We have been big proponents of the ASUS Eee PC since it was first released for sale in October of last year.  It is an inexpensive, small and function Linux-based notebook that will run you about $300-400.  One of the drawbacks and complaints of the Eee PC was the small 7″ screen and it looks like ASUS is set to release a new version of the Eee PC with a 9″ screen:

ASUS and the new 9" Eee PC - Mobile 2

Other than the new screen, the new model will also offer larger disc space (up to 12GB), similar battery life and a higher price tag.  The full press event will be tomorrow and all the details should be spilled then.  Stay tuned!

Engadget was able to fondle ASUS’s new Eee PC at CeBIT, but ASUS officials would not allow the publication to boot the machine up — likely for fear of spilling the beans on the Eee PC’s processor/chipset. However, we do know that the Eee PC 900 will feature 1GB of memory and will be available in storage capacities up to 12GB (up from 8GB max on the current Eee PC).

As previously reported, the 8.9″ display should have a 1024×600 resolution which is a welcome jump from the confining 800×480 display on the first-generation Eee PC. The increase in screen real estate made a minimal impact on the exterior dimensions of the device — the Eee PC 900 is slightly larger and thicker and features a larger touchpad. The keyboard looks to identical to the previous model.

According to Engadget, the larger display will have a negligible impact on battery performance with battery lifetime quoted at 2.5 to 3 hours.