Asus revolution stalled by chip shortage

Chip vendors aren't cranking out enough of the beasties

Have you heard the buzz? Asus do cheap and cheerful mini-laptops that are flying off the shelves. It hasn't gone unnoticed by other vendors and now the Atom chips powering these little beasties are in short supply. No doubt this will cause shortages and price hikes by retailers. I have already seen my local Currys flogging the Eee PC for £250 ( a markup of £40).

Asus revealed the problem in an interview with the Financial Times saying shortages will last until September at least.

It's all testament to the fact that the real action is in this new super subnotebook segment as everyone else plays catch up to the jaw dropping offer that is the Asus Eee PC.

Meanwhile Asus launches the EeePC 900 this week aimed at buyers who want a bit more ooommph. It's got a bigger screen, more memory and comes in at £329. Let's hope Asus keep on cranking them out so we have a choice at every price point. That's all that's missing at the moment.