Asus EEE pc is a new model of ultraportable laptop coming from Asus. This computer caused much commotion since the time of its announcement due to the low pricetag associated with the unit, US$299, in a market where average prices range from US$600 to US$3000.

The technical specs are as follows.

Display: 7"

CPU: 900mhz Intel, Dothan based.

Chipset: Intel 910 mobile

OS: Xandros based linux system customized for EEE.

Wired Communication: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; 56k modem.

Wireless communication: Wifi 802.11 b/g, possible bluetooth

Graphic: Intel UMA, shared memory.

Memory: 512MB, DDR2-400.

Storage: 8GB solid state drive for base model, moved up from previous 4GB base model capacity.

Webcam: 300k pixel video camera.

Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC, built-in stereo, built-in mic

Battery Life: 3hours, (4 cells 5200mAh, 2S2P)

Dimension&Weight: 22.5X16.5X2.1~3.5cm, 0.89kg

Colors: Grey/white, Charcoal/black

Price: US$299~$500 depending on the setup.

All in all, rather decent unit for a sub $300 ultraportable notebook. Even more interesting is how they are using linux distribution as a mean of cutting down on price. While 3 hour battery would limit the unit's functionality as an ultraportable, the price alone will make it something out of hackers' and college students' dream. (And ofcourse, there is a possibility of extended batteries being offered by a third party manufacturer.)

The specification of what class this computer would belong to is under some debate. Some would refer to it as a UMPC, while some would refer to it as a tablet pc with integrated keyboard, seeing that this computer would roughly be the size of two DVD boxes stacked on top of each other.