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

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.

well there goes my savings

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 !!!

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.

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.

oh snap!

$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.

I could use a new dekstop.

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

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

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

just confirmation because i'm confused...

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

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

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!

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.

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

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 :(

3G enclosure now!! XD

Offer XP on 12 GB SSDs and I'll buy one.

So what is the difference between a Resistive and Captive touch screen?

Hopefully they'll put a suitable size battery in it.

Buy the 12Gb Linux version and use this guide: http://wiki.eeeuser.com/windowsxp

Or maybe just try linux for a little while, who knows, it might grow on you.

ASUS are going to end up adding so many features that it'll end up costing more than a proper laptop. :P

Thats great! It's OFFICIAL! The New Eee PC MAY include GPS possibly!

Terrific! Fantastic! The best one!

Me definitely wants one!!!! Now I can replace painlessly my old and mistreated MacBook......
Now she knows my plans, she will conspire to will me exploding her battery in my face :(

ARGH! We just wanted the cheap linux based Eee with a bigger screen! Not another one that costs $200 more with stuff we don't want :[ Options, Asus, options!

They've got my money, where can I pre-order?

Interresting. Now the screen takes all the black part of the previous version. Now with a nice little wide screen but I wonder where are the speakers.

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but this doesn't even make sense and I don't know why anyone would take these comments seriously.

Having a touch screen on a traditional notebook display (i.e. one that doesn't swivel and fold flat like a tablet) makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. It defeats the purpose of having a touch screen.

And where are they going to put the stylus? Are they going to redesign the menu system to make icons/text bigger to accommodate a finger touch instead of a mouse cursor -- especially with the rather dense 8.9", 1024x600 display.

I'm sorry, but I think that something got lost in translation when the original story was created b/c this sounds stupid.

That is pretty sweet. I wish I had more cash...

I am really considering getting an EEE for my next laptop, the smaller $200 ones, but I am not sure if it is too small. In fact, the 9" may be too small.

I plan on using it with my linux server at home, since X natively allows you to use remote applications and they will run on that computer. I won't need raw power as long as I can connect to my server.

That is the one and only reason I haven't purchased it. I keep looking at the tablet form.

Uhm, this is a resistive touchscreen, not a digitizer. The disadvantage is that the position sensing on the screen isn't as accurate, but the advantage is that the image quality on the screen shouldn't be any lower just because of the presence of the touchscreen.

Don't care about Touch Screen, but the larger size is nice. Ditch the touch and give me back my $50.

well im out
really was just waiting for a slightly bigger screen around the same price point, regular notebooks are coming out with no moving parts and for this price might as well have a dvd burner in it

may still get after some price drops

OK ASUS, you win....heres my money...

It's end of March and the unit likely ships in May and he can't tell us whether it includes GPS????

test

Didn't read all the posts so I apologize in advance for possibly double-posting, but E-DT link takes me right back to this site, not a site related to the Eee desktop. Also, HP is currently working on a UMPC whose specs are downright tasty, and the price is supposedly going to be as low as $600ish. Of course the best laid plans of mice and men and all that, but here's hoping that HP keeps the specs nice and the price low.

I don't have any money, but I could go into little more dept... I'll take one in black.

Price, price, price - Seems like everyone wants more features but this drives up the cost. The original concept was what got people wanting this thing - what was it $100? still even now they are selling and the only major thing people seemed to want was a larger screen to fill the black bars where the speakers are. Moving the price to the $500 area this is where it disconnects - even for its size a regular laptop seems better value.

Not a bad portable laptop for $500 with GPS and touchscreen.

I wish I have $$$ to get one.

Man I don't get this. I want my GPS small and portable(in my pocket). Why do I need a touch screen if it dosen't rotate? So when the "screen touchy" people start poking my screen, something actually happens? Sound annoying.
I just want a higher rez display, 8GB min and the lowest price possible.

How will this work with linux, or any other os? I agree without swivel its pointless. I hope its optional, i am looking forward to the 8.9 inch Eee, like the last model , but with a bigger screen

I think the Eee concept is losing its way. The original intent was great - a highly portable device with no moving parts that was lower in cost due to its lower specifications. It fit nicely into what appeared to be a gap in the portable computing market. The product was a perfect second computer. I have a Macbook and I'm planning on buying a 2G or 4G Eee PC because I really could use a more portable computer that fits easily in my bag and it would come in handy on the road or at impromptu business meetings.

Now Asus is just leveraging the rapid rise in Eee brand awareness without thinking very far ahead. First, they're introducing new model with additional specifications and costs, which places it outside of the original market gap and into existing and well-populated product categories. Second, they're slapping the Eee brand on unrelated products.

They're trying to grow the brand too quickly. It's not as strong a brand as they think - it's still new and honestly, it has a horrible name - and they'll likely dilute it. It had a cheap geek cool factor on a mini laptop, but I think it's going to fall apart applied to cheap desktops and cheap TVs. Asus isn't exactly known for their marketing and branding expertise. They're trying to be an Apple or Sony but they don't have the marketing department or the advertising agency to back it up.

so is the battery life still shite?

and what's the point of touch screen if its not tabletable? err, tablet-able.

Eh, didn't they say April or May earlier? Hope this doesn't drag out... next month we'll see June or July, with an MSRP of $600 lol.

I used to have a Fujitsu B series which was a touch screen in notebook form only. It worked fine, it was nice to use the screen instead of a mouse (though it could get tiring for long sessions) or for drawing/alternative UIs. I'm very glad to see this feature coming to the Eee, though a higher screen res (XGA minimum) is also important.

That's just one implementation of a touchscreen. My Fujitsu b-series had a shiny, non grainy screen.

Will it be as fast as the 7" eee? More resolution requires more video processing power. They should skip the via processor and go strait for the intel, though im not sure if that is much better... is it?

I've regretted being an early adopter before, but never this much

I have never seen a second generation product fix nearly every problem with the first generation

And its only $100 more

$500? Not likely. Fool me once Asus...
The current 8GB model sells for that much on Newegg.

I am sold.