Asus Eee PC 1008HA UK pricing revealed

The Asus Eee PC 1008HA is one of our most eagerly anticipated netbooks. We have just found out that that the 1000HA is expected to go on sale in the UK at a price point of £359 (including VAT). Crudely taking the current exchange rate would give a price point of $511 in the US or €382 in Europe.

The 1008HA has some wonderful looks and the internals aren’t too shabby either. The 10.2-inch LED backlit screen supports a resolution of 1024 x 600 and is powered by an Intel N280 Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM. It will also come with a 160GB hard-disk drive, no SSD versions of the 1008HA are currently planned. It is just 1-inch thick and weighs 1.1kg. The unit is expected to be released next month.

HP Mini 1000 6-cell battery – Video hands on

Many HP users have been waiting for months for the HP Mini 1000 6-cell battery to come into stock. It was officially available to purchase from the HP site just last week. GottaBeMobile was there to order one and have now given it the video hands on treatment.

The video follows an unboxing of the 6-cell battery. Initial impressions were positive with the battery smaller than expected with a comparison shot against the iPhone. Whilst the battery does bulk out the bottom it is still quite useable providing a nice tilt which makes it easier to use according to GBM. Unfortunately the video doesn’t give an idea on how much the battery life increased in real world tests, hopefully we’ll have some further details shortly. Video after the jump. Read more

Targus releases all-in-one netbook accessory kit

Targus, one of the leading suppliers of notebook cases in the word, has launched a “netbook accessories kit” to cash in on the huge growth in the netbook segment. The kit was apparently specifically designed by Targus “to meet the everyday needs of the netbook user on the go”.

The kit includes a slipskin netbook case, an ultra mini retractable optical mouse and ultra mini 4-port USB hub. It’s not known how bulky the whole kit will be, however with the frequent use of the term ‘ultra mini’, one hopes that bulk will be kept to a minimum. How much this kit will cost is also unknown with further details expected to be released on its UK site shortly. Targus is also planning further netbook accessories later in the year.

“The new Netbook Accessory Kit was created with the everyday needs of a netbook user in mind and provides all the tools needed to maximize a netbook user’s mobile experience,” said Al Giazzon, vice president of marketing at Targus.

Samsung NC20 US launch delayed to early April

The Samsung NC20, the 12-inch brother to the ever-popular NC10 netbook, has seen its launch delayed in the US by a few weeks. The unit was meant to launch exclusively through NewEgg.com on March 16. However, here we are on March 18 and a quick search on its site yields no results (not even a placeholder page). According to Laptop Mag, the NC20 launch has been delayed by a few weeks for reasons unknown and now expects to be out in the first week of April.

NewEgg will be exclusively selling the US version in black only for $549. It will come with a 5900 mAh capacity battery compared to overseas models which have a 5200 mAh rated battery. The Samsung NC20 is the first netbook to support the 1.6GHz VIA Nano CPU and comes with 1GB RAM.

Onkyo releases Sotec C103 netbook

Whilst Onkyo do make some very desirable hardware, especially in the AV world, it seems that they’ve never really tried too hard with its Sotec netbook range. Onkyo has a habit of launching new model numbers for its Sotec netbook range despite no hardware specification change. The original Sotec C101 was ‘upgraded’ to the DC101 WP/BP models but nothing changed over the original except for some new colours.

Onkyo has now released the Sotec C103 which once again offers few hardware changes but, you guessed it, new colours (black and silver). The only hardware change that we can tell is a larger capacity 6-cell battery which provides only 5 hours of runtime, a bit poor compared to the competition. Specifications after the jump. Read more

Viewsonic launching netbooks in China

Viewsonic, which is better known for its LCD computer monitors, is set to launch a range of netbooks and notebooks in China according to industry sources in Taiwan. The Viewsonic VieBook netbook was shown during at CES in January, it is not known whether this model will launch in China or whether a new range of models are planned. However, it has been confirmed that a whopping 22-inch notebook model is planned exclusively for the Chinese market. It’s hard to imagine the notebook being that mobile!

