Asus to sell $200 Eee PC in 2009?

Announcing the company’s Q3 2008 financial performance, Asus president Jerry Shen has offered a few tantalizing details on what we can expect from their Eee netbook range next year, and it looks like those tiny 7 and 8.9-inch displays may soon be a thing of the past. According to Shen, the company plans to slowly phase out its smaller Eee PCs leaving room for 10-inch models only.

That should at least clear up a few of those endless model number variations from the Asus catalog. In addition, Shen predicted a $200 Eee PC sometime in 2009, finally bringing the segment’s original promise to reality – though that the PC will offer for such a small price isn't clear. In any case, it will be interesting to see if HP plans of a subsidized netbook actually pan out and how will they affect the $200 netbook market.