Editing Asus

{{For|the Arts & Science Undergraduate Society|Queen's Faculty of Arts and Sciences}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox company
| name              = ASUSTeK Computer Inc.<br>([[doing business as|trading as]] Asus)
| logo              = [[File:ASUS Logo.svg|200px]]
| caption           =  
| type              = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as         = {{lse|ASKD}}, {{TSE|2357}}
| founder           = T.H. Tung<br>Ted Hsu<br>Wayne Hsieh<br>M.T. Liao
| foundation        = 2 April 1990
| location_city     = [[Beitou District]], [[Taipei]] 
| location_country  = [[Taiwan]]
| area_served       = Worldwide
| key_people        = [[Jonney Shih]] <small>([[Chairman]])</small><br>Jerry Shen <small>([[CEO]])</small><br></small>  
| industry          = [[Computer hardware]]<br />[[Electronics]] 
| products          = [[Desktop computer|Desktop]]s, laptops, [[netbook]]s, mobile phones, networking equipment, [[computer monitors|monitors]], [[motherboard]]s, [[graphics card]]s, [[optical storage]], multimedia products, [[server computer|server]]s, [[workstation]]s     
| revenue           = {{USD|14.73 billion|link=yes}} (2011)<ref name=FG2000>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/companies/asustek-computer/|title=Forbes Global 2000 #1131: ASUSTeK Computer|date=April 2012|publisher=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|accessdate=14 July 2012}}</ref>
| operating_income  = 
| net_income        = {{USD|565.2 million}} (2011)<ref name=FG2000/>
| num_employees     = 18,850 (2011)<ref name=FG2000/>
| parent            =
| subsid            =
| homepage          = {{URL|www.asus.com|Asus.com}}
| footnotes         =
| intl              = yes
}}
{{Chinese|t=華碩電腦股份有限公司|s=|p=Huáshuò Diànnaǒ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī|l=ASUSTeK Computer Inc.<br>(Great Splendid Computer Corporation)|altname=Trading name|t2=|s2=|p2=|l2=}}
'''ASUSTeK Computer Inc.''', [[doing business as|trading as]] '''Asus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|s|uː|s}}<ref>{{cite web|title=How to pronounce Asus|url=http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/17/how-to-pronounce-asus-video/|work=video|publisher=Engadget|accessdate=3 March 2011}}</ref>), is a [[Taiwan]]ese [[multinational corporation|multinational]] computer hardware and electronics company headquartered in [[Taipei]], Taiwan. Its products include [[Desktop computer|desktop]]s, laptops, mobile phones, [[computer monitor|monitors]], [[motherboard]]s, [[server (computing)|servers]], [[tablet computer|tablet PC]]s and [[video card]]s. It primarily sells products under its own brand but also produces components for other manufacturers, including [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Dell]] and [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]].
 
Asus is the [[Market share of leading PC vendors|world's fifth-largest PC vendor by 2011 unit sales]] (after HP, [[Lenovo]], Dell and [[Acer Inc.|Acer]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1893523|title=Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in Fourth quarter of 2011 Declined 1.4 Percent; Year-End Shipments Increased 0.5 Percent|accessdate=1 May 2012|publisher=Gartner, Inc.}}</ref> Asus appears in ''[[BusinessWeek]]''’s "InfoTech 100" and "Asia’s Top 10 IT Companies" rankings., and it ranked first in the IT Hardware category of the 2008 Taiwan Top 10 Global Brands survey with a total brand value of US$1.3 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brandingtaiwan.org/eng/activity_news_detail.aspx?sn=47 |title=2008 Top Taiwan Global Brands announced today(2008/10/23) |publisher=Brandingtaiwan.org |date=23 October 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>

Asus has a primary listing on the [[Taiwan Stock Exchange]] ({{TSE|2357}}) and a secondary listing on the [[London Stock Exchange]] ({{lse|ASKD}}).
{{TOC limit|limit=3}}

