Undeterred by slumping netbook sales, Asus announced three such devices, one of which — the Eee PC X101 — will be offered with the Linux-based MeeGo operating system for just $200. The EeePC X101 comes with a new 1.33GHz Atom N435 processor, while the Windows-only EeePC 1025C and 1025CE will include the “Cedar Trail” Atom N2600 and N2800, according to multiple reports.

Asus followed its usual strategy of issuing only a brief press release, leaving the specifications of its new products to be unearthed by bloggers prowling the aisles at this week's Computex show in Taipei. As you'll see later in this story, the company did post images of the devices on its "Campus Life" blog, which it also used to proclaim "Asus isn't done with the netbook world yet."

It's generally accepted that netbook sales are falling because tablets have become so popular (though, we'd argue that given the inadequate screen resolutions and underpowered CPUs on most netbooks, it's product failings that have been to blame, not the tablet fad). As we reported last week, Intel has cut the price of its new, netbook-oriented N2600 and N2800 Atoms to just $42 and $47, respectively.

Now, Intel and Asus have outed yet another Atom, the 1.33GHz N435, apparently a down-rated version of the chip giant's previous N450. So new it doesn't appear on Intel's online listing of 42 other Atoms, the N435 is aimed at OEMs desiring to create the most inexpensive netbook possible — which is exactly what Asus has done. (Other products that will use the N435 include Acer's Aspire One Happy, Lenovo's IdeaPad S100, and Samsung's N100, says Intel.)

Asus Eee PC X101
(Click to enlarge)

According to Asus, its Eee PC X101 (above) will start at just $200 with the Intel-backed MeeGo operating system on board. The device will also be offered with Windows 7 (presumably at a higher price), and in versions featuring either SSDs (solid state disks) or hard disk drives.

Asus adds that the Eee PC X101 will feature a 10.1-inch screen, will be just 0.66 inches thick, and weigh "just a shade over two pounds." According to Sascha Pallenberg of NetbookNews.de — who obtained specs and images including the device's setup screen, plus the video embedded later in this story — the device will be offered in multiple colors, include 1GB of base RAM, and offer a 2600mAh battery.

Asus' "Campus Life" blog also brought word of two higher-end netbooks — the EeePC 1025C and 1025CE — which are said to be the latest in the company's varied line of "Seashell" designs. These are described only as using "dual-core Intel Atom processors," but we know thanks to another Sascha Pallenberg posting that they actually employ the "Cedar Trail" Atom N2600 and N2800 mentioned earlier in this story.

Asus Eee PC 1025C
(Click to enlarge)

The N2600 and N2800 are indeed both dual-core, and reportedly have TDPs of 3.5 and 6.5 Watts, respectively. Asus will offer the device with either three- or six-cell batteries and, according to the company's blog posting, "Standby time is extended to up to three weeks so you can forget searching for an outlet every time you sit down somewhere to check your e-mail."

Asus did not provide further specs, but according to Pallenberg, the Eee PC 1025C and 1025CE will feature 10.1-inch display with the usual (inadequate!) 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, up to 2GB of DDR3 memory, up to 500GB of hard disk storage, plus outputs including both VGA and HDMI ports. The 1025C will be available later this year for approximately $250, while the 1025CE will cost about $280, he adds.

Jonathan Angel can be reached at [email protected] and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.

This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.