Asus EeeBook X205 ultra-portable laptop resurrects the EeePC legacy

Asus has officially revealed the EeeBook X305, a new ultra-portable that was inspired by the company’s incredibly popular EeePC budget laptop range from the name right down to the price, but doesn’t make any compromises in terms of style or performance.

The 11.6in ultra-portable runs the full version of Windows 8.1, yet weighs a miniscule 980g – meaning that even with its charging adaptor in your bag it would be lighter than virtually every other laptop out there. Despite the compact dimensions, Asus has still managed to squeeze in a full-size keyboard and large touchpad, so it should be easy to get to work.

Inside, a quad-core Intel Atom T3735 Bay Trail CPU, 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of storage depending on the model should be more than enough for web browsing, word processing and multimedia playback. You’ll find a microSDXC card slot and micro-HDMI port on the side, and a VGA webcam above the 1,366×768 LED backlit display.

Able to last up to twelve hours on a single charge, the EeeBook should also survive for up to 14 days in standby mode – meaning you shouldn’t need to bring that charging adapter along with you for a full day of work.

Asus has yet to reveal an exact release date for the EeeBook X205, but has confirmed it will be going on sale in Europe and the US for €199/$199. We’re expecting something similar in the UK, but have no news on when you’ll be able to pick one up. The EeeBook X205 should be available in black, white, gold or red colours when it does finally arrive.

We’re hoping to put one to the test on the show floor here at IFA later today, so be sure to check back for a hands-on review.