Asus Announces AMD Congo-powered Eee PC

By Jane McEntegart
published

Congo arrives to the Eee PC.

We've always been of the opinion that anything over 10-inches is more of a low-powered notebook than it is a netbook -- so Asus' decision to call its 12.1-inch Eee 1201AH a netbook is already a bit of a stretch in our books. However, the addition of AMD's 1.6GHz Congo MV40 processor, along with the RS780MN chipset and ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics, means that line between netbook and low-powered notebook is even blurrier.

As far as connectivity goes, there's VGA out, three USB 2.0, ethernet, a multi-format memory card reader, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. According to Slashgear, the whole thing weighs in at 1.46kg while measuring 296 x 208 x 27.3-33.3 mm including the standard 6-cell battery.

Pricing and release date have yet to be revealed, but we'll let you know!

Jane McEntegart
28 Comments Comment from the forums
  • So first we started at 8" "netbooks", then we worked our way up to 10" "netbooks. Now 12" "netbooks" are being put out.

    Lo and behold, we are just back to an ultra-mobile PC. Just with a different name.
    Reply
  • ssalim
    How many GB of RAM?

    Yes I think this is a netbook no more.
    Netbook, as it implies, should be a "book" size... max 8.5" width.
    Reply
  • WheelsOfConfusion
    Damn. About the same (but more modern) graphical power as my older Asus notebook, probably have similar battery life and CPU performance (1.6GHz Core 2, 667MHz FSB). Only thing it's missing is an integrated optical drive.
    Reply
  • dimar
    I'd probably get one if it'd be 10".
    Reply
  • dimar
    edit button needed:
    Asus and AMD or Intel. Please get us 1.6GHz Congo or low power i7/5/3/2/1 with HD5200 and 10" LCD LED screen.

    TV tuner, GPS, Wimax, 3G and WiFi and 10" e-paper on the other side.
    Give us the ultimate netbook! Tired of the old c/stuff/p.
    Reply
  • cadder
    As far as I'm concerned- right now a netbook is a small light computer with a single core processor and no DVD drive. 7", 9", 10", 12" I don't care. Somebody may someday make a 15" machine with an Atom and no DVD, but they probably can't sell it unless it is very cheap.

    My wife has a 12" Toshiba, but it has a dual core processor, came with Vista Home, 3GB ram and also has a DVD drive. It cost about 3 times what a basic netbook would have cost.
    Reply
  • I am a power user I have no need for cheap little notebooks. Why buy something new like this just because it's portable? You might aswell find something on the scrapyard for free that runs faster. I think these computers are just made to kill the second hand market.
    Reply
  • mlcloud
    luc vrI am a power user I have no need for cheap little notebooks. Why buy something new like this just because it's portable? You might aswell find something on the scrapyard for free that runs faster. I think these computers are just made to kill the second hand market.
    Hey, thanks for assuming that the market system operates solely based off users like you. Yeah, EVERYONE is a power user, EVERYONE stays at home in a dark basement on their giant desktop computers and monitors, and absolutely NO ONE sees the light of day and the internet at the same time. Amirite?

    Please, get real. The world revolves only around a large amount of molten metals.
    Reply
  • enzo matrix
    ssalimNetbook, as it implies, should be a "book" size... max 8.5" width.Note... book?
    Reply
  • enzo matrix
    Seems to me the only definition for a netbook these days is a maximum of a dual core processor under 2GHz and absolutely no optical drive.
    Reply