==Name==
The name ''Asus'' originates from ''[[Pegasus]]'', the winged horse of Greek mythology.<ref>
{{cite web
 |title       = Origin of the Name 'Asus'
 |url         = http://www.asus.com/ContentPage.aspx?Content_Type=AboutAsus&Content_Id=9
 |work        = Asus website
 |publisher   = Asus
 |accessdate  =4 August 2009
 |quote       = Asus comes from the last four letters of Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that represents the inspiration of art and learning.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hw.by/events/asus.html |title=Russian-language interview with Alexander Kim (Алекс Ким), October 2003 |publisher=Hw.by |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> Only the last four letters of the word were used in order to give the name a high position in alphabetical listings.<ref>{{cite web
 |first       = Kurmaz
 |last        = Maks
 |title       = Интервью с Asus
 |url         = http://www.hw.by/events/asus.html
 |work        = HW.by (Belorusian Iron Site)
 |language    = Russian
 |trans_title = Interview with Asus
 |accessdate  =4 August 2009
 |quote       = Компания Asus образовалась в 1989 году [...] Ее название образовано от английского слова “Pegasus” [...] Была взята только часть названия – “asus”, чтобы быть в начале списка по алфавиту. [Translation: The Asus company formed in 1989 ... Its name is formed from the English word "Pegasus" ... [We] took only part of the name: "asus", in order to be at the beginning of alphabetical order.]
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090626070206/http://hw.by/events/asus.html| archivedate= 26 June 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>

==History==
Asus was founded in [[Taipei]] in 1989 by T.H. Tung, Ted Hsu, Wayne Hsieh and M.T. Liao,<ref name="profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.corpasia.net/taiwan/2357/irwebsite_new/index.php?mod=profile|title=Company Profile|year=2009|work=Official website|publisher=Asus|accessdate=27 November 2009}}</ref> all four having previously worked at [[Acer Inc.|Acer]] as [[computer engineer]]s.   

In the early 2000s, Taiwan-based motherboard manufacturers had not yet established their leading positions in the computer-hardware business. [[Intel Corporation]] would supply any new processors to more established companies like [[IBM]] first, and the Taiwanese companies would have to wait for approximately six months after IBM received their engineering [[prototype]]s. By 2009, Asus received Intel engineering samples ahead of its competitors.<ref>[http://www.mastbusiness.com/top/asus.htm]</ref>

In September 2005 Asus released the first [[PhysX]] accelerator card.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=2724&s=1 |title=Asus PhysX Card Ready |publisher=Vr-zone.com |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> In December 2005 Asus entered the LCD TV market with the TLW32001 model, initially only available in Taiwan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/asus_enters_lcd_tv_market_with_tlw32001_32_lcd_tv.php |title=Asus enters LCD TV market with TLW32001 32" LCD TV |publisher=Newlaunches.com |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> In January 2006 Asus announced that it would cooperate with [[Lamborghini]] to develop its VX series.<ref>[http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=2070 Asus and Lamborghini Join in Comprehensive Partnership]</ref>{{Dead link|date=March 2009}} On 9 March 2006 Asus was confirmed as one of the manufacturers of the first [[Ultra-Mobile PC|Microsoft Origami]] models, together with [[Samsung Electronics|Samsung]] and [[Founder Technology]].<ref>
{{cite web
| url         = http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=181502222
| title       = Microsoft Unfolds Origami, The 'On The Go' PC
| first       = Walko
| last        = John
| date        = 9 March 2006
| work        = [[InformationWeek]]
| accessdate  =16 November 2009
| quote       = Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) says three companies have built working models – Samsung, Asus, and Founder, China’s second largest PC maker. The Samsung and Asus devices are expected to be in stores by April, and the Founder device in June.
}}</ref>
On 8 August 2006 Asus announced a joint venture with [[Gigabyte Technology]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitimes.com/mobos/a20060808PR203.html |title=ASUSTeK and Gigabyte form joint venture |publisher=Digitimes.com |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>
On 5 June 2007 Asus announced the launch of the [[Asus Eee PC|Eee PC]] at [[COMPUTEX Taipei]].
On 9 September 2007 Asus indicated support for [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]], announcing the release of a BD-ROM/DVD writer PC drive, BC-1205PT.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psu.com/Blu-ray-scores-major-new-supporter--a0001253-p0.php
 | title = Asus BD-ROM/DVD writer drive
 | accessdate =9 September 2007
 | year = 2007
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070913095939/http://www.psu.com/Blu-ray-scores-major-new-supporter--a0001253-p0.php| archivedate= 13 September 2007 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Asus subsequently released several Blu-ray based notebooks.

