ASUS Eee PC 904 HD to get bigger, use hard drive

ASUS today confirmed the existence of at least one new Eee PC model that it hopes will appeal to more users. Now called Eee PC 904 HD, the system will have the case of the 10-inch Eee PC 1001 but the 8.9-inch display of the 901. The "HD" moniker also reveals a switch to hard drive storage away from solid-state drives; the leap will give it more capacity without affecting price.

Most specifications for the system remain a mystery, though the 904 name implies it will be a close relative of the 901, which has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of memory, and in most versions will come with ASUS' customized version of Xandros Linux. Previous Eee PC models have also come preloaded with Windows XP, though usually at the expense of storage due to the more expensive operating system.

While a second Eee PC 905 model isn't confirmed, the 904 HD should be ASUS' most inexpensive system with a 9-inch screen and will sell for about £250 in the UK, or $500 in the US and $100 less than the 901. An ASUS official contradicts earlier rumors and says the 904 HD won't replace any models but will be a "different solution" for some users. [images via Eee PC News]