ASUS firms up prices for Eee PC's US launch

ASUS has solidified prices for the Eee PC in the US as well as its launch date, according to a leaked product sheet outlining details of the release. The company expects to launch three models that should vary significantly from the Taiwan release earlier this month. A top model, dubbed simply the 4G, will contain just half the memory and storage at 512MB and 4GB respectively but will include the webcam scrapped from the Asian edition; 4G Surf and 2G Surf versions will also be available and will drop some features to lower their respective prices, though these details are so far unknown aside from the use of 2GB in storage is certain on the 2G Surf. A reduction in memory to 256MB and the removal of the camera are possible.

The system builder nevertheless expects to follow a similar pattern to the Taiwan launch, the sheet notes. The launch would take place November 1st but would include just the premium model at first, which would sell at a price of $400. The 2G Surf and 4G Surf models will be available for $300 and $350 respectively but will ship on an undetermined future date to encourage early adopters to buy the top-end system.

Like the initial release, ASUS expects all Eee PCs to ship with a custom version of Linux but notes that the ultraportable notebooks support Windows XP for users that need it. No mention has been made of preloading the Microsoft OS on the American devices or offering it as a low-cost option. [via NotebookReview]