Asus to release three EeePC models in September

According to the Chinese website Buynow, Asus will be releasing 3 models of the EeePC in September. Price range will be USD229 - 239, USD269 - 299, and USD349 - 369. Asus has also designed and implemented new applications and interface, including voice command functionality so that a user can verbally command the EeePC to "go online."

In addition, the previously announced 1001 model will not be released as an EeePC model but will be part of the mainstream sub-notebook line. The EeePC line will be limited to 7" to 9" LCDs. Second generation EeePC's with 8 to 8.9" LCDs and Intel's fanless Menlow (UMPC) platform will be released between Q4 07 and early next year.

Of the three models scheduled for September release, the USD199 model will come with a 2 cell battery which will last a minimum of two hours. The other two models will use a 4 cell battery which will last 2.5-4 hours. A 6 cell battery will support more than 5 hours of use.

Not surprisingly, Asus is facing several problems including price increase and flash memory supply. However the company is still projecting sales of 200,000 units by the end of this year, 300,000-500,000 units by March next year, and after the second generation EeePC launches, 3-5 million units by early 2009.

Note: There is a discrepancy in the article re the price of the entry model. The price range initially quotes is USD229 - 239 but in the middle of the article, the original price of USD199 is used.