Eee II PC with Windows launches in Japan

My predictions did come true! Well, more or less -- it's not Vista. The 4G-X will cost ¥50,000 ($468/£239/€320).Asus finally launched the first Windows version of the Eee II PC in Japan on Thursday, CNet reports.

The Taiwanese company was originally set to launch Windows-running versions of the hit sub-notebook in December, and has now declared US shipments in late February or early March.

Dubbed the Eee PC 4G-X, it will come (like its Japanese counterpart) pre-loaded with Windows XP Home Edition. It has the same hardware specs as the original Eee PC 701, aka the 4G, introduced last fall: 4GB of storage, Intel Celeron 900MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, etc. In addition to 4GB of storage, the 0.92kg 4G-X has 512MB of DDR 2 memory, a 7in, 800 x 480 display, three USB 2.0 ports, SDHC memory card reader, 10/100Mb/s Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and a 0.3-megapixel webcam. According to RegHardware.co.uk Asus is, however, bundling the Eee with a 4GB SDHC card, which makes the 4G-X actually come with 8GB of storage.

Looks like I was right in guessing that the Eee wouldn't ship with Vista after all, although it's worth noting that Windows XP running on Western Eee PCs usually cites the CPU being actually clocked at 630MHz.

The 4G-X will cost ¥50,000 ($468/£239/€320). [image: CNet]

If you're interested in laptops, you might want to check out All about the MacBook Air.

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What the new Eee II will have

[Update: Eee II PC with Windows launches in Japan]

For the uninitiated, Asus(or Asustek, to be exact) will unveil its second generation of ultraportable, flash memory-based laptop at the Consumer Electronics Show, next week in Las Vegas. Dubbed the Asus Eee PC ('easy to learn, easy to work, easy to play'), the present versions come as cheap as $299, and understandably Microsoft, Dell, Palm and Apple already hate the Taiwanese company.

The new Eee PC II will almost certainly boast next-gen technology, including Wimax integration with Sprint, and come with Windows preinstalled and a larger display. Here's my bet for the minimum specs: OS: Windows XP Professional (the current versions run Linux, specifically Xandros running KDE); RAM: 1GB DDR2 ; hard drive: 4GB (flash); connectivity: Wimax with Sprint, LAN, WLAN, 3 USB 2.0 ports, MMC/SD card reader; processor: 1 GHz; display: 8.9-inch (diagonal) TFT LCD with LED backlight and 800x600 pixels (it's currently 7 inches); built-in 0.3 megapixel video camera.

Although some people have managed to run Windows Vista on Eee, I believe Eee II won't have Vista preinstalled in its minimum offerings. Reasons: the Eee debuted in last October, and there simply wasn't enough time to deal with Microsoft within this period. And, perhaps more importantly, the Eee still suffers from significant software issues, apart from having been criticized for a small display and battery not lasting longer. Hence, we might see Vista on an Eee II, one that has 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of (flash) disk space. For future versions, I hope Asus improves the external looks of the Eee. If something is that good, it deserves to be more stylish.

Most of the reviews for the Eee have been positive have been positive so far, and everyone in the industry is convinced that CES 2008 will push more people towards favoring Asus. For the time being you can check out the Eees NCIX has to offer in Canada. [image: eBay]

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