Compal, Quanta? Rumors swirl...


DigiTimes, in a report that highlights the publication's chameleon-like nature, reports that Quanta and not Compal is the manufacturer Apple's new 17-inch PowerBooks. If true (large grain of salt), this of course revitalizes the question of just what it is that Compal, which makes all manner of IT devices including phones and PDAs, is working on with Apple.

Quoting DigiTimes, we reported that Compal is the manufacturer of "the world's largest notebook" for the mothership.

Rumors of Compal/Apple collaboration have spiced the Mac grapevine for months, but details have been all nonexistent. Given the breadth of the contract manufacturer's product lines it's anyone's guess at this point what (if anything) what is brewing.

17-inch competition coming

According to the same report, Apple will soon have company in the 17-inch portable market space. Acer will launch two new wide-screen notebook computers in Q2, tackling the increasingly popular notebook format, DigiTimes reports quoting unnamed sources.

Acer apparently has decided to enter the large-screen market with 15.4 and 17-inch models, and third-party bidding for the production thereof is expected to conclude by the end of this month. Compal and Quanta are both considered favorites to win the contracts.

Editor's note: For those unfamiliar with Asia, truth (with either a little or capital "t") is largely a vehicle of convenience that serves mostly short-term goals -- just like wherever you live, but different.