Medion to launch Eee PC competitor, the E1210

German computer and consumer electronics maker Medion is set to unveil an ASUS EEE PC 900 competitor with its Akoya E1210, according to French sources. The 10-inch mini laptop is believed to utilize Intel's small Atom processor running at 1.6GHz or higher and at least 1GB of RAM. Unlike the Eee PC, there will not be an SSD drive offered, with Medion opting to use an iPod-like 1.8-inch HDD of unknown capacity.

Operating systems will include a choice of either Windows XP or Linux. The latter option will result in a lower price or better specifications, or possibly both, thanks to saved licensing costs. The E1210's other features will include a 1.3-megapixel camera, just like the ASUS UMPC, a VGA output, integrated memory card reader and at least 2 USB ports along with an ethernet port. Color choices will include white or grey.

While there is no announcement from Medion about the UMPC coming to North America, the laptop will launch in Europe at the end of the summer, topping out at an equivalent of approximately $630.