ASUS Eee PC Running Windows 7 in the Works
In an interview with Laptop, ASUS' CEO, Jerry Shen, confirmed that ASUS will introduce a new Eee PC sometime in the second half of 2009 that will have a touch screen and run Windows 7. Given that Microsoft has said it plans general availability of the new operating system around January 2010, there’s a bit of a discrepancy here. 
Promising more details in the first quarter of next year (we’re guessing CES), Shen also indicated that the company doesn’t plan on putting Vista on any of the Eee PCs.
Other noteworthy snippets from the interview:
- The company has sold four million Eee PCs to date.
- Touch-enabled Eee PCs are coming in early 2009. ASUS is exploring a convertible mode and a regular laptop form for touch enabled Eee PCs.
- ASUS is working to improve battery life, in part using a new technology called ExpressTest, which improves boot up time and battery.
- The EeeStick will be bundled with the EeeBox, EeeTop, and the EeePCs soon. It will also be sold separately in some countries.
- Prices will be as low as $250 for some of the upcoming Eee PC models.
Here’s hoping Mr. Shen is right regarding the second half of 2009 target for the Eee PC running on Windows 7—after all, we’re always anxious to check out a cool new OS. That is assuming, of course, that Windows 7 isn’t completely ridden with bugs.
