The Eee PC has done more than help Asustek expand their horizons and open up a new market. Indeed, it seems that the infamous device is quickly becoming responsible for the lion's share of Asustek's money. A recent blurb at Digitimes suggests that the series will account for a massive 40% of the company's revenue and the Eee PC on its own will be upwards of 30% of that figure. That's impressive for such a new product, especially if you consider that it went to retail less than one year ago.
The evolution of the product has moved at tremendous speed, and less than a year since its release we have seen Asus announce and released second-generation units and plan an entire library of hardware, including a desktop unit. Are they getting ahead of themselves, however?
If you have watched the Eee hardware from launch, you've probably noticed that the newer units are often being released with higher price tags than their previous generation cousins. In fact, the higher models of the Eee PCs are just as costly as an entry-level or even mid-range laptop. The selling points of the Eee are very attractive when you see them being sold at very low prices. Can the Eee continue to gain ground so rapidly if it is competing with a run of the mill laptop?