ASUS ships Eee PC 900, confirms multi-touch

ASUS has officially released the Eee PC 900, the larger, 8.9-inch version of its popular micro notebook. The larger-screened system not only ups the screen resolution from 800x480 to 1024x600 but represents ASUS' fastest and most feature-laden version. Onboard memory is doubled to 1GB of RAM, while storage is also significantly increased: while all editions ship with 4GB of flash storage soldered inside the system, a Windows XP model adds 8GB more (for a total of 12GB) while a Linux version uses its less expensive OS to allow for 16GB more, or 20GB. A sharper 1.3-megapixel webcam is also part of the 900 series.

The large Eee is also the first home of ASUS' new FingerGlide technology, according to the company. Confirming an FCC filing, the company says all Eee PC 900s will support basic multi-touch gestures on their trackpads, including a pinch motion to resize images and two-finger scrolling. The addition makes ASUS only the second company after Apple to offer these features in a notebook.

ASUS doesn't mention the processor for the portable other than to name Intel as a source, though previous reports have confirmed it will use the same Celeron M as before in an initial production run and will switch to the faster, cooler Atom architecture in June.

No US launch dates have followed the announcement. A previous announcement revealed a $500 price point which is now likely to be shared between both Linux and Windows versions. ASUS has also stated that a WiMAX version of the Eee PC 900 is expected for use on Sprint's Xohm or similar networks, but hasn't revealed its specifications or pricing.

Filed under: computers
Other story tags: Intel, Linux, sprint, ASUS, Atom, Eee PC, WiMAX, Xohm, Celeron