According to DigiTimes Lite-On IT, Taiwan's
largest manufacturer of optical disk drives, will start the production of 4x slim DVD+RW drives this
month in small volumes. The drives are intended for Taiwanese notebook
PC makers:
 With pick-up heads supplied by Sanyo and chipsets from MediaTek,
the 4x slim DVD+RW drives can write DVD+Rs at 4x and re-write DVD+RWs at
2x, Lite-On IT indicated.
Lite-On IT has also begun volume production of slim combo
models for notebooks. Although currently sold with high-end notebooks that
cost over NT$ 50,000, 4x slim DVD+RW drives will be widely used in all
types of notebooks next year, according to Lite-On IT's channel customers.
Lite-On IT expects its shipment of 4x slim DVD+RW drives to rise
considerably in 2004.
Lite-On IT estimates its monthly shipment of slim combo models
will exceed 200,000 units this quarter, double the figure recorded in the
first half of this year. Including 4x slim DVD+RW drives, the company
expects to sell more than one million slim-type drives this year.
In addition, Lite-On IT will begin volume production of 4x
slim DVD Dual drives in the first quarter of 2004. The company aims to
deliver four million slim-type burners next year, with the proportion of
combo drives decreasing to 70% and that of 4x DVD+RW and DVD Dual drives
increasing to 30%. |
Source: DigiTimes
