ASUS preps $500 'iMac killer' Eee PC desktop

ASUS is expanding its Eee PC line to include not one but multiple extra models, including an all-in-one desktop, the company said today at a press event. The E-Monitor will aim to do what the original Eee PC notebook did for portables by reducing the cost of entry for the class; the system will have a screen between 19 and 21 inches large but use Intel's low-cost Shelton platform to help drive down prices. A finished system should cost just $500 despite including a TV tuner, ASUS says. The Taiwan PC maker does not elaborate on full details but is most likely to use Linux to improve both relative performance and the cost, which is less than half that of the $1200 base iMac it sees as a rival.

The computer builder also says it will build a headless desktop, the E-DT, which will at first use a Celeron but then switch to the Shelton platform. Most details are unavailable, though the price should range between $200 and $300 and is being pushed towards the $200 mark. A third system known as the E-TV will combine a basic Eee PC platform with a 42-inch LCD TV and should cost about $200 more than a comparable TV that ships without such features.

ASUS plans to ship the E-DT first in April or May, at the same time as projected enhanced Eee PC notebooks. Both the E-Monitor and the E-TV are scheduled to launch in September, shortly after the Shelton platform becomes available for production.

E-TV prototype