IBM PC Retreat Would Shift Market Balance to Asia.(Web Edition)(Brief Article)

Reports that IBM might spin off or sell its PC business have refocused attention on the evolving role of contract manufacturers and Asian ODMs, those companies who actually build the PCs that are later branded as "Dell" or "HP."

The same factors that have helped "original device manufacturers" such as Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) and Compal Electronics develop their own finished …