Via Technologies, Intel's smaller rival in the processor market, has pledged to help a new breed of low-cost Chinese manufacturers break into the netbook market, in an initiative that could further squeeze PC makers' margins.
Tom Hsu, head of Via's China unit, told the Financial Times that a product platform organised by Via Technologies for making cheap netbooks was helping companies with no previous experience in PC manufacturing and design to produce low-price products starting from May.
While branded netbooks such as Asustek's EeePC sell for Rmb3,500 ($512) or more in China, non-brand locally-made netbooks – so-called whitebox netbooks – are already available from Rmb2,000.