• 
• 

Intel Microelectronics (Thailand) plans to increase personal-computer penetration in Thailand from 15 per cent up to 20 per cent in the next 12 to 18 months by tapping into a new consumer segment: price-conscious first-time users.

The new Netbook and NetTop powered by Atom, Intel's latest and smallest processor, will help capture the new segment, the company said. The Netbook's price ranges between Bt13,000 and Bt14,000 while the NetTop comes with a Bt10,000 to Bt11,000 price tag.

Intel Microelectronics (Thailand) country manager Accharas Ouysinprasert said the compound annual growth rate of computer penetration in Thailand will rise tenfold by 2011, driven by the Netbook and the NetTop. Intel Microelectronics plans to sell about 300,000 units of the NetTop and 300,000 units of the Netbook in Thailand by the end of next year.

It estimates sales of Netbook and NetTop will touch the 110-million mark globally by 2011.

"There are two groups of potential customers of Netbooks and NetTops: first-time users and secondary-device users. In Thailand, in the first six months, the majority of Netbook and NetTop users have been secondary-device users. But, first-time users are expected to slowly dominate the Netbook and NetTop customer segment in Thailand and in the other emerging countries," Accharas said.

Accharas said about 12 million to 13 million students in primary and secondary schools are potential users of Netbooks and NetTops.

The Education Ministry, which provides classmate PCs to students across the country, will also have a greater choice. It can now go in for classmate PCs - that have a huge demand - provided by original-equipment manufacturers (OEM) or original-design manufacturers (ODM).

"The first batch of Netbooks and NetTops is embedded with Atom single-core processor 270 and Atom single-core processor 230. There will be only one SKU [stock-keeping unit] for each Netbook and NetTop. In the future, there will be more SKUs with dual core," Accharas said.

The Netbooks and NetTops are designed for content consumption on the Internet rather than for content creation. They are not suitable for multi-tasking.

Netbooks and NetTops come with basic computing applications such as music, video-viewing, voice-over IP, instant messaging, online gaming and social networking.

They also consume less power. A Netbook consumes only 25 watts of power while a NetTop takes up 27 watts of power.

Main-stream notebooks consume about 35 watts of power.

"In the future, there will be more OEMs and ODMs from abroad, especially Taiwan, launching NetTops

and Netbooks into Thailand's personal-computer market," Accharas said.

      At a glance

n Intel Microelectronics (Thailand) plans to increase personal-computer penetration in Thailand from 15 per cent up to 20 per cent in the next 12 to 18 months.

n The new Netbook and NetTop powered by Atom, Intel's latest and smallest processor, will help capture the new segment of price-conscious first-time users.