Video: Asus Eee PC T91 touchscreen interface demonstrated

As May draws to a close, it now looks like the Asus Eee PC T91 will hit the UK next month. A number of previews of the 8.9-inch convertible tablet have cropped up in the last few weeks, however most of them haven’t been able to detail the touchscreen modes due to them having pre-production samples.

The video below now shows the final graphical interface in all of its glory. Clicking the Eee Docking bar at the top of the screen launches into the Easy Mode. Here, you can move between your favourite applications in a turn-wheel motion. Another rank has shortcuts which you can change by simply dragging and dropping. A simple swipe of the screen to the left or right will move you between widget or Windows modes.

In the touch mode there is a virtual keyboard which can be adjusted in size and placed wherever you want. There are also memo notes which can be pinned onto the desktop. The FotoFun application can be used to create a photo book and pictures can be rotated and zoomed in just with your touch. It all looks quite smooth but I wonder how it will work out in practice. Check out the videos after the break (the first is the interface only and the second has a talk over of the same video). The Asus Eee PC T91 is expected to cost £449 when it launches in the next few weeks. Read more

Lenovo Ideapad S12 is first ION-based netbook

A number of ION-based netbooks are expected to make an appearance at Computex Taipei on June 2nd, however it looks like Lenovo is pre-empting those announcements. According to PC Perspective, Lenovo will launch a new 12-inch netbook, called the Ideapad S12 that will be the first netbook to come with Nvidia’s ION platform. The Ideapad S12 will be powered by the ION platform, which comprises a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU and 9400M GPU.

Given the size, you won’t be surprised to see it supporting a full sized keyboard. The Ideapad S12 will come with three USB ports, VGA, a pair of audio jacks, Ethernet port, Kensington lock, card reader, webcam as well as an HDMI out. Read more

Video: Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell hands-on + 1005HA spotted

Sascha from NetbookNews has released a hands-on video of the Asus Eee PC 1008HA. The video shows us the ports on each side and gives us a close look at the bottom which hides a mini VGA connector and integrated 3-cell battery. He compares the 1008HA Seashell to the Samsung NC10 and it really shows how skinny the Seashell is. Interestingly, the 1008HA in the video was running the Xandros Easy Mode OS.

If you forward the video to 3 minutes and 46 seconds, you can spot the upcoming Eee PC 1005HA in black. You can instantly tell how much thicker it is compared to the 1008HA and it looks a bit thicker than the Samsung NC10 too.

Sascha is currently in Taipei visiting a number of manufacturers and no doubt will be attending Computex on June 2nd. There are already rumours of an Eee PC powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. He says that this will be demonstrated at Computex and have Bluetooth, 3G and GPS all in one chip. Until then, check out the hands on 1008HA Seashell video after the jump. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell now shipping in US

The Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell is now in stock and shipping at a number of US retailers. The Eee PC Seashell appears to be in stock at Newegg, ZipZoomFly and J&R (Black only). The only major retailer that’s not joining the party right now is Amazon, who still has the 1008HA on pre-order.

The great thing is that the $20 pre-order rebate is still active on all of the above orders and should be until the close of play on Monday 25th May. Having a look at the Eee User Forums, some users have already had their Eee PC 1008HA shipped already.

Microsoft prepping maximum specs for Windows 7 netbooks

Up until now, the presence of Windows XP has dominated the netbook scene. This may be set to change with the launch of Windows 7 which, unlike Vista, has been designed to work on these lower spec devices.

Windows 7 will come in a number of different SKUs, all of which can run on netbooks. However, given that price is crucial when it comes to marketing netbooks, it is expected that most OEMs will preload the Starter Edition. Now that the three app limit is rumoured to be removed from the Win7 Starter Edition, this may yet be a viable alternative to XP. Read more

Symbian netbook future is ‘superconverged’

Symbian has already demonstrated that it can port its OS to the Intel Atom processor and this could be a precursor to future Symbian-based netbooks. In an interview with Techradar, Tim Holbrow, who is the chief of the newly formed Symbian Foundation said: “it (Symbian) can already run on netbooks. Will we see them on the market? “I think so, yep.” Before adding cryptically, “but I think the question is, will netbooks carry on being netbooks?”