In January 2007, Asus began a major restructuring of its operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytech.com/Asustek+to+Split+Company+in+January/article7905.htm |title=DailyTech |publisher=DailyTech |accessdate=1 June 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100528182809/http://www.dailytech.com/Asustek+to+Split+Company+in+January/article7905.htm| archivedate= 28 May 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> The company split into three distinct operational units: Asus, [[Pegatron]] and the [[Unihan Corporation]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Listing Particulars|url=http://www.pegatroncorp.com/download/GDR_Listing_Particulars.pdf}}</ref>

The Asus brand was applied solely to first-party branded computers. [[Pegatron]] handled OEM manufacturing of motherboards and components, and the [[Unihan Corporation]] focused on non-PC manufacturing such as cases and molding. On 3 January 2008 Asus formally split into three companies: ASUSTeK, [[Pegatron]] and Unihan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytech.com/New+Asus+Corporate+Structure+Zeroes+Employee+Pensions/article10206.htm |title=New Asus Corporate Structure Zeroes Employee Pensions |publisher=Dailytech.com |accessdate=1 June 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100605073734/http://www.dailytech.com/New+ASUS+Corporate+Structure+Zeroes+Employee+Pensions/article10206.htm| archivedate= 5 June 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=March 2009}} In January 2008, [[Pegatron]] acquired the [[Unihan Corporation]] as a subsidiary from Asus.<ref>{{cite web | title= Pegatron Corporation Listing Particulars|url=http://www.pegatroncorp.com/download/GDR_Listing_Particulars.pdf}}</ref> 

In the process of restructuring, the highly criticized pension-plan restructuring effectively zeroed out the existing pension balances. The company paid out all contributions previously made by employees.<ref>{{cite web
| last        = Kubicki
| first       = Kristopher
| title       = New Asus Corporate Structure Zeroes Employee Pensions
| url         = http://www.dailytech.com/New+Asus+Corporate+Structure+Zeroes+Employee+Pensions/article10206.htm
| work        = DailyTech
| date        = 3 January 2008
| accessdate  =28 March 2009
| quote       = Under the new corporate entity, Asus employees were paid out all pension plans regardless of maturity as of 1 January 2008.  All employees at the three new companies must start their tenure from scratch.
}}</ref>

On 22 August 2008 details of the Asus N10 were leaked online.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/220875/pictures-of-eee-pcs-big-brother-leak-online.html |title=Pictures of Eee PC's big brother leak online |publisher=Pcpro.co.uk |date=22 August 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> In In December 2008 Asus released a beta BIOS update that potentially fixes the Windows XP SP3 incompatibility with the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard.

On 9 December 2008, the [[Open Handset Alliance]] announced that Asus had become one of 14 new members of the organization. These "new members will either deploy compatible [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project, or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of Android-based devices."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/press_120908.html |title=Open Handset Alliance |publisher=Open Handset Alliance |date=9 December 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>

On 1 June 2010 Asus spun off [[Pegatron]] Corp.<ref>http://www.pegatroncorp.com/download/FinancialStatements_2010_1Q_eng.pdf</ref>
In October 2010 Asus and [[Garmin]] announced that they would be ending their smartphone partnership as a result of Garmin deciding to exit the product category.<ref name=taipeitimes271010>{{cite news|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2010/10/27/2003486972|title=Asustek, Garmin ending co-branding|accessdate=13 May 2012|work=The Taipei Times |date=27 October 2010}}</ref> The two companies had produced six Garmin-Asus branded smartphones over the prior two years.<ref name=taipeitimes271010/>

