Reports: 8.9-inch netbooks out, Android in at Asus

Asustek is going to start shipping only 10-inch and 7-inch Eee PCs, reports have claimed. Separate reports have also revealed how the manufacturer is contemplating putting the Android operating system onto netbooks.

According to a Digitimes article on Thursday, Benson Lin, the company's Asia-Pacific president, said that "of Asustek's 2009 Eee PC shipments, 10-inch models will account for 95%, while the other 5% will be 7-inch models for telecom service operators".

ZDNet UK has contacted Asus' UK representatives to confirm that the manufacturer will no longer sell 8.9-inch netbooks, but was unable to obtain such confirmation. "We do see a trend shifting towards 10-inch in the market, but as far as I'm aware nothing is being phased out," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on Friday that Asus has allocated engineers to developing a netbook using the Google-led Android operating system - until now only found on mobile phones - by year-end. The report adds that Asus is still not certain it will release such a netbook as it remains in the development stage.

Again, ZDNet UK was unable to obtain confirmation of the report from Asus' UK representatives.