Asustek's new Eee PC to sport multitouch trackpad

The next-generation Eee PC laptop by Asustek Computer will come with a multitouch trackpad in addition to the larger screen, better Webcam, and increased data storage, a company representative said Thursday.

The Eee PC 900 boasts an 8.9-inch screen, larger than the 7-inch display on the original Eee PC 701 model, along with a 1.3-megapixel camera and 12GB SSD (solid-state disk) drive. The Webcam on the Eee PC 701 is only 0.3 megapixel and the largest SSD is 8GB.

The Eee PC 900's oversized touchpad works similar to that of the MacBook Air. Using two fingers, a person can zoom in and out of documents and photos, scroll up and down, and more, an Asustek representative said.

A picture of the Eee PC 900 can be found on the FCC's Web site, where details were submitted for approval by the U.S. government regulator.

A few things the Eee PC 900 will not have include a touchscreen and GPS, the Asustek representative said, despite some news reports to the contrary.

The Eee PC 900 will come pre-loaded with either Microsoft Windows XP or Linux OSes, the representative said.

The first devices will likely hit some markets by June this year. Pricing will vary by country, but in Europe, the new Eee PC will cost around €399 ($626).