Official: ASUS 8.9-inch Eee PC will include touchscreen, possibly GPS

by Thomas Ricker, posted Mar 26th 2008 at 3:04AM

Here we have it, confirmation that the second generation Eee PC will in fact feature an 8.9-inch (resistive) touchscreen display. Kevin Lin, ASUS VP of Sales, says that the $500 (starting price) Eee PC will begin shipping in May or June in 8GB to 12GB options with "possible GPS support." That's the same time ASUS plans to begin shipping its $200 Eee Desktop, aka the E-DT. Look, we're happy with your success with the Eee brand ASUS, but when are we getting our $200 Eee PC?

Filed under: Laptops

Tags: asus, breaking news, BreakingNews, e-dt, eee pc, EeePc, gps, kevin lin, KevinLin, touchscree

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Highly Ranked

nizzy1115 @ Mar 26th 2008 3:07AM

This laptop keeps getting more and more impressive. Will they ever offer a 32gb or 64gb ssd?

Neutral

Homeboy @ Mar 26th 2008 7:24AM

Two things:

1. The Eee don't feature SSD, it has embedded flash memory on the mother board.

2. 32GB and 64GB SSD drives cost so much that they are economically unfeasible to put under the hood of an Eee.

Neutral

rock99rock @ Mar 26th 2008 10:40AM

Two things:

1. Just because he asked if they were going to add an SSD in the future, didnt imply that he thought they already had SSD.

2. Economical feasibility is something that is decided upon on a person-to-person basis. There is no reason to believe that this options couldnt be available from Asus by the end of the year. Besides, people have already figured out ways to do it.

Neutral

bot @ Mar 26th 2008 11:53AM

Homeboy: I remember reading that this newer generation Eee will have standard a form factor SSD or HDD drive. Unless this was changed recently, which I missed, you can swap out the stock drive for your own. I'm assuming it will be 1.8" due to the size.

Neutral

dale_nx26 @ Mar 26th 2008 5:44PM

@OP

This laptop is getting more and more expensive. By what you are saying I bet you would praise the fact that if it cost $1,000 it would be even more impressive than prior EEE releases.

Highly Ranked

enlashok @ Mar 26th 2008 3:12AM

well there goes my savings

Neutral

Deputy Doffoos @ Mar 26th 2008 12:42PM

Dude, where's my WiMax????

Neutral

Razel @ Mar 26th 2008 3:15AM

Ok.It's great to hear that the notebook is going to have touchscreen and possibly GPS(will make great for outfiting in the car) BUT my question is how will exactly the touchscreen work.The first EEE Pc didn't have a tablet mode and this looks exactly like the former.Will the screen siwvell all the way to the other side?Imagine the excrusiating pain after a few hours of leaning to use the ts with your hands in the air.

Neutral

James Cameron @ Mar 26th 2008 4:19AM

You should check this out. They probably saw this guy version on youtube.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3VaerIGpO5Q&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=N8-BbOWVgXg&feature=related

Neutral

Pips @ Mar 26th 2008 3:17AM

I love how more and more info is being released. And i'm glad i did not pull the trigger on the current eee, BUT COME ON ALREADY !!!

Neutral

Reactive @ Mar 26th 2008 3:17AM

As the owner of a tx1000 tablet pc, I have to say touch is great, but there is a major disadvantage of the screen looking grainy and not as clear due to the extra digitiser layer. A touch screen can really enhance productivity on a notebook, but if you are getting it primarily to say watch movies, then you are arguably worse off.

Neutral

johnmc @ Mar 26th 2008 3:21AM

I haven't really found touch screens all that useful in laptops. Maybe if I could figure out some of that multi-touch gesture goodness, assuming of course that the hardware is capable of such things.

Neutral

skulldriveshaft @ Mar 26th 2008 3:22AM

oh snap!

Neutral

BradStar @ Mar 26th 2008 10:49AM

You know what it says when you touch the screen?

Eeeee!

Neutral

Skullfighter @ Mar 29th 2008 12:07PM

@BradStar

hEEE hEEE

Neutral

Wizrd54 @ Mar 26th 2008 3:23AM

$500? Thats getting to the point where you can get a real laptop. Its not that hard to find a decent laptop for $500-600 if you search around a little for some deals.

Neutral

sinjinn @ Mar 26th 2008 3:28AM

i predict a low rank for you.

Neutral

nizzy1115 @ Mar 26th 2008 3:28AM

Not one at this size.

Highly Ranked

Sabba @ Mar 26th 2008 3:33AM

but does that laptop have a touchscreen and is this small,lightweight and powered by kryptonite? i didn't think so. :)

Highly Ranked

Drew @ Mar 26th 2008 3:35AM

I could use a new dekstop.

Neutral

shakman @ Mar 26th 2008 3:41AM

Haha, Eee Dekstop... It's some sort of newfangled Asus branded card shuffling machine.

Neutral

Danny @ Mar 26th 2008 3:49AM

This device just screams for this sort of functionality. I'm surprised it wasn't included from the start.

Neutral

DiscoCat5 @ Mar 26th 2008 4:07AM

Eee pc can go suck a fat one,,,,

Neutral

LordFarkward @ Mar 26th 2008 5:23AM

well i would've asked it to suck yours but no one seems to be able to find it... can i have my microscope back?

Neutral

Lance @ Mar 26th 2008 8:23AM

OWNED!

Neutral

fusion @ Mar 26th 2008 4:09AM

A NEXT GEN EEEPC WITH 8.9 TOUCH SCREEN, NOW I REALLY WANT IT, CANT WAIT

Neutral

Sabba @ Mar 26th 2008 4:15AM

just confirmation because i'm confused...

are they saying that all the 8.9 versions will have a touchscreen, and will start at $500 ?

Neutral

James Cameron @ Mar 26th 2008 4:16AM

Now we're talking! Touchscreen and GPS!! Wow just wow!

Neutral

aendschl @ Mar 26th 2008 4:21AM

Oh my god, I really have to think about my next notebook...
Hope its possible to use with the windows tablet pc version, would be great!

Highly Ranked

Pixelbender @ Mar 26th 2008 4:30AM

So instead of trying to produce an EEE closer to the $199 price point, they're taking the name and tacking it on to higher end machines. While no doubt a cool laptop (features, size) per price, it won't be replacing my original 299 EEE.

Low Ranked

3rdsun @ Mar 26th 2008 5:36AM

Its called inflation

Neutral

Barron @ Mar 26th 2008 8:46AM

its called profit maximising

Neutral

CosterMonger @ Mar 26th 2008 10:17AM

then buy a 7" 2G surf

Neutral

Julian Bond @ Mar 26th 2008 4:39AM

Where have the speakers moved to? Are the overall physical dimensions the same? Does the camera get an upgrade?

Neutral

KyleK @ Mar 26th 2008 2:08PM

The speakers are under the palm restpads.
And the camera is 1.3MP.

Neutral

emdee @ Mar 26th 2008 4:46AM

Well, I'm still waiting for my 1st gen model. I ordered end of last year. Finally received it March and had to send it back because it was defective and now I have no idea when I'll be getting it. This is in Germany BTW. And they're still not available in Nordic countries. So I guess I can look forward to this sometime next year :(

Neutral