14 DAY TRIAL // Rumored since late last year, the S121 netbook has finally made its debut, courtesy of its creator, the Taiwanese manufacturer, ASUS. The company has just announced the new 12-inch netbook, coming to provide its users with a staggering 512GB of storage space on a Flash-based SSD. According to ASUS, this is the first netbook that can deliver the incredible 512GB SSD, offering both a high-capacity storage solution and a higher level of performance. In addition, when showcased, the ultra-thin light netbook was featured with Microsoft's highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system.
There are few details to go on for the time being but the new system is expected to provide an impressive 8 hours of battery life. It is unlikely that, when it will become available, the S121 will be featured with the Window 7 OS, as this operating system isn't due for a release until late 2009, or early the following year. However, the fact that Windows 7 has been used to showcase the touchscreen capabilities of the new ASUS netbook demonstrates just how close ASUS and the Redmond, Washington-based software giant are working together.
“We're deeply partnered with Asus on Windows 7,” said David Fester, general marketing manager at Microsoft's OEM division, at a news conference ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which opens tomorrow in Las Vegas.
Unlike most netbooks in the company's lineup, the new S121 hasn't been branded with the Eee moniker and has been designed as a different system altogether. Aside from the massive 512GB of storage space, the S121 is expected to come with a 1.33GHz Atom Z520 processor and sport ASUS' own Super Hybrid Engine tech. Another thing that will differentiate the 12-inch netbook from its competitors is the expected price tag, which is said to settle around US$1649, close to what you would be required to pay for a fully-fledged notebook. In fact, with this price tag, the S121 could rival Apple's famous MacBook Air, which sports a slightly bigger display (13.3-inch LED-backlit display) and Intel's 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo processor.
ASUS is expected to provide the full range of specifications later this week, so stay tuned as we will try to update on the story as soon as details become available.