Asus set to debut volume shipments of the $199 EEE PC

By Joel Hruska | Published: August 21, 2007 - 06:01PM CT
Asus has announced it intends to begin shipping the ultra low-cost EEE PC in September. According to Asus, the E's in the title stand for "Easy to learn", "Excellent Internet", and "Excellent mobile computing experience." Asus reportedly plans to ship up to 500,000 of these systems in 2007, and up to 3-5 million in 2008.




As Digitimes reports, the EEE PC will be available at multiple price points, from $199 - $369, with the $349 model targeting the US mainstream. Overall specifications on the EEE are as follows:

• 7" LCD Display
• 900MHz Celeron-M ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) 353
• Intel 910 Chipset
• 512MB DDR2-400 RAM
• 4, 8, or 16GB solid-state storage
• ASUS-customized, Xandros-derived Linux OS
• Dimensions: 225x165x21-35mm
• Weight: ~2 lbs
• Colors: White, Black

The variations in price are almost certainly due to the size of the solid state storage drive available within the unit. At a potential $199 price point, the EEE PC could offer some significant competition to the OLPC initiative, but we won't be able to directly compare the two units until we have shipping hardware available. By concentrating on the $349 model first, Asus seems to be focusing on establishing a brand and market presence in the sub-notebook market first, rather than attempting to go head-to-head with the OLPC's mandate of providing a useful computer to the developing nations of the world.

Asus Eee PC 700 2GB/Black - $150 non-refundable deposit 7" (800x480) Internet PC
2GB Flash Storage (No HD)
256MB RAM
Black only
$150 Non-refundable deposit req'd.
When the unit ships
we will charge the balance.
Units start shipping in late September.
$259.99 Asus Eee PC 700 2GB/Webcam/Case - $150 non-refundable deposit 7" (800x480) Internet PC
2GB Flash Storage (No HD)
256MB RAM
Webcam built-in
Carry Bag Included
White or Black Color
$150 Non-refundable deposit req'd.
When the unit ships
we will charge the balance.
Units start shipping in late September.
$299.00 Asus Eee PC 701 - 4Gb/Webcam/Case - $150 non-refundable deposit 7" (800x480) Internet PC
4GB Flash Storage (No HD)
512MB RAM
Webcam built-in
Carry Bag Included
White or Black Color
$150 Non-refundable deposit req'd.
When the unit ships
we will charge the balance.
Units start shipping in late September.