RM to launch Asus Eee as £169 "MiniBook"

New sub-laptop aimed at school kids

9 October 2007 16:38 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Educational IT provider Research Machines, now apparently so down wid it they prefer to be referred to as just "RM", will launch Asus' tiny Eee PC in the UK in November.

The diminutive laptop, announced back in the summer as an educational aid ("easy to learn, easy to play, easy to work") will cost just £169 when it launches.

To be branded the RM Asus MiniBook, it's a 890g, 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1-3.5cm unit is based with a 7-inch display, either 256MB or 512MB of memory, 2GB or 4GB of solid-state storage, and a 900MHz Intel Celeron M processor.

Complete with VGA webcam, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Ethernet port, SD card reader and three USB ports, RM will offer an optional 3G datacard too.

The MiniBook will run Linux, and will cost £169 for the 256MB, 2GB model, topping out at £199 if you want a MiniBook with 512MB of RAM and a 4GB Flash drive with both models are due on 1st November.

As El Reg points out, although the machine's pitched at schools, there's no doubt plenty of folk who would quite fancy the idea of a £200 sub-lappie for cheapo surfing and the like.