Asus distances itself from Android netbook

Stuart Turton Read more October 7, 2009

Asus has brought its single-day flirtation with Android to a halt, claiming the Google OS “isn’t a priority.”

Asus distances itself from Android netbook

An Eee PC running on Qualcomm’s Atom-rivalling Snapdragon and Android was spotted at Computex, immediately provoking speculation that Asus was ready to launch on the OS.

However, when Computerworld cornered Jonathan Tsang, vice chairman of Asus he immediately poured cold water on the project.

“For the time being this project is not a priority because our engineering resources are limited,” he said.

This stance was backed up by Asus chairman Jonney Shih who publicly distanced himself from the project while on stage: “I would like to apologise. If you look at Asus’s booth we’ve decided not to display this product,” he said.

“I think you may have seen the devices on Qualcomm’s booth but actually, I think this is a company decision, we would not like to show this device. That’s what I can tell you so far. I would like to apologise for that.”

Asus is, coincidentally, currently running an advertising campaign with Microsoft which claims netbooks are “Better on Windows”. Showcasing an Eee PC running one of Windows’ chief rivals could be described as a little ‘off message’.

Although Asus may have gone cold on the project, Acer is still pressing ahead with its Android research. The company plans to release an Android-based netbook sometime in the Summer.