Asus relaunches the 8.9 inch netbook that started it all wit

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It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an 8.9 inch netbook. In fact, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that that was the original netbook form factor. Quickly, though, users got aggravated with them while significantly smaller than the 10 and 12 inch models of today, the keyboard was simply too cramped for anything besides hunt and pecking, and the displays were maddeningly small.
It’s strange then to see Asus re-introduce the 8.9 inch netbook with their new Asus Eee PC 900AX. Actually, “new” might be a bit of a stretch… this netbook is almost entirely stuck in 2007.
You could almost call it a relaunch. Unlike the latest Pinetrail Atom CPUs, the 900AX only boasts a 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor, which is decidedly last generation.
The last gen specs don’t end there. The battery is a mere four cells, good for only four hours of use. The usual three USB ports have been slimmed down to two. Instead of 802.11n WiFi, you have to satisfy yourself with b/g. The hard drive is half the size of modern netbooks at only 160GB. Even the OS is antediluvian: its Windows XP rather than Windows 7 Starter Edition. In fact, the only thing remotely modern is the panel: unlike the older 8.9 inch netbooks, the 900AX boasts a 1024×600 display panel.
It’s like a journey in the wayback machine. Asus hasn’t released price or dates yet, but expect this to be a budget affair. I wonder if Asus can get below $200 for it.
 
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