Asus Trims Eee 1002HA with Brushed Aluminum

The latest U.S. addition to the Eee line takes stylistic cues from the elite S101, but keeps price under $500.

If Asus’s original Eee models feel too cheap for your tastes and the upscale S101 comes too close to regular notebook territory with its $699 price tag for your liking, the upcoming Eee PC 1002HA might just be the happy middle ground. The new netbook will carry premium design elements from the S101 further down the price spectrum, creating a classier machine that still hits budget territory.

Though similar in look to the Eee 1000 series, the 1002HA has been slimmed down to less than an inch thick, and also carries brushed aluminum cladding on the lid, giving it more professional look that Asus hopes will be a hit with business users.

Inside, specs line up closely with those from the Eee 1000HA, but with lower battery life. It gets a 10-inch display with 1024 x 600 resolution, a 160GB hard drive, and another 10GB of online file space courtesy of Asus’ Eee Storage. The company claims it should deliver five hours of battery life using its Super Hybrid Engine technology.

Asus will launch the new netbook on Dec. 1 in the United States, with a price tag of $499, a premium of $70 over the 1000HA.