The PC model refresh continues apace, this time in the form of all-in-one (AIO) PCs from Taiwanese brand Asus.
It has launched four all-in-one PCs, starting at a price of Rs 30,000 and going all the way up to Rs 66,000, with displays ranging from 20 inches to 23.6 inches.
Two of the models, which come with Windows, have touch-screens.
The basic model, with the attractive name ET2012IUKS, is one of the cheapest all-in-one PC in India. However, like other cheap all-in-ones, this one too doesn’t have the Core-i series of chips. Instead, it ships with the Pentium Intel G640.
The cheapest model with a Core-i processor is the ET2210INKS, costing Rs 43,000. It has a 21.5 inch non-touchscreen display, 6 GB of RAM, an Nvidia 1 GB graphics card (GT-610M) and carries 3 year onsite warranty from Asus.
If you want a touchscreen, you need to shell out an extra Rs 1,000 and be satisfied with AMD HD7470 graphics card and 4 GB of RAM.
Asus will also be launching one 27-inch touchscreen model later in the year specifically targeting gamers and media professionals.
One disappointment with the new range is that the Core-i processors are not the latest 3rd generation and that the Windows version available is Windows 7 (we are not sure why the touchscreen is there though.)
It is more or less a given that the traditional box-desktop model will be replaced by the fast-growing all-in-ones, which save space as the entire PC is built into the backside of the LCD monitor.
“The AIO market is growing at 7 percent per annum and we expect to gain a substantial market share in our focus segments. The Indian market is now getting aware of AIOs, their usability, and starting to adopt them in households as well as in commercial set-ups. We are therefore entering the market with a new strategy and will be targeting senior executives, medical practitioners, professionals and students,” said Vinay Shetty – Country Head – Component Business, ASUS (India).
For the go to market strategy, Asus will continue to work with its 136 partners across the country. The company will also engage with 27 exclusive and trained retailers.
ASUS will adopt a 2-pronged strategy to market the new models for its metro and non-metro customers. “We will work with local partners in Class C and D cities, and make the products available in select retail stores in metros. Our focus will be more toward the smaller cities because the real market for AIOs lies there and not in the metros which are already saturated,” Shetty said.