into three pieces in January. Now units Pegatron and Unihan handle the outsourced work while ASUS–down to a svelte 8,000 employees from its 100,000 before the split–is focusing on aggressively growing its own branded business.

For its North American launch, ASUS will concentrate on a few productivity-oriented smartphones and target business types–a markedly different audience from the Eee PC. In fact, the first ASUS North American offering, the P527, sells for $500 to $600 online–more than the Eee PC.

ASUS says the P527 has a raft of features, including a touch screen, wi-fi, a camera, Windows Mobile software and a number of practical-minded applications. To distinguish it from competitors like the Samsung BlackJack or
Motorola
Q, ASUS loaded the phone with GPS, an FM radio, a business-card scanning program and a “travelis working on joint ventures with fashion companies. It already has a partnership with Lamborghini for which it has produced a special-edition laptop and a cellphone.

ASUS is also making a North American push for its personal navigation devices. The gadgets combine FM radio and MP3, video and photo players with GPS maps, making them more akin to multimedia players than regular PNDs. It all adds up to a sharp company focus on mobile devices, says Huang.

Even amid the new developments, the Eee PC will remain the company star. “We are still focusing more on laptops,” says ASUS spokesperson Debby Lee. In mid May, the company is expected to debut in North America a slightly larger mini-laptop, with an 8.9-inch screen and a “multitouch” touch pad. Its expected price: