Asustek's Eee PC miniature notebook is a great success in America and the manufacturer plans to score the same results in Australia, with the advent of its Windows XP-based model. The 8.9-inch Eee PC model is reportedly slated to retail for a lower price than the Linux-powered counterpart.

The Taiwanese company is currently offering two models of the Eee PC 900. Until now, the ultra-mobile PC was only available with a Linux-based operating system, called Xandros, but Asustek introduced a Windows XP version for the first time in the computer's short history.

Both versions were initially estimated to sell for as much as $549, despite the fact that the Windows XP model has to cover for licensing. However, Asustek planned to release the Linux machines with 20 GB of solid-state storage, while the XP counterparts would only come with 12 GB of disk space. According to initial reports emerging from the manufacturer, Australians will be able to purchase the Linux version for $612 (United States Dollars), while the Windows machines will sell for only $565.

Despite the fact that this is a fair price estimation, based on the fact that solid-state drives are still expensive, Linux users are not quite happy with the manufacturer's choice of promoting Windows in favor of their beloved Xandros OS. The transition to Windows is regarded as 'violent', given the fact that the Eee PC was regarded as the coat of arms of Linux home users.

The second version of the Eee PC will be on retail starting the end of May for the Australian continent, while the official launch in America will take place on May 12th. The new iteration of the Eee PC is expected to enjoy the same success as its 7-inch predecessor. According to the local product manager Albert Liang, the 7-incher "has generated a tremendous amount of noise into the market".