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As with the MacBook Air, the new Eee S101 will feature a 64GB SSD, and be powered by the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom found in the Eee 901 and 1000, so will likely be within reach of the MacBook Air's performance, if slightly lower.

The laptop comes fitted with a battery-friendly LED backlit 10.2in TFT screen, powered by a 945GME chipset. Asus is currently lacking a high-end ultraportable, and the S101 is expected to fill this niche.

The notebook was revealed by Asus president Jerry Shen, who removed the device from an envelope, a sly jab at Apple's marketing campaign for the MacBook Air.

In the US the 64GB version will sell for $899, with a cheaper 32GB version costing just $699. However, the model is a long way from the Eee brand's humble beginnings as an affordable 7in netbook. Shen suggested that the Eee branding may be removed before its launch.

Shen announced earlier this month that yet more new Eee PCs will be released in September, with SSD drives up to 120GB in capacity and with dual-core Atom processors.