14 DAY TRIAL // Asustek's next generation of Eee PC has just landed on the FCC's workbench, where it got minutely dissected and specified. The Federal Communications Commission's report revealed quite some nifty features to go along with it's larger, resistive screen.
In spite of Asustek officials' statements, the new Eee PC 900 features a power adapter much larger than the previous 401 model, and while it might not be such a big deal, it's worth taking the aspect into account if you plan on traveling a lot.
On the bright side, the new sub-notebook model features Bluetooth, while the upcoming version will come with integrated WiMax and HSDPA long-distance Wi-Fi connectivity. Bluetooth will be especially useful for the so-called "road warriors" who can now take advantage of an external Bluetooth-based mouse for their mundane computing needs.
The Eee PC 900 will also support hard-disk drives as a primary storage medium, given the fact that more and more users are complaining with its small SSD-based storage. Other interesting novelties include a new tracking technology, called "Multi-finger gesture input". It is alleged to allow users to input data in a similar manner to the iPhone touch technology, by pinching the trackpad in order to zoom in or out.
The second-generation Eee PC will be definitely powered by Intel's upcoming Atom "Diamondville" processor, which is expected to increase the battery lifespan to a few extra hours. "In the near future, we also are trying to support one-day computing which would provide more than 8 hours. I think in May we might be closer to providing that," said Asus CEO Jerry Shen.
However, there are only a few details about the touchscreen features and the accompanying built-in GPS module, and it seems that these features will be stripped down from the initial release.