in the field of ink blogging, Sumocat works diligently to promote digital ink and Tablet PCs, earning him a Microsoft MVP award for Tablet PCs in 2008. He also champions the cause of mobile computing in general, dabbing in various forms of mobile blogging as part of an ever-evolving experiment in the field.
SAM | Nov 18, 2009 | Reply
I bought some “Rolex watches” in Hong Kong for $10 a few years back.
Amazingly, most of them that I gave away, still work
Can we buy counterfit computers that will last as long?
Sumocat | Nov 18, 2009 | Reply
SAM: We might be lucky if original models last that long. SquareTrade reports a 25% failure rate for netbooks over three years.
SAM | Nov 19, 2009 | Reply
Sumocat, have Netbooks been out for 3 years yet?
Sumocat | Nov 19, 2009 | Reply
SAM: No, but that’s hardly an outrageous calculation considering the same report cites a roughly 20% failure rate for notebooks in general. Strip out the high-end models from that report, and I think the figures will look very comparable.