Does this automatically win vapourwear of the year award now?

Does having a working prototype disqualify it from being true vapourwear?

I think it was a great idea but not economically viable at a price that the current consumer is willing to shell out. Ahead of it's time perhaps?

The Original EEEPC was wa sa genius niche filler, that sold as well as it did because the proce point, and tech specs and size hit the sweet spot for many a geek.

By oever producing confusing product lines, and canabalising thier own market, Asus are being greedy and stupid. A machine with 9 inches is not ultra portable.

I was one of the first wave of people in the UK to get a 701 and a year and a half later, I cannot even think of 'retireing' it or 'upscaling' it to a larger more powerful machine.

Why? Well the battery life suits me (4 - 5 hours, still with original battery), and it does exactly what I need it to do. It is a full qwerty keyboard, word precessor with added features. I can read pdf's on it if I choose, I can connect to wifi networks with firefox, and as it's light and farily robust, I don't have to think twice about throwing it into a small messenger bag, or even a medium sized handbag.

Making the EEE ranges larger screened (and therefore heavier) and more expensive and even MORE powerful entirely misses the point. A netbook or UMPC is not supposed to be a desktop behmoth replacement.

irionically, the kindle publication deatils are in .pdf, a format the actual kindle cannot display !

size and weight.
SIZE and WEIGHT.

The eee comes in at 0.89KG even my macbook comes in at 2.31kg. those exra 2.07KG can make an AWFUL lot of difference when you have to cart the thing around all day, or even part of the day like a lot of communters do.

Realistic size comparisons:

http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/2220-Apple-iPhone-vs-Pack-Of-Playing-Cards-vs-Asus-Eee-vs-Drinks-Can
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/5365-Paper-A4-vs-Asus-Eee-vs-EeePC-vs-My-Item-vs-CD-Case
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/6573-iPod-Touch-vs-a4-paper-vs-PSP-vs-Asus-Eee-vs-Nokia-N800-1-vs-Sony-PSP-vs-Apple-iPhone

STOP TEASING US WITH THIS!?!?!?!

The site PLAINLY states that it's for educational purchase only, and the majority of engadget readers probably aren't bulk buyers for educational establishments

gah!

(otehrwise for what amounts to £150 sterling it would be snapped up apolenty over here.)

oh pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaase let this be true. :crosses all fingers and limbs::

W00t \o/ his stevenes is in the UK !
Finally I don't have to figure out timezones for an announcement. !

(this really should not make me as squee as it does :)

As a longtime engadget reader I'd like to say. SHOW ME THE SHWAG! [please?]

:D

I might be off base with this one but what about the early 80's sci-fi alien invasion series "V". First season population is unaware of aliens' ture nature.

Second season world is under alien control and all action focuses on Human resistance...