Holbrow also feels that netbooks could be threatened by the continuing convergence of mobile phones. “What we’re seeing at the Symbian Foundation is a move towards superconvergence… all of your technologies all converging into one device,” he said. “We can see a world in two or three years’ time where mobile devices start to eat into the world of laptops and netbooks… obviously cameras are already doing it.”

Personally I find it hard to believe that something like a phone and netbook will converge at any point. If mobile phones got any bigger than they are, than they would lose their portability. And if you keep the mobile phone size where it is today, then that would only offer a compromised ‘netbook’ experience.

Microsoft to bin “three app limit” on Windows 7 Starter Edition

One of the biggest criticisms facing Windows 7 Starter Edition is the “three app limit”. By only allowing three applications to be open at any one time, many have referred to this base edition of Windows 7 as the ‘crippled’ version.

However, it appears that Microsoft is doing a u-turn on this decision. According to Paul Thurrott, Microsoft will now be removing this limit from Windows 7 Starter Edition. This is good news as the Starter Edition is the version of Windows 7 that is likely to appear on the majority of netbooks when the new OS launches later in the year.

This limit was creating a lot of bad press for Microsoft, so it will be hardly surprising if this turns out to be true. Now, let’s just hope they’ll overturn the ridiculous inability to change the desktop wallpaper.

Dell not in touch with feminine side, pulls ‘Della’ portal

It looks like that Dell has pulled the ‘Della’ mini-site that was targeted to women, after being live for less than two weeks. The mini-site launched on May 11 to help market Dells Inspiron range to women. However, the site was widely criticised for patronising women.

The site was full of pastel colours and images of female models using tech in various situations whether it’s on the couch, for business or out and about. A Tech Tips section talked about what you could do with a netbook including downloading recipes as well as telling women that they can “add storage to your netbook with memory cards or memory keys.” Read more

Onkyo launches super-thin Sotec C204 netbook

Onkyo has today announced the Sotec C204 netbook series. One of the Sotec C204’s main highlights is its impossibly thin chassis, measuring just 23mm at its maximum height. It also only weighs 960g and even if you include the power supply, it still only comes to 1.1kg.

The specifications are pretty normal, although you will find a 32GB SSD under the hood. The Sotec C204 comes with a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) Led backlit display and is powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU & 945GSE chipset plus 1GB (max) RAM. Other features include wireless draft-N, three USB ports and a 0.3MP webcam. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures and the 1800mAh battery is expected to last 5 hours. Read more

Video: MSI Wind U115 Hybrid hands-on

As well as launching in the UK, the MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbook also saw its Japan launch this week. Peter from Portable Monkey received his unit today and has posted his initial hands on impressions in the video below. Design wise, it seems very similar to the Wind U100, although it does have a slight texture that can’t really be made out on the video. This includes having the same hinges, status indicators as well as the misplaced Function key on the bottom left of the keyboard.

The keyboard itself appears to be quite solid and doesn’t have any flex. A touchpad sits underneath, although it really does look quite small. There is a rocker bar underneath this. The U115 comes with a matte display. It’s a shame to see no access panels for either the HDD or SDD on the bottom of the unit. He expects a full review to be up in a fortnight. Check out the video after the jump. Read more

Wintek once again touted as touchscreen supplier for Apple tablet

They very first rumours of a proposed Apple netbook or tablet were kicked off at the beginning of March, when reports surfaced that Wintek was to supply touch panels for the rumoured netbook. This news is being reaffirmed today according to a Digitimes report that suggests Wintek has been confirmed as the “panel module supplier for Apple’s upcoming e-book form factor netbook product.”

