Intel recently announced that it was ending direct investment in the NUC business a decade after launching the first system in its Next Unit of Computing family.
But that doesn’t mean the NUC line of compact computers are dead. Mini PC provider Simply NUC responded to the news by saying it plans to continue supporting NUC systems as well as its own devices. And now Intel has announced it will provide Asus with a “non-exclusive license license to Intel’s NUC systems product lines” so that Asus can continue making, selling and supporting existing NUC systems as well as developing next-gen products that may bear the NUC name.
Asus has been selling its own mini PCs for years, including some models that are obviously inspired by the Intel NUC line of 4×4 computers. But under the new agreement, Asus will be able to:
- Manufacturer and sell 10th to 13th gen NUC systems
- Develop future NUC systems
- Offer product support for existing NUC systems
According to Intel’s press release, Asus will “establish a new business unit called Asus NUC BU” to handle the new products.
That’s… about all the press release really tells us. But it’s interesting to note that this is a non-exclusive license, which would seem to indicate that Intel could also partner with other companies in the future. Nonetheless, it’s nice to see a company with a long track record in this space stepping up to help provide continuity for existing Intel NUC customers looking for support and/or next-gen products that build on existing designs.
Hopefully Asus plans on improving their distribution of Mini PCs. I’m not sure how they are in the US, but here in Canada they’ve had very poor distribution of these products. Almost to the point that I have a hard time believing that some of them are even launching at all.
Several times I’ve wanted a new Mini PC that Asus announces, and beyond the initial pre-orders, they are out of stock everywhere. Sometimes you’ll find 1 specific model (out of several variants with different CPUs). Like currently I can’t find the PN53 anywhere except from a 3rd-party vendor on Newegg.ca, which ships from China, so I’d likely be SOL on warranty.
The new effort to support the US marked should not be called NUC BU. It should be called NUC US.
That was really kind of forced word play, and it wasn’t funny. You know, the subdivision will be making these things for all markets, not just that country.
So you’re saying his joke bombed?