Acer set to unveil Eee PC killer?

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 10 Mar 2008 at 12:11

Acer looks set to unveil its long-awaited rival to the Eee PC at a press event later this month.

The company has invited the IT press to a conference on 20 March, at which it will showcase "an innovative, industry-first, laptop design".

Acer has long been expected to produce its own rival to the Eee PC, and reportedly told journalists at CeBIT 2008 last week that such a device will arrive by the summer.

The timing should coincide with the launch of Intel's Atom processor, which is designed for use in low-cost laptops and ultraportable devices.

The Acer device could arrive just as Asus launches the second generation of its Eee PC. The Eee PC 900 will squeeze a 9in screen into the same chassis as the original 7in Eee PC 701, and may include as much as 12GB of storage, judging by the display model we saw at CeBIT last week. Asus has also brought Windows XP to the Eee PC range.

Acer isn't the only company attempting to jump on the Eee PC's coattails - MSI is rumoured to be launching a low-cost ultraportable called the "Wind".