Fate of future Asus touchscreen netbooks lies with Eee PC T91
July 20, 2009 at 11:35 am
Asus recently launched the 8.9-inch Eee PC T91 convertible netbook in the US to mostly positive reviews. It is the company’s first touchscreen model and the first with a form factor that enables the netbook to be used as a tablet device too. It appears that the success of this particular model will impact the shape of future touchscreen models down the line according to a report from Digitimes.
Industry sources suggest that if the Eee PC T91 does not meet its sales expectations, then Asustek “may consider postponing the launch date of upcoