ASUS To Get in E-book Reader Business

Move over Kindle. AsusTek is also getting in the business of e-book readers. The market has become quite busy with B&N and Plastic Logic introducing their e-book readers in the past few months. Of course, Amazon and Sony are still huge players in this market. The long shadow of Apple iPad is already looming over this market as well. But if there is one company that can challenge the big boys and provide a good bang for the buck to e-book fans with its products, it’s AsusTek. The company has some of the best netbooks on the market.

Eee Book, which is expected to be introduced in June, is expected to give its customers access to content published by Asustek’s content partners (similar to what Apple is aiming for with iPad). AsusTek’s move to get into e-book business is not really a surprise. Most companies that are involved in the netbook business have interest in other competing markets. AsusTek is not only interested in the e-book reader market, but it is planning its own smartbooks and is already dominant in the CULV market as well. The company is simply ambitious.

Asus will probably find the e-book reader market to be more difficult to get a traction in. The competition is much more cut-throat and e-book junkies are much more demanding. These handheld devices are getting closer to each other in terms of features and horsepower as well. So these markets can become consolidated at some point. But you can always count on companies such as AsusTek to innovate and push the envelop.