Taiwan’s ODMs back the UMPC platform

Here is a good article, at Electronics Supply & Manufacturing, on the good reception that UMPCs are getting at Computex this year. In short, ODMs are releasing a handful of new designs this year, but they are sharing concerns that the price point still might not be attractive enough to tip the scales. According to this story, analysts believe prices need to hit $199 – $299, without sacrificing connectivity, for them to really grab the attention of the consumer.

Here is a snippet and a link to the full article:

Taiwan’s PC making juggernaut is swinging behind the ultra mobile PC, but uncertainty remains on whether prices will be low enough to spur demand in the consumer segment.

Ultra-mobile PCs are a big hit at this year’s Computex trade show and ODMs expect to push a handful of designs into the market during the next several months. But will they be cheap enough? That’s an issue system makers are privately concerned about.

“People are clearly showing that mobile computing has a great deal of value and usefulness,” said Otto Berkes, an architect of the Ultra Mobile PC project at Microsoft Corp. “However, the cost needs to be more appropriate.”