InventorSpot

Michael Dell, Dell CEOInventors specializing in computers may find their best customers in Asia. PC manufacturer Dell announced this month that it will add several new laptops designated specifically for China and India. The company also intends to expand its distribution this year.
 

In 2007, Dell computers were sold in 45 cities in China. By the end of 2008, stores in some 1,200 cities will carry Dell products. That’s in addition to the company’s steady online sales of custom computers.

Michael Dell, the company’s CEO, said the struggling economy in the U.S. won’t have too much impact on sales of computers. But he expects the most growth in Asian markets, and Dell is anticipating a 27 percent increase in its China sales in 2008, to $23 billion.

In a press conference, Dell mentioned that the company will introduce products “aimed exactly at Chinese customer needs,” though he wouldn’t specify what that meant. However, in 2007 Dell introduced the EC280, a beginner PC that costs about $335 (all figures in U.S. dollars). The EC280 has up to 515 mb of memory and Windows XP Home Edition. It was intended to be a first computer for the millions of Chinese without Internet access. 

Outside of computers themselves, Dell announced the purchase of $70 billion worth of hardware from Chinese companies between 2007 and 2009. It will also invest $242,000 to connects schools in rural China to the Internet.