In December 2010 Asus launched the world's thinnest notebook, the Asus U36, with Intel processor voltage standard (not low voltage) Intel core i3 or i5 with a thickness of only 19&nbsp;mm.<ref>http://www.trendingtech.info/technology/latest-thinnest-notebook-asus-u36-world-with-just-thickness-19-mm/</ref>

In October 2011 Asus designed UX/21E/31E [[Zenbook]]™, it uses a precision-crafted design measuring only 3mm at the front and 9mm at the rear. The form features razor thin edges. Asus chairman Jonney Shih claimed these ultra thin (under 3 mm at its slimmest edge) laptops will last more than seven hours.<ref>{{cite web|last=Savov|first=Vlad|title=Asus outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!)|url=http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/30/asus-outs-ux21-ultrathin-laptop-with-up-to-core-i7-cpu-video-ha/|publisher=Engadget}}</ref><ref>http://www.pcworld.com/article/241767/asus_introduces_zenbook_ux21_ux31_ultrabooks.html/</ref>

In March, 2012 Asus released the Asus K93SM notebook with a 18.4-inch display with resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD), a GeForce GT 630M discrete graphics with 1GB of memory and Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit pre-installed.<ref name="Asus K93SM Review">{{cite web|title=Asus K93SM Review|url=http://notebookspecifications.com/2012/03/asus-k93sm-review.html}}</ref>

<gallery>
Image:Asus UX21.jpg| Asus ASUS [[Zenbook|ZENBOOK]]™ UX21 ultra thin notebook.  <br />2012
Image:ASUS NVIDIA GeForce 210 silent graphics card with HDMI.JPG| Asus [[NVIDIA]] [[GeForce]] 210 silent graphics card.  <br />2012
Image:CeBIT 2011 Samstag PD 46.JPG|[[Asus eee|Asus Eee Note]] EA-800, Easy to doing, Write and more in the [[CeBIT|CeBIT 2011]]. <br />2011
Image:ASUS Eee PC 1215P IIIII.jpg|Asus Eee PC 1215P [[Netbook]]. <br />2011
Image:Asus M4A78T-E.jpg|An Asus [[AMD]] [[motherboard]] with an AMD [[Phenom II]] [[Central processing unit|processor]] mounted, along with the stock heatsink and fan on the board. <br />2010
Image:2007WiMAXForumTaipeiShowcase ASUS R50A.jpg|Asus R2E. [[Ultra-mobile PC|UMPC]] <br />2007
</gallery>

==Operations==
[[File:Asus pro shop.jpg|thumb|right|An Asus shop in Hong Kong]]
Asus has its headquarters in [[Beitou District]], [[Taipei]], Taiwan.<ref>"[http://green.asus.com/english/download/Asus_CSR-Report_2007_EN.pdf 2007 Corporate Sustainability Report]." Asus. 10 of 67. Retrieved on 15 March 2010. "Asus has its headquarters located in No. 15, Li-Te Rd., Beitou, Taipei 11259, Taiwan."
</ref>

{{As  of | 2009}} Asus had manufacturing facilities in [[Republic of China|Taiwan]] ([[Taipei]], [[Luzhu, Taoyuan|Luzhu]], [[Nangan, Lienchiang|Nangan]], [[Guishan, Taoyuan|Guishan]]), [[People's Republic of China|China]] ([[Suzhou]]), Mexico ([[Ciudad Juárez]]) and the Czech Republic ([[Ostrava]]). The Asus Hi-Tech Park, located in Suzhou, China, covers 540,000 square meters, roughly the size of 82 soccer fields.

Asus operates around 50 service sites across 32 countries and has over 400 service partners worldwide.

==Products==
Asus' products include laptops, tablet computers, mobile phones, [[personal digital assistant]]s (PDAs), [[server (computing)|servers]], [[computer monitor]]s, [[motherboard]]s, graphics cards, sound cards, [[optical disc drive]]s, [[computer networking device]]s, [[computer case]]s, [[electronic component|computer components]] and [[computer cooling]] systems.

