Asus' 2009 Eee PC Plans: More For Less?Asus' 2009 Eee PC Plans: More For Less?

Shopping for a quality entry-level netbook? You might be interested to hear what Asus has planned for its Eee PC lineup in 2009.Almost exactly a year ago, Asus launched the netbook revolution with its original Eee PC. Just a year later, according to Asus President Jerry Shen, Eee PC shipments now account for more than 20 percent of the company's revenue. While Shen says Asus wants to claim at least 30 percent of the netbook market in 2009, the company will face stiff competition; at least two dozen other hardware OEMs, including big names like HP, Dell, and Acer, now sell their own Linux- and Windows-based netbook models.

Asus has steadily expanded its Eee PC lineup to include a number of models with different display sizes, operating system options (Windows XP Home or Linux), storage technology -- and, of course, prices. The company's new PCS101 netbook, for example, will retail for around $800, which is almost twice as much as the original Eee PC.

Shen said Asus will simplify its Eee PC lineup in places; models with seven- and nine-inch displays, for example, are on the way out. At the same time, he said, Asus will introduce a new entry-level Eee PC model early next year that will retail for around $200.

Netbook PCs in the $200-$300 price range are nothing new, and netbooks with 10 inch displays are also old news. But a $200 netbook with a 10 inch display from an A-list hardware vendor? Now that would be interesting.

Could a $200 Eee PC with a 10 inch display win Asus the netbook market-share crown? I don't know, but it would certainly raise the bar for pretenders to the throne.