Taipei - Taiwanese computer manufacturer ASUS, in view of global competition, has lowered its 2008 notebook computer output target by 5.7 per cent, a newspaper said on Thursday.

ASUS has lowered its annual output target from 7 million units to 6.6 million, the Apple Daily quoted ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih as saying.

According to the Apple Daily, although ASUS has announced lowering its annual output, it has not instructed its plants to cut production, which means the company just wants to be conservative.

The paper noted that ASUS has a good chance of reaching its annual target of 6.6 million notebook computers because its newest brand notebook computer Eee PC has been selling well in 2008.

ASUS's US launch of the Eee PC on October 16, 2007 caused a sensation as it is lightweight, inexpensive and easy to operate.

Eee PC accounts for about two-third of ASUS' notebook computer output. While ASUS has lowered its overall 2008 laptop output target, it has raised Eee PC's 2008 output target from 3.8 million to 5 million units.

If ASUS produces 6.6 million-7 million notebook computers in 2008, it will be a 53-63 per cent increase from 2007's 4.3 million units, the Apple Daily said.

The original name of ASUS was ASUSTeK Computer, founded in 1989 by four engineers from Acer. It has grown into one of the world's leading computer and peripherals companies and the world's top motherboard supplier.

In 2007, ASUSTeK split into two companies - with ASUS focusing on making computers and ASUSTeK on manufacturing computer peripherals for large foreign companies.

ASUS aims at making the ASUS laptop one of the world's top-five notebook computers before 2010, and one of the world's top-three notebook brands before 2013.

Currently the ASUS notebook ranks between 8th and 10th place worldwide. (dpa)