Digital Trends

With prices reaching up to $699 in the US, Asus' next-gen Eee models will lose their cheap appeal but gain plenty of features in the process.

Asus’ 901 and 1000 series Eee notebooks may be the most significant (and perhaps most highly anticipated) upgrades to the Eee since its launch, but all the price additions may edge the Eee out of the ultra-low pricing structure that made it a hit to begin with. According to new pricing information released by Laptop magazine, the new Eees will fall well into traditional laptop territory, with prices up to $699.

An Asus representative told Laptop that the 9-inch Eee 901 would likely sell for $599 when it comes stateside, and the 10-inch Eee 1000 would sell for $699. While the systems will be available with either Linux or Windows for that price, Asus will also release another model, the Eee 1000H, that shaves $50 off the price by ditching Windows.

As previously speculated, all machines will get Intel Atom processors, with different screen sizes serving as the main differentiation between them. The version of the 901 with Windows will come with a 12GB SSD, while Linux versions will pick up a 20GB SSDs. The 1000 will get a 40GB SSD, and the 1000H, an actual 80GB hard drive.

Although the new pricing information did come from Asus, the company spokesman was careful to note that it was estimated and subject to change.