VIA always saw it coming

Tech media have reported for some time now that PC shipments are down. That crucial mass has now well and truly been met where PC sales have plummeted but personal computing device sales are booming. The broad category of ultra-mobiles, according to Gartner, is up 5.9%.

The catch-phrase word of ultra-mobile was first used with gusto by VIA back in 2006 when the prototype of the UMPC came out - the Ultra Mobile Personal Computer. Time has shown that this is exactly what people want - a full computing experience on a small and mobile device.

7-inch tablets to drop to $40

VIA led the way some years ago with pushing for the sub-$100 mark for 7-inch tablets. VIA's WonderMedia offers single chip solutions that have made low price points a reality for whitebox manufacturers. Digitimes now reports that such models will drop to as low as $40 by the third quarter this year.

"The market for 7-inch tablets is seeing intense competition and white-box vendors are expected to further reduce prices for entry-level models to US$40 in the second half of 2013, according to Taiwan-based supply chain sources."