ASUS is a big company that makes a lot of different products, but until now it's steered clear of selling any of them directly. That changes now, though, with the launch of its first online stores.
The sites are offering all types of first-party accessories from notebook cases to external hard-drives, wireless mice and laptop power-cables.
On top of peripherals, the company is selling extended warranties for its Eee netbooks, nettops and all-in-ones as well as its full range of laptops.
While regional stores for the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are now live, there is no sign of an Asian or North American storefront just yet.
Even though it makes sense for ASUS to cut out the middle-man and give its customers easy access to its products, the move is still a little mysterious. The service was launched with absolutely no fanfare - the company hasn't even put out a press release yet. It also seems strange that the first stores were opened in European markets, as opposed to a territory a little closer to home. Lastly, we would have expected to see at least some of the manufacturer's vast range of computers on sale - though this might come at a later date.
While the new stores are a relatively small step for ASUS, it could be the first move towards selling its computers directly to customers, in competition with major manufacturers like Apple, Dell and HP.
