Asustek, makers of the very popular Eee PC’s, has announced that they will be offering additional models during 2008. The new computers will be versions of the Eee PC called Ultimate and Pro models and will be in the $700 range. According to this article which states:

Asustek Computer plans to launch more Eee PCs designed to address different market segments, according to company president Jerry Shen.

Shen said he anticipates the netbook and Mobile Internet Device (MID) markets will offer substantial business potential in the future generating demand as high as one billion units based on forecasts by Intel. He also noted that Intel is expected to keep shipping Atom N270 CPUs through late second quarter 2009 implying notebook vendors will have consistent processor support.

Asustek currently has a total of 11 Eee PC models on the market differentiated in terms of size, CPU type and design. Shen added that two new categories, Ultimate and Pro Fashion, are planned for 2008. These models will feature dual-core Atom processors and larger storage (either 120GB HDD or 32GB SSD). Shen said he anticipates total Eee PC shipments will exceed 1.5-1.6 million units in the third quarter, putting the company on track to achieve its targeted annual shipments of five million units.

Regarding the launch schedule of these upcoming Eee PCs, Shen detailed that an Eee PC with 32GB SSD (S series) will be introduced in late September. The model will feature a 10.1-inch 16:9 ratio LED backlit panel and battery life of 4-5 hours. The new Eee PC will be priced in the range of US$700-900 and will be the first Eee PC designed for the high-end market, Shen detailed.

In related news, industry watchers have pointed out that among major panel makers in Taiwan, Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) and Innolux Display are the only two capable of producing the 10.1-inch panels Asustek is planning to use in upcoming Eee PC devices. Since 10.1-inch panels are relatively weak due to limits in their possible thickness, a stronger chassis lid design is required.

What is going to be interesting is to see how this will effect the other OEM’s, some of who are just getting into the mini-notebook market. It is hoped that this competition could lower pricing on all models, which would be a benefit to consumers. 2008 should be a great year for the introduction of new laptop, mini-laptop and netbooks computers.

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