===Eee Line===
Since its launch in October 2007, the [[Asus Eee PC|Eee PC]] [[netbook]] has garnered numerous awards, including [[Forbes]] Asia’s Product of the Year,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/business/global/2008/1208/072.html |title=Product of the Year: ASUSTeK's Eee PC |work=Forbes |date=8 December 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010 |first=Taylor |last=Buley}}</ref> Stuff Magazine’s Gadget of the Year and Computer of the Year,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stuff.tv/News/Stuff-Gadget-Awards-Eee-PC-wins-gadget-of-the-year/10854/ |title=Stuff Gadget Awards – Eee PC wins gadget of the year |publisher=Stuff.tv |accessdate=1 June 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100629051038/http://stuff.tv/News/Stuff-Gadget-Awards-Eee-PC-wins-gadget-of-the-year/10854/| archivedate= 29 June 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> NBC.com’s Best Travel Gadget, Computer Shopper's Best Netbook of 2008, PC Pro's Hardware of the Year, PC World's Best Netbook, and DIME magazine’s 2008 Trend Award Winner.

Asus subsequently added several products to its Eee lineup, including:

* [[Asus EeeBox PC|EeeBox PC]], a compact [[nettop]]
* [[Asus Eee Top|Eee Top]], an all-in-one touchscreen computer housed in an LCD monitor enclosure,
* [[Asus Eee Stick|Eee Stick]], a plug-and-play wireless controller for the PC platform that translates users’ physical hand-motions into corresponding movements onscreen
* [[Asus Eee Pad Transformer|Eee Pad Transformer]], is a tablet computer that runs on the Android 3.0 operating systems<ref>Annie Huang, Associated Press. "[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110325/ap_on_hi_te/as_taiwan_tablet;_ylt=AvOEi1_genJ2bvhqyBgGFfUjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTJoZzl0bTFrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMzI1L2FzX3RhaXdhbl90YWJsZXQEY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3RhaXdhbnNhc3VzdA-- Taiwan's AsusTek launches Android-powered tablet]." 25 March 2011.</ref>
* [[Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime|Eee Pad Transformer Prime]], the successor to the original Transformer.

On 6 March 2009, Asus debuted its Eee Box B202, which [[PC Magazine|PCMag]] saw as "the desktop equivalent of the Asus EeePC", (the "Asus Eee Box" computer line is later in 2010 renamed to "Asus EeeBox PC").<ref>{{cite news
| first = Joel
| last = Santo Domingo
| title=Asus Debuts Desktop-Equivalent Eee PC
| publisher=PCMag
| date=2 June 2008
| accessdate=3 April 2009
| url= http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2316317,00.asp
| quote = At the Computex show on Monday in Taipei, Taiwan, Asus introduced a slew of products, including the Eee Box B202. The Eee Box is the desktop equivalent of the Asus EeePC.
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090424022746/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2316317,00.asp| archivedate= 24 April 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}
</ref>

With its price range between US$269 and US$299, this desktop competed directly with the [[Mac Mini]].<ref>{{cite news
| title=Asus Debuts Desktop-Equivalent Eee PC
| publisher=PCMag
| date=2 June 2008
| accessdate=3 April 2009
| url= http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2316317,00.asp
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090424022746/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2316317,00.asp| archivedate= 24 April 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>

===Essentio Series===
Essentio is a line of desktop PCs. As of December 2011 the line consisted of the CG Series (designed for gaming), the CM series (for entertainment and home use) and the CS and CP slimline series.<ref>{{cite web
| title=AsusTek Computer Inc. – Desktop
| publisher=Asus
| accessdate=1 December 2011
| url= http://www.asus.com/Desktop
}}</ref>

===Digital media receivers===
Asus sells [[digital media receiver]]s under the name Asus O!Play.<ref>{{cite web | title =Search > O!Play| publisher =AsusTeK Computer Inc | url =http://www.asus.com/Search/?SearchKey=o!play | accessdate =20 May 2012}}</ref>

