Taipei (Taiwan) - Asus kicked of Computex 2008 with the Eee PC 901, the Eee PC 1000 and the Eee PC 1000H. The product family is quickly evolving from once was a cheap sub-$300 notebook to a trendy gadget that is expected to hit mainstream notebook prices. Also on display is a WiMax-equipped EeePC 901 that could become available in the U.S. as soon as the WiMax confusion clears up and a broadband network becomes available in more areas.

Joining the widely anticipated and already previewed Eee PC 901 with an 8.9" screen, Asus also launched two 10" models - the Eee PC 1000 and 1000H. Detailed specs other than the screen sizes were unavailable from Asus in the U.S. at the time of this writing, but leaked information from Taiwan suggests that at least the 1000H model will come with a 10" or 10.2" screen, Linux or Windows XP, Intel’s Atom processor and SCH chipset, up to 2 GB of DDR2 memory (the maximum supported by SCH), up to 5 hours of battery time an 80 GB hard drive as well as a weight that is slightly above three pounds.

While the 1000 models appear to be a reaction to MSI’s Wind notebook, the focus of Asus’ announcements is certainly on the 901 model. Equipped with an 8.9" screen up to 20 GB flash memory, and an Intel Atom Z520 1.33 GHz processor, the notebook is expected to launch in the $600 to $650 range, which means that the 10" model could break the $700 mark.

What caught our attention more than the plain fact that there are larger screen sizes is that Asus has a working demo of an Intel Atom-based WiMax Eee PC 901. Asus is offering both 802.16e USB dongles as well as integrated WiMax solutions covering the frequency range between 2.5 and 2.7 GHz.

The company did not say when the WiMax version will be available for purchase in the U.S., but industry sources told TG Daily that the notebook could be ready as soon as the WiMax network in the U.S. gets off the ground.