The VieBook offers very standard specs and its form-factor doesn’t tread against the grain. It has a 10.2-inch inch screen powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU and 1GB RAM. It also sports a 160GB hard drive, WiFi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth, a 1.3MP camera, a 4-in-1 card reader, and runs Windows XP.

Via Digitimes.

Asus Eee PC T101H – Video hands on

Whilst CeBIT may have come and gone, JKKMobile finally got around to posting a hands-on demonstration of the Asus Eee PC T101H. The Asus T101H is a convertible tablet in similar vein to the 8.9-inch T91 but supports a 10-inch (1024 x 600) screen instead. The T101H also has a faster CPU in the form of a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU compared to the 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 CPU found in the T91.

This bigger size also brings a bigger keyboard and an Elantech multi-touch touchpad, which has more features than the Synaptics touchpad found on the T91. Check out the video after the jump, which also includes a size comparison to the T91. Read more

Archos 10 netbook looks uninspiring

Whilst Archos may be better known for their excellent PMP products, it looks like they too found it hard to resist the netbook segment. Cnet has had a play around with the Archos 10, which unsurprisingly is a 10-inch netbook. Overall they didn’t really understand why it exists.

They keyboard wasn’t comfortable to type on, the battery was rated at a rather weak 2,200mAh and given that the Archos’ suggested retail price is £349, not very good value for money either. In fact the Asus 1000HE can be had for £49 cheaper, which makes it even harder to understand who would choose the Archos over the Asus?

The styling is a slightly uninspired matt black and the spec are similarly ‘standard’. The unit is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU and 1GB RAM. It also supports a 160GB hard disk, a 1.3MP webcam and integrated Wi-Fi.

TrustedReviews underwhelmed by Acer Aspire One D150

TrustedReviews have reviewed the 10-inch Acer Aspire One D150. Despite the price and specifications being in line with its peer group (Samsung NC10, Asus 1000HE, MSI Wind), they found that the overall execution didn’t match up both in terms of design and ergonomics. Other models offer better battery life and ergonomics, especially in terms of their keyboards.

One of the main issues they had was that the keyboard was no different to its 8.9-inch cousin, not good enough for a 10-inch model. However on the positive side, they felt the screen was one of the best they had seen in a 10-inch netbook. Full list of key points after the break. Read more

Asus wins Red Dot Design Awards for S101 and S121

The Asus Eee PC S101 and upcoming 12-inch version the S121 are some of the most elegant netbooks on the market. The pair have been recognised for combining a sexy design with functionality by receiving the prestigious 2009 Red Dot Design Award. Other Asus design winners included the Eee Keyboard PC, P30 notebooks and ASUS Chocolate notebook keyboard.

The international red dot design award ranks among the largest and most famous design competitions in the world. Each year an international jury reviews and evaluates the submitted products according to stringent criteria like degree of innovation, functionality and the formal quality of the product. This ensures that the seriousness of the competition and its international acceptance is upheld. Some more info on the winners after the jump. Read more

Rumour: Apple Revealing Details of 10-inch Tablet Today

Computerworld is predicting that Apple will be announcing a 10-inch tablet device at its Apple 3.0 event later today. Apple advertised late last year for someone to work with Apple’s expanded role in embedded devices. Combine this with recent rumours that Apple is buying 10-inch touchscreen panels leads to a possible Apple Tablet in the works.

Personally, I would see a convertible tablet make more sense than just a standalone tablet. That size would be hard to use with the light-touch screen of the iPhone for example, every time you brush it something will happen that you don’t want. Anyway, Apple may feel it is too early to reveal its hand. If anything does come out of today’s event we’ll keep you posted. The event is scheduled to start at 5PM GMT this afternoon.

Via ComputerWorld.

Android to be saviour of the Linux netbook

Google’s Android will be the saviour of the Linux netbook, and we’ll start to see small, cheap computers based on the phone-oriented operating system later this year according to Ovum. After a strong start, Linux-based netbooks are now outsold by those with Windows XP. Some estimates suggest that Windows recent dominance gives it a 90-pecent market share. Ovum suggests that netbook buyers seeking a small and/or cheap laptop will generally opt for Windows machines – presumably for the familiarity and software compatibility it brings.

Linux’s opportunity is for the netbook to be seen as an always-on internet device, helped by ARM’s infrastructure. Some of the larger Linux distro’s have not looked to develop a specific Linux version for netbooks. Just today, Novell said that it will not be producing a version of SUSE Linux for ARM-based Netbooks. Ovum suggests that Android, which has a Linux foundation but a more tightly controlled user environment on top, will allow netbook makers to better define them as internet appliances.

Ovum said it expects “back-to-basics” netbooks to appear later this year at the $200 (£142/€154) mark – half the price of the majority of today’s netbooks. They particularly want to increase battery life and deliver fast start-up times, which may also favour ARM/Android designs.

VIA announces 1080p Surfboard platform for HD netbooks

Following on from VIA’s launch of its VX855 IGP chipset, it has today announced a new reference design main board for netbooks featuring full 1080p high definition video playback. The Surfboard C855 motherboard is intended for a new breed of HD netbooks and is based on a VIA C7-M processor running at 1.6GHz, the new VIA VX855 IGP chipset and advanced VIA multimedia and connectivity silicon. When the VX855 is partnered with the new board it is claimed that it can support hardware acceleration of most video standards including H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and VC-1.

“A key advantage of the VIA Surfboard C855 is the head start it affords mini-notebook system developers or those seeking to enter the market,” said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Not only is VIA in the unique position of being able to offer customers a complete, ready-to-build solution, but the new board’s HD capabilities mean VIA-based mini-notebooks will provide a superior multi-media entertainment experience.”

This ultramobile technology will support internal display resolutions of 1366 x 768 and or 1920 x 1440 for external monitors. We have reported how 10-inch panels with 1366 x 768 resolution are coming soon, what better way to get the most from the screen then to pair it with some capable hardware. VIA’s all-in-one approach is certainly more streamlined than the Intel Atom/GN40 pairing, which doesn’t support 1080p, and the cross-company NVIDIA Ion/Intel Atom combination. Video demo after the jump. Read more

ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Touchscreen video tutorial

For the more adventurous modders out there, a three-part video tutorial has emerged showing how to fit a touch-panel screen to the Asus 1000HE. Of course, you could just wait for Asus’ T91 due in late May/early June but that wouldn’t be half as much fun!

The tutorial was put together using a Hoda Technology touchscreen kit, and as we’ve seen in similar guides it involves opening the netbook bezel, slotting in the resistive touch panel and connecting it up to a USB header inside. The typical connection is made using the webcam USB socket, with a second USB header for the camera to reconnect to.

You can find the Hoda Touchscreen kit on eBay for around $99 (with varying shipping costs) giving you everything from the touch panel, USB harnesses and all cabling, and even the stylus. You’ll also get three more internal USB ports for future hacks. Check out the three videos after the jump. Read more

Lenovo’s Pocket Yoga is a two-year old concept

Lenovo has dashed the hopes of many by admitting that the Pocket Yoga pictures released yesterday were indeed a concept only with no plans for production, for now. It is difficult to understand why the pictures showed up on Lenovo’s flickr stream yesterday, but whatever the reason, it seems that for now this will remain a concept only. This was confirmed straight from the Director of Lenovo’s Beijing Innovation Center.

According to Li, Pocket Yoga was intended as a companion device that blurred the line between portable computing and the sort of accessories – wallet, diary, purse – users would conventionally carry with them. The almost-360 degree hinge allowed for multiple usage methods, from a tabletop or lap typing position, or – when fully rotated – a pad-style form factor more suited to standing or walking use, and which could be controlled with a touchscreen and pen.

Despite this fact, one can imagine a device like this appearing at some point, if not from Lenovo then from another competitor. Sony Vaio P’s form factor is similar without the touchscreen so it cannot be ruled out in the future. However, given how everyone labelled this device as a Vaio P clone must irk the design team at Lenovo who came up with this concept two years ago, predating netbooks entirely.

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