I couldn’t count the number of netbooks that Asus released under its Eee series but hey, who’s complaining? All almost have the same specs—Intel Diamondville 1.6GHz Atom N270 or N280 processor.

The 10-inch Asus Eee PC 1005 PE, however, changes things when it uses (for the first time) the next-generation Intel Pine Trail platform. It features a 45-nanometer Pineview Atom N450 processor that integrates the memory controller and GMA 3150 graphics of the CPU.

At only 2.8 pounds, this netbook is light enough that it even packs three USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone and microphone jacks and a SIM card slot.

And since this come packs with the Pine Trail, expect to save 20 percent energy. This netbook is outfitted with a standard six-cell 5800mAH battery that juts slightly from the bottom of the machine. The Asus Eee PC 1005 PE can run for a solid 8 hours and 10 minutes at 65 percent screen brightness.

This netbook will retail for $389—pretty affordable for something as functional as the Asus Eee PC 1005 PE.