Asus took advantage of the CeBIT tradeshow in Germany today to announce a version of its low-cost micro laptop with a wider screen.

Like the current models, the Eee PC 900 series will have a clamshell design and run a version of the Linux operating system. In addition, Asus says it will be ready to have Microsoft Windows installed on them if the user wants to.

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The most obvious change in the upcoming version will be the 8.9-inch display, up from 7 inches.

Update: New information coming from CeBIT indicates that the upcoming model will also have a higher-resolution screen: 1024 by 600 pixels.

In addition, versions of the Eee PC 900 will have up to 1 GB of RAM and storage capacity of up to 12 GB, much more than in the current versions.

Update: To make room for the new features, the newest model will be a bit larger: from about 2 lbs to about 2.2 lbs, and the device will be slightly thicker.

Coming Soon

These new Eee PCs will cost 400 Euro each, and will be available in the summer of this year in select countries on the first wave of launch.

When the second generation of this device will be released in the United States, and will cost in this country, is not yet known.

Specifications

As the Eee PC 900 is still a few months away from its launch, some of the specifications of this model are still tenative:

Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV 900MHz (may be changed to newer processor)

Storage: 12 GB of Flash-based storage (SSD)

Memory: 1 GB of RAM

OS: Linux (Asus customized)

Screen: 8.9-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolution

Ports: 3 USB, 1 monitor, headphone jack, microphone input, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Kensington lock slot, Ethernet 10/100

Webcam: 1.3 MP resolution

Battery: 4-cell 5200 mAh (rated at 3.5 hours)

Wireless: 802.11b/g Atheros

Input: Keyboard and Touchpad

Price: 400 EUR



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