The next generation of Eee laptop PCs from Asustek Computer Inc. will come with multitouch trackpads, larger screens, better webcams and increased data storage capacity, a company representative said today.
The Eee PC 900 boasts an 8.9-in. screen, compared with a 7-in. display on the original Eee PC 701, plus a 1.3-megapixel camera and a 12GB solid-state disk drive (SSD). The webcam on the Eee PC 701 is only a 0.3-megapixel model, and the largest SSD available on a 701 is 8GB.
The Eee PC 900 also has an oversized touchpad that's similar to the Macbook Air's touchpad in terms of the way it operates. Using two fingers, a person can zoom in and out of documents and photos, scroll up or down, and more, according to an Asustek representative.
A picture of the Eee PC 900 can be found on the Federal Communications Commission's Web site, where details were submitted for approval by the U.S. government regulator.
Despite some news reports saying otherwise, the Eee PC 900 won't have a touch screen or GPS technology, the Asustek representative said.
The Eee PC 900 will come preloaded with either Windows XP or Linux operating systems, the representative said.
The first devices will likely hit some markets by June. Pricing will vary by country, but in Europe, the new Eee PC will cost around €399 ($626 U.S.).