There ‘s not much more to the report than that. The original story suggested that shipments of these touch panels were expected in Q3 2009. If this rumour is true, it would put paid to rumours that Apple was working on an OLED tablet with the screen supplied by LG. Although, according to analysts, the rumoured netbook, tablet or Media Pad will not arrive until the first half of 2010.

Asus Eee PC 1000HV makes a reappearance with ATi graphics

The Asus Eee PC 1000HV was first revealed as part of the Eee PC roadmap back in July last year. No features were announced, but according to the leaked slide (below), it was to fit in a ‘Pro Fashion category’ next to the 1002HA and T101. Nothing had been heard since that leak, but fast forward 10 months and the model has now been spotted for pre-order at an online retailer.

The good thing is that a full set of specifications have been listed alongside it too. The most interesting point is that it will pack discrete graphics with an ATi Radeon HD 3450 GPU with 256MB memory. Apart from that, it appears to be very similar to the 1000HE. The 1000HV has a 10-inch (1024 x 600) display powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. Read more

Fun promo videos for Samsung N310 and Asus Eee PC Seashell

More and more companies are using viral ad campaigns to help market a product. We’ve found two such examples on YouTube. The first is for the Samsung N310 netbook which has two playful characters who emerge from the skin of the rubberised lids. I’m not really sure what message they are trying to deliver for this one, it has a distinct air of Looney Tunes about it. It’s very well put together though and will probably get people talking.

The second video, for the Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell, has a clearer message. It’s entitled ‘picklock’ and I’m sure you get the idea i.e. that the Seashell is thin enough to pick open a door. Both of these netbooks focus on design and as they stand out from the netbook crowd, it’s hard not to see both models being a huge success. Check out the videos after the jump.

Update: It turns out that Asus has launched a whole host of viral videos for the 1008HA Seashell, following a similar theme as above i.e. how razor thin it is. It looks like that as well as picking locks, the 1008HA Seashell is also capable of cutting carrots, cut through some ropes that have you tied up, shaving and even be used as a frisbee. I’ve included them all below.
Read more

Dell Mini 10 internal TV Tuner now available for $20

The option to purchase an integrated digital TV Tuner for the Dell Mini 10 netbook is now available on the Dell US site. The tuner was expected to be released in the summer, however Dell looks to have had a change of heart. It has also come in cheaper than expected at $20, rather than the $50 first suggested. This option does not exist on the Dell Mini 10v.

The built-in tuner will receive over-the-air ATSC live digital TV signals and should pick up most of the local TV stations digital broadcasts. To clear a misconception, to catch a broadcast signal you will need to be still in one place, therefore you can’t watch TV whilst you’re on the move (for now anyway). Picking this option will delay your order by 7 days according to Dell. Read more

MSI Wind U115 Hybrid gets reviewed

THE MSI Wind U115 Hybrid netbook has already seen a soft launch in the UK, where it is available from a few retailers. Right on cue, we’ve come across the first review of MSI’s unique netbook that comes with both SSD and HDD storage options, hence the ‘Hybrid’ name. Reg Hardware put a silver Wind U115 through its paces and came away very impressed, that is if you don’t consider its price tag.

The Wind U115 does come at a premium, but that is down to the Hybrid (HDD/SDD) storage solution and Intel’s latest Poulsbo chipset. To enhance battery times, the HDD can be disabled. The UK SKU comes with a 160GB hard-disk drive plus a 8GB solid-state drive, although 16GB SSD + 120GB HDD options are also on the way. Power efficiency is also helped by using a Z series Atom processor.

The battery tests showed that it offered the longest battery life (whether you disable the HDD or not) and good performance from the 1.6GHz Z530 Atom CPU. However, they felt it didn’t offer good value for money. At £450 it is significantly more expensive than its predecessor and placing it in the same price bracket as the luxurious Asus S101, which comes with a 32GB SSD and is much slimmer than the Wind U115. Click through for the key review points. Read more

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