Sunday 6 March 2016

The cost of converging mini PC and tablets


If you thought that for Linux devices the next round of Cherry Trail mini PCs would be too expensive then take a look at the latest tablet from ASUS.

ASUS VivoBook E200HA-US01 Intel Atom Quad Core 2GB 32GB eMMC 11.6-inch Laptop
Processor: Intel® Cherry Trail Quad-Core Z8300 1.84 GHz Processor
Operating System: Windows 10 Home with Office 365 1 year included
Chipset: Integrated Intel® CPU
Memory: OnBoard Memory 2 GB
Display: 11.6" 16:9 HD (1366x768)
Graphic: Integrated Intel® HD Graphics
Storage: 32GB eMMC
Card Reader: card reader (Micro SD Micro SDXC Micro SDHC )
Camera: VGA Web Camera
Networking: Integrated 802.11 ac and Built-in Bluetooth™ V4.1
Ports:
1 x Microphone-in/Headphone-out jack
1 x USB 3.0 port(s)
1 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x micro HDMI
1 x AC adapter plug
1 x micro SD card
Audio: Built-in Speakers And Digital Array Microphone
Battery: 2 Cells 38 Whrs Polymer Battery
Power Adapter: Output : 19 V DC, 1.75 A, 33 W Input : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
Dimensions: 11.26 x 7.6 x 0.69 inch (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.16 lbs (with 2 cell battery) (with Polymer Battery)
Price: $199.00

Ref: http://store.asus.com/us/item/201602AM020000390

Are we heading towards a bikini pricing model (see http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/09/why-teeny-bikinis-have-such-big-price-tags) for mini PCs?

Mini PCs are costly to make when compared to other devices as whilst "The labor is the same... " "...and there's only slightly less material..."  " ...it's the lack of ability to commoditize it or to use economies of scale" where "the cost savings that come from mass production".

Or, because of the short lifestyle of the product, "...retailers quickly begin reducing their prices to keep consumers buying. But to afford those reductions, manufacturers have to set their original prices relatively high. You have to mark it up to be able to mark it down".

Either way the price of mini PCs compared with other devices doesn't seem overly attractive.

Want another opinion? See http://shiritai-koto.net/?entry=74 (hint: use Google translate).


1 comment:

dave said...

I like the Bikini analogy. I priced out the Z3735 units and went with them. The only idea to use something that fits in your pocket is just that, portability. In quantity these units are about 55$. The cherry trail unit as a tablet from Onda or Chewy is a little under 90$ retail. Go from an 8" screen to 11.6 and add a keyboard for the laptop and the price doubles. I am not sure who is setting the price on all of these things but they still are about twice what they should be across the board. Even in small quantities.

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