Asus Eee PC roadmap leaked: Ion netbooks, multitouch T91; ultrathin PCs

An apparently leaked roadmap for popular computer manufacturer Asus reveals the roadmap for the company's popular Eee PC franchise, including a 12-inch, $499 laptop based on Nvidia's Ion platform and its T91 tablet system with Windows 7 multitouch capabilities.

According to two presentation slides that reportedly leaked to the Eeeuser.com forum, a new 12-inch Eee PC 1201N will offer Nvidia's Ion platform, an Intel Atom N270 CPU, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Bluetooth and 802.11n for $499 in mid-October.

Additionally, a 1005HA-P model with an Atom N280 CPU and 250GB HDD option running Windows 7 will also arrive in October for $399. The 1005HA-M will offer an Atom N270 CPU, 250GB hard drive and Windows 7 Starter Edition for $349.

According to the translated report, new 1008HA models are on the way, as well as a multitouch, Windows 7-based T91 convertible tablet with 32GB SSD priced at $549.

Meanwhile, a DigiTimes report notes that Asus also plans to launch two new ultra-thin notebooks using Intel's upcoming 45nm Celeron 743 and SU2300 entry-level CPUs on Sept. 7, 2009.

The report also notes that rivals MSI and Acer "will follow suit to announce their new ultra-thin notebooks soon after." Ultra-thin models "will account for 10 to 20 percent" of Asus' total notebook shipments in Q3 2009, according to the report.