X-bit labs

Friday, February 4, 2005

Mac Mini – Future of PC, Says Shuttle Computer. Shuttle Computer Believes Mini PCs will Replace Typical

Having shipped more than 1.5 million of cube-like PC barebones since 2001, Shuttle is now withdrawing from the mainboard business to concentrate on its small form-factor systems as well as build-to-order and retail personal computers. Furthermore, the company is predicting that soon all the PCs will be as small as Shuttle’s own products.

“Look at Apple. They have just come out with the Mac mini. Why? Because that is the future of the PC, combining stylish design with a small form factor. Shuttle is already there,” said Ken Huang, Shuttle vice president of systems development, in an interview with DigiTimes.

Mr. Huang also talked about the future of the PC market in general and Shuttle’s business in particular.

“In transitioning to a complete systems provider, we have had to further develop our logistics network, as finished products require more consideration for customs, taxes and local after-sales support. In addition, we have had to increase our ability to secure financing and more reliably forecast our sales, since as a system provider we need to outlay more money for CPUs, memory, and other components, whose volatile pricing requires good inventory control,” Mr. Huang claimed.

“We estimate that about 10% of our sales this year will be complete systems, but we are taking it slow. In North America, we sell direct, through e-commerce sites, but we also sell systems through the retail channel at CompUSA and BestBuy. The Europe market is being developed through our office in Germany, which acts as a clearinghouse for the rest of Europe,” the VP of Shuttle added.

• DigiTimes: The XPC factor: An interview with Ken Huang, the man behind the Shuttle XPC.
• X-bit labs: Shuttle’s PC Barebone Sales Do Not Meet Expectations.