=== GPS devices ===
Asus produces the R700T GPS device, which incorporates [[Traffic Message Channel]].<ref>{{cite web|author=By Mobilewhack.com on 11 April 2008 3:05&nbsp;am |url=http://www.mobilewhack.com/asus-r700t-tmc-gps-device/ |title=Asus R700t TMC GPS Device : Specs, reviews and prices |publisher=Mobilewhack.com |date=11 April 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>

===Republic of Gamers (ROG)===
[[Asus Rog|Republic of Gamers]]<ref>http://rog.asus.com/about/</ref> is a line of products launched by Asus in 2006 "with the purpose of delivering the most innovative hardcore hardware for truly dedicated gamers." [[Asus Rog|Republic of Gamers]] products include motherboards, graphic cards, notebooks, desktops, peripherals and accessories.

===Sound cards===
Asus started its line of sound cards by releasing the Xonar DX on 28 February 2008. The Xonar DX was able to emulate the EAX 5.0 effects through the Asus GX software while also supporting Open AL and DTS-connect.<ref name="Xonar DX">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Crystal Clear Audio Quality for Home Entertainment and Gaming|url=http://www.asus.com/News/SWUVwcEldIOPZ65T|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=28 February 2008}}</ref> Asus followed-up with the introduction of its Xonar D1 on the 27th of July 2008 which offered largely similar features to the Xonar DX but connected to the motherboard through the PCI interface instead of the PCI-E x1 connection on the Xonar DX.<ref name="Xonar D1">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Asus Unveils Xonar D1 7.1 Audio Card: The High-fidelity PCI Variant to the Successful Xonar DX|url=http://www.asus.com/News/e24rAeVfuIBJo4rs/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=27 July 2008}}</ref> Asus then released the Xonar HDAV 1.3, which was the first solution enabling loss-less HD audio bit streaming to AV receivers.<ref name="Asus HDAV">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Asus Reveals Xonar HDAV1.3 Series Sound Cards with World's First Dolby TrueHD Bit-Stream Feature for the New Blu-ray Era|url=http://www.asus.com/News/bwEEp4YqqxPbCgIe/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=31 December 2008}}</ref> After that, Asus used the same audio processor to produce its Xonar DS sound card, which was released on the 13th of May, 2009. This card had 107db SNR rating which is slightly less than what the Xonar DX and the Xonar D1 had to offer but, it featured an upgradeable Operational Amplifier (OP-AMP) in addition to the common features of the Xonar line.<ref name="Xonar DS">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Asus Announces New Xonar DS 7.1 Channel Audio Card|url=http://www.asus.com/News/deOz0WgNrEnv57p7/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=13 May 2009}}</ref> 

On 15 May 2009, Asus launched the Essence ST sound card, targeting high-end audiophiles. This card featured 124db SNR rating and precision audio clock tuning.<ref name="Essence ST">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Breaking the Boundaries in Sound Quality|url=http://www.asus.com/News/vVME4fRYwvKILC6y/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=15 May 2009}}</ref> Three days later, Asus refreshed the HDAV family by releasing the HDAV 1.3 slim, a card targeted for HTPC users offering very similar functionality to HDAV 1.3 but in a smaller form.<ref name="HDAVS">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Asus Unveils New Xonar HDAV Slim Sound Card|url=http://www.asus.com/News/5KqyuL93cmEFZF0w/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=18 May 2009}}</ref> During Computex 2010, Asus introduced its Xonar Xense which was an audio bundle composed of the Xense sound card and a special edition of the Sennheiser PC350 headset.<ref name="Xonar Xense">{{cite web|last=Asus|first=Official Websiteq|title=Xonar Xense|url=http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_Xense/#overview|work=Xonar Xense|publisher=Asus|accessdate=3 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="Xonar Xense News">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Asus Covers all the Multimedia Bases at Computex 2010|url=http://www.asus.com/News/GeR9KPwbVlLkbCqw/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=June 2010}}</ref> In August 2010, Asus released the Xonar DG sound card to target budget buyers. The card offered 5.1 surround sound support, 105db SNR rating, support for Dolby headphone and GX 2.5 support for emulating EAX 5.0 technology.<ref name="Xonar DG">{{cite news|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Asus Unveils the Xonar DG Gaming Sound Card|url=http://www.asus.com/News/89GMZGutFh7FVqhq/|accessdate=3 October 2011|date=August 2010}}</ref><ref name="Xonar DG Specs">{{cite web|last=Asus|first=Official Website|title=Xonar DG Hear all, dominate all!|url=http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_DG/#specifications|work=Xonar DG Hear all, dominate all!|publisher=Asus|accessdate=3 October 2011}}</ref>

===Tablets===
Asus' line of [[tablet computer|tablets]] includes the [[Asus Eee Pad Transformer|Eee Pad Transformer]] series, Eee Pad Slider series, Eee Slate series, and the newest [[Google Nexus 7|Nexus 7]], manufactured for and branded as [[Google]] was announced on 27 June 2012 for release in July 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://business-news.thestreet.com/mercury-news/story/google-launches-nexus-7-tablet/11599332?IADID=Search-business-news.thestreet.com-www.mercurynews.com |title=Google Launches Nexus 7 Tablet|work=The Street.com |date=27 June 2012 |accessdate=15 July 2012 |first=Chris |last=Ciaccia}}</ref>

Asus has been working with [[Microsoft]] in developing [[Windows 8]] convertible tablets.<ref>http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2012/08/30/dell-and-asus-debut-inspired-windows-8-convertible-tablets/</ref>

==Environmental record==
===Green Asus===
In 2000, Asus officially launched Green Asus,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://green.asus.com/english |title=Green Asus |publisher=Green Asus |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> a company-wide sustainable computing initiative overseen by a steering committee led by Jonney Shih, the Chairman of Asus. Green Asus pursues what the company calls the "Four Green Home Runs", namely: "Green Design, Green Procurement, Green Manufacturing, and Green Service and Marketing".<ref>{{cite web
| title       = Asus Conferred World's First EuP Certification for Portable Notebooks for Its N Series Notebooks
| url         = http://green.asus.com/english/default.aspx?page=post&IDno=97&nkind=news
| publisher   = Asus
| year        = 2008
| accessdate  =28 March 2009
| quote       = Asus' sustainability drive – Green Asus – which was initiated in 2000, pursues the Green Asus "Four Green Home Runs" in the design and production of each notebook, namely: Green Design, Green Procurement, Green Manufacturing, and Green Service and Marketing.| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090220210114/http://green.asus.com/english/default.aspx?page=post&IDno=97&nKind=news| archivedate= 20 February 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

===Recognition===
In 2006, Asus obtained IECQ (IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components) HSPM (Hazardous Substance Process Management) certification for its headquarters and for all of its manufacturing sites.<ref name="gms">{{cite web|url=http://green.asus.com/english/default.aspx?page=postl1&Idno=3|title=GreenAsus Management System |year=2009|work=Official website|publisher=AsusTeK Computer Inc.|accessdate=27 November 2009| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080803042054/http://green.asus.com/english/default.aspx?page=postl1&Idno=3| archivedate = 3 August 2008}}</ref>

In 2007, [[Oekom Research]], an independent research institute specializing in corporate responsibility assessment, recognized Asus as a "highly environmental friendly company" in the "Computers, Peripherals and Office Electronics Industry".<ref name="greennews">{{cite web|url=http://green.asus.com/english/default.aspx?page=news|title=GreenAsus News and Awards|year=2009|work=Official website|publisher=AsusTeK Computer Inc.|accessdate=27 November 2009| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080803092057/http://green.asus.com/english/default.aspx?page=news| archivedate = 3 August 2008}}</ref>

In October 2008, Asus received 11 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool ([[EPEAT]]) Gold Awards for its products,<ref>[http://www.epeat.net Epeat.net]</ref> including four of its N-Series notebooks, namely the N10, N20, N50 and N80. In the following month, it received [[Ecolabel#EU Ecolabel|EU Flower]] certification for the same N-Series notebooks at an award ceremony held in Prague.<ref name=greennews/> In December 2008, [[Det Norske Veritas]] conferred the world’s first EuP (Energy-using Product) certification for portable notebooks on these machines.<ref name=greennews/>

===Recycling campaign===
In April 2008, Asus launched its "PC Recycling for a Brighter Future"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pcworld.about.com/od/officehardware/Asus-Intel-Team-up-for-PC-Rec.htm |title=Asus, Intel Team up for PC Recycling in Taiwan |publisher=Pcworld.about.com |date=22 April 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://recycling.asus.com/AsusRecycle/PageContentShow.aspx?page=AboutSite |title=Asus Recycle |publisher=Recycling.asus.com |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>
program in collaboration with Intel and with Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co. This program collected more than 1,200 desktop computers, notebooks and CRT/[[LCD]] monitors, refurbished them and donated them to 122 elementary and junior high schools, five aboriginal communities and the [[Tzu Chi]] Stem Cell Center.

== Pirated software and dissemination of confidential data ==
In September 2008, [[PC Pro]] discovered through a reader that Asus had accidentally shipped laptops that contained cracked and pirated software.<ref>{{cite web |first=Barry |last=Collins |title=Asus ships software cracker on recovery DVD |url=http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/224892/asus-ships-software-cracker-on-recovery-dvd.html |work=PC Pro |publisher=Dennis Publishing |date=17 September 2008 |accessdate=21 June 2009 |quote=The startling discovery was made by a PC Pro reader whose antivirus software was triggered by a key cracker for the WinRAR compression software, which was located on the recovery DVD for his Asus laptop.| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090627154147/http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/224892/asus-ships-software-cracker-on-recovery-dvd.html| archivedate= 27 June 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Both  physical machines and recovery CDs contained confidential documents from [[Microsoft]] and other organizations, internal Asus documents, and sensitive personal information including [[curriculum vitae|CVs]].

At the time, an Asus spokesperson promised an investigation at "quite a high level",<!-- Since this section now mentions HOW it happened, can we remove this? --><!-- Disagree, it helps the reader understand the Asus response --> but declined to comment on how the files got on the machines and recovery media.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/224892/asus-ships-software-cracker-on-recovery-dvd.html |title=News: Asus ships software cracker on recovery DVD |publisher=PC Pro |date=17 September 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> It was demonstrated that an unattended installation of Windows Vista could accidentally copy material from a flash drive with a parameter in the "unattend.xml" file on the personal flash drive being used to script the installation.<ref>{{cite web |first=Anthony |last=Cargile |title=Asus Recovery DVD scandal: How it happened |url=http://thecoffeedesk.com/news/index.php/2008/09/20/asus-recovery-dvd-scandal-how-it-happened/ |work=The Coffee Desk |date=20 September 2008 |accessdate=18 February 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110108213957/http://thecoffeedesk.com/news/index.php/2008/09/20/asus-recovery-dvd-scandal-how-it-happened/| archivedate= 8 January 2011 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Timothy |last=Lord |title=How Asus Recovery Disks Ended Up Carrying Software Cracks |url=http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/09/22/0149222.shtml |work=Slashdot |publisher=Geeknet, Inc. |date=22 September 2008 |accessdate=18 February 2011}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Taiwan|Companies}}
{{div col|2}}
* [[List of companies of Taiwan]]
* [[Biostar]]
* [[DFI]]
* [[Elitegroup Computer Systems]] (ECS)
* [[Gigabyte Technology]]
* [[Micro-Star International]] (MSI)
{{div col end}}
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|ASUS}}
* {{official website|www.asus.com}}

{{Asus}}
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[[Category:Asus|*]]
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[[Category:Electronics companies of Taiwan]]
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[[Category:Companies based in Taipei]]

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