It seems like Asus is trying to take its netbooks to yet another level, at least in Japan, by introducing an aluminium clad model called the Eee PC 1002HAE. We're not sure if this is the right way to go and despite Asus' reassurance that they were going to cut down the model diversity, this is a sign that they're doing anything but that.

The 1002HAE is actually identical to the 1002HA in terms of features, with one exception, the CPU has been upgraded to an Atom N280, and the aluminium inlays of course. The 1002HAE has also managed to shed 50g in weight, so it seems like aluminium is lighter than plastic, at least in this implementation.

Considering the asking price of 49,800 Yen, or €379 (£333/$504) it's actually priced at the same level as the 1002HA in Europe, which makes it a pretty decent deal at the end of the day. The 1002HAE will be available in three colour, red, blue and black. It's still unknown if this model will become available outside of Japan.

You can find the product page here (in Japanese)