Dell and Asustek Computer plan to launch 17-inch AV (audio video) notebooks to compete with Toshiba's recently launched Qosmio notebook, according to market sources. The new AV notebooks are intended to give a jolt to sales in the second half of this year, with most vendors claiming that demand was not as strong as expected in the first half. Toshiba was the first to introduce an AV notebook, launching the E15-AV101, its first Qosmio model (pronounced koss-me-oh) on July 22.
The E15-AV101 features TV and audio functionality, DVD recording and personal computing, according to Toshiba. The Centrino-based notebook also has a 15-inch diagonal TruBrite screen and will be available starting in August. Dell launched its long-awaited 12.1-inch, wide-screen Inspiron 700m, manufactured by Wistron, on July 27. The Inspiron 700m had been postponed, due to delays of Intel's Dothan CPU launch. The Inspiron 700m, along with an upcoming 17-inch AV model, are a crucial part of Dell's plan to capture back-to-school sales, the sources noted.
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News source: DigiTimes
