Foxconn joins VIA's white-box netbook alliance

DIY netbooks might become a reality in the near future, with more and more companies backing such endeavors. Via for example hopes to see their own hardware used as the basis for an off the shelf white-box netbook within the next three months. Partnering with them, Foxconn is also set on making white-box netbooks a reality, forming a strategic alliance along with other companies that manufacture netbook components.

They'll face serious teething issues, though, with an established brand-name netbook market to compete with and only a single motherboard manufacturer (Jetway) currently producing units for the project. There's also little clarification on how “DIY” they aim to be, whether it's more aimed at OEM's who want to put together their own units or ultimately end-users who want to buy off the shelf components. Either way, they may help create more variety in the netbook market, and hopefully also help drive netbook prices down a bit further.