SAN FRANCISCO: South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung is reportedly planning to break into the packed US laptop computer arena next year.

Samsung executives cited in the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets on Tuesday said the company will return to the US laptop market with low-priced “netbooks” as well as thin, powerful models aimed at Apple’s elite MacBook Air.

Netbooks referred to no-frills laptop computers that rely on the Internet for most of their programs.

Samsung said it will sell its laptops in a partnership with a yet-to-be-disclosed US retail chain.

Samsung already sells its laptops in other countries, but wants to make inroads into the US market representing 27 percent of the world’s laptop computer sales.

Word of Samsung’s looking to wrest market share from strong players in the US laptop market came as Apple unveiled a revamped line of Macintosh laptop computers made leaner, slicker, faster and a bit more affordable.

Along with showing off new MacBook models heading for store shelves, Apple cut the price of the original version to 999 dollars.

- AFP/so

Channel News Asia

DANVILLE (California): Michele Redman and Maria Hjorth top the leaderboard with defending champion Suzann Pettersen also in the hunt after the first round of the US$1.2 million USLPG Longs Drugs Challenge.

Maria and Michele each recorded seven birdies and a bogey en route to rounds of six-under 66 at Blackhawk Country Club.

Kim In-Kyung and Mikaela Parmlid are one shot back.

Paula Creamer’s quest for back-to-back wins got off to a rocky start with a two-over 74.

Last week’s champion at the Samsung World Championship, Paula had an up-and-down round that included an eagle on the par-five ninth hole and double-bogeys on No 8 and No 14. — AFP

New Straits Times

SEOUL: A South Korean appeals court on Friday found former Samsung group chairman Lee Kun-Hee guilty of tax evasion but ruled he should not serve a prison term, court officials said.

Despite pleas by prosecutors for a seven-year jail sentence, the court upheld a lower court ruling which had imposed a three-year prison term suspended for five years.

The court also affirmed a 110 billion won (84 million dollar) fine on Lee, who led the country’s biggest business group for almost 20 years.

Lee, 66, quit the group in April following a corruption probe.

- AFP/so

Channel News Asia