With a price tag in the range of $299 to $399, it’s hard to ignore the Asus Eee line will redefine competitors’ PC production plans.
The Eee (rhymes with Wii) is an ultra-compact notebook with a 7-inch screen that weighs 2.03 pounds. It will be available in three different models, starting from $299 on up to $399, depending on storage capacity, memory, and presence of a built-in webcam. The low-end model, called “Surf,” has a 2GB Flash drive for storage and 256MB RAM. The high-end model, which is available now in Taiwan’s popular 3C computer stores, comes with a 8GB Flash drive and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Both models feature a 900MHz Intel Celeron M processor. (Ars Technica)
The Eee PC is part of a mini movement to market little laptops. Initially, the gadgets were aimed at the developing world. Now, some computer makers realize these light-weight laptops could be sellers in countries like the United States. They have hit a sweet spot among some consumers because of their compact design, low cost and durability. (SiliconValley)
That WiMax Eee PC we heard about last week was confirmed at the Asus/Sprint/Intel press conference today, coming in 7, 8 and 8.9-inch models and a variety of colors. (Gizmodo)
Already, a competing product from Everex will launch soon. It will run on Linux and costs $399. Via Crunchgear.
The processor is a VIA C7-M running at 1.2GHZ, there’s a gigabyte of RAM, a 30-gigabyte hard drive, almost four hours of battery life, 7-inch screen (not a touchscreen) and, get this, DVI out instead of 15-pin VGA out.
Issues related to Asus Eee:
Asustek has attempted to clarify recent accusations that it has violated the GPL (general public license) by failing to provide source code for the modifications it made to the Linux-based operating system (OS) shipping on its Eee PCs. Asustek stated that it has always respected the spirit of the GPL and the failure to make the source code available was due to an omission by one of the company’s software technicians. (TGDaily)
Related news:
Asus officially launches $299 “Eee” laptop, XP to come later | Ars Technica
Mini low-cost laptop from Taiwan invading US | Siliconvalley.com
Wimax enabled Asus Eee PC confirmed | Gizmodo
