Get a full 4G (no tthe surf) or an 8G if you can find one. Upgrade the RAM to at least 1 GB or 2GB if possible. It will do all the things you asked.

Has anyone heard when the new larger screen version with XP will finally make it to the US?

Re-Larger Screen.
Looks like they are tlking mid July/August.

Okay couple of more question from gurus:
where to buy one from? online ?
whats the difference between 4g sruf and nonsurf?
connect to tv?
thanks

I bough tmine at buy.com. I definitely recommend finding it online.

The non-surf has a webcam and more importantly a door to access the RAM for upgrades and a bigger battery. The surf models have no webcam and most don't have the RAM access door.

More on the upcoming 9" model surfaced today: http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/26/a...-hits-the-fcc/

EEE PC 900 (8.9" Models): About $600/ €399
 

According to this article on 3/26/08, it seems $500 is the STARTING price for the 8.9" models.

I suspect the actual price will only go higher since the TWD is going strong and USD being weak recently (from 32.5:1 to 30:1). The rumor is TWD:USD will hit 28:1 sometime this year.

More spec here with a $600 price tag from DailyTech (ASUS Shows Off 8.9" Eee PC 900) and PC World (Asus Eee PC 900 Has Bigger Screen, Drive)

The new 900 model is going to have a much bulkier power brick too. I'm glad I bought the 701 4G. :)

Meanwhile, the rumored 8" model is nowhere to be found. Oh well.

The scarcity in the US may have to do with the weak dollar. Check out this article that discusses how the weak dollar led to scarcity of the Wii.

Is it a matter of scarcity, or just that they haven't bothered to import them here at all with the 9" (/8.9") higher-res one on the way? I haven't even found places listing them as "for sale, but out of stock," which tends to be how the Wii is (and how the 7" Eee was for the first month or two.)

I've seen references to various other machines like the Cloudbook and MSI, but I've yet to see any of those on sale either.

It's Not Q2 Yet!
 

There's a reason why you don't see them on sale. You start looking too early! :D:D Last I heard, the 8.9" models won't be available until either Q2 or mid-year (quoted post #169 from ScottC below).

Even it were Q2, judging from past experiences, the products usually won't be availabe in the US market until about a month later than the Taiwan market (not sure the timeline for European Market though). I can't even find any info on the release date of the EEE PC 900 in Taiwan media right now.

All I know is the price will be higher than expected and the waiting time a bit longer. Just hold your horse for a couple of more months, if you want the bigger screen and bulky power brick. :p

That's not the model I'm talking about - they at one point were discussing an 8" (not 8.9") model as well, with the same (800x480) resolution as the 7", vs. the higher resolution (1024x600) for the 8.9".

I'm not sure that they ever made a formal announcement of it, and since they've announced the 8.9", it's possible it was just a misunderstanding on some of the covering sites.

I'd like the bigger screen, and don't care one way or the other about the power brick (or the rumored touch screen for the 8.9")

According to the Laptop Mag blog article below, the eeePC 4G will be available in April at Best Buy preloaded with Win XP for $399!

http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-eee-p...r-399-in-april

Perfect timing! I had planned to order one tomorrow and add the XP myself. I can definitely wait a couple of weeks to have it ready to go out of the box.