Asus goes upmarket with Eee PC S101

Asus has redesigned the external casing of the Eee PC S101

Asus has added a new model to its Eee PC range of mini laptops that is designed to be a cut above the cheap-and-cheerful image of the original.

The Eee PC S101, expected in the UK from November, builds on the form factor, ergonomics and features of its predecessors but adds more elegant styling, according to Asus.

In size, the new model is roughly comparable to the Eee PC 1000 launched earlier this year, but is lighter at just over 1Kg and slimmer at about 18-25mm thick. Despite this, it also features a slightly larger 10.2in display.

Asus has redesigned the external casing of the Eee PC S101, which will be available in three colour schemes described as Brown, Champagne or Graphite.

As has become standard for mini laptops, the new Eee PC is based on Intel's N270 Atom processor and is available with either Windows XP or Linux.

The XP model has 1GB memory and 16GB of Flash storage in place of a hard drive, while the Linux version has 2GB memory and 32GB or 64GB of storage.

The Eee PC S101 supports 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and also features three USB ports, Ethernet and a 4-in-1 reader for SD Card, MMC, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro Flash disks.

Asus claims a battery life of up to five hours with the new model, thanks to its Super Hybrid Engine for power management.

The UK price for the Eee PC S101 has not been confirmed, but is expected to be higher than earlier models at about £449.