Interesting article on Smarthouse suggesting Sony is looking for a Taiwanese company to create a joint venture to manufacture Vaio notebooks. Sony are apparently in a debt laden hot spot and apparently want to form an equity JV with someone here. They have, according to the article, been talking to BenQ and (obviously) Foxconn (who doesn't talk to Foxconn?). I like what the senior BenQ exec. said:
"Sony does not have any significant share of the notebook market and by majority their Vaio products are niche. They are not purchased by business or enterprise organisations as they are too expensive and while they are well designed they are primarily a consumer home purchase which makes it difficult to return a profit especially in today's notebook market. As a result BenQ chose not to form a relationship with Sony"
I have long shunned Sony notebooks for exactly that reason (or though he articulates it better). They are niche, high-end products that people pay a fair buck for. I have never actually used one so cannot speak to its functionality or features, but I don't see the need to pay so much for something that is not going to do any better or worse than something (quite a bit) cheaper. This brings us back to the question of brands (see discussion emerging on Acer launches mobile phones in Asia) and what the brand brings to the consumer.
I will probably never ever buy a Sony notebook (and I am a Sony-guy). I have a Sony Surround Sound DVD player, Sony Handycam, Sony Voice recorder blah blah blah and no doubt the quality of the notebook is probably very high. But this brings me to another point! Although I like my Sony products they have, over the years, turned me off with their indulgent focus on proprietary technologies (even down to the MPEG format used on the handycam) and this would make me concerned about their computer. What properietary crap would I have to fight my way through to make it work properly? Probably none, but I don't know, I just don't know! (This proprietary rubbish turns me off Apple too btw)
Anywyay, look forward to your comments as always! Things to expand on in the comments maybe: Do you think this would be a lucrative JV for a Taiwanese equity partner?
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