People seldom associate the term ultra, low cost with a laptop? With a desktop probably because you can shave off nearly 50% or more from building your own rig rather than going for a branded one? Because the mere thought of a bargain laptop instantly invoke thoughts of a low quality piece of junk that’ll last about a tenth of a pricey one’s lifetime. Not anymore. Asus is set to debut the $199 EEE PC.

For 200 bucks what are we getting?

CPU
900MHz Celeron-M ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) 353
Chipset
Intel 910 Chipset
OS
ASUS-customized, Xandros-distro Linux OS
Memory
512MB DDR2-400 RAM
LCD
7 in TFT LCD with LED
Camera
300K Pixel
HDD
4, 8, or 16GB solid-state storage
Peripherals
Atheros AR5007EG 802.11b/g wireless LAN
3 USB 2.0 ports
MMC/SD card reader
10/100 Mbit Ethernet

Dimensions
225x165x21-35mm

Weight
Less than 2 lbs

Colors
White, Black

Spec-wise this sub-notebook is light, efficient and cheap. Asus claims that the EEE PC boots in under 15 seconds, something that skeptics like me are all clamoring to see. The device will be shipped with a heavily customized Xandros Linux distribution that uses a tab-based interface instead of a conventional desktop environment (No windows, sorry fanboys). Software bundled with the system includes OpenOffice.org, Firefox, and Skype. The strong support for Linux makes the Eee PC a compelling choice for some open-source software enthusiasts, and the low price makes it a strong contender in the education market.

For a system that hasn’t even shipped yet, the ASUS EEE PC is certainly generating its share of hype (much like the iphone and related products). Several market analysts are projecting the EEE PC will have a significant impact on the ASPs of other digital devices, all before the Eee has even launched.As part of Intel’s “world ahead” initiative, the chipmaker worked closely with Asus during the EEE PC’s design phase. Pricing is competitive with other budget mobile computers designed for the education market, including the OLPC Project’s XO laptop, and Intel’s Classmate PC. EEE PC models are expected to sell for between $199 and $349. Price variations are dependent on the SSD that’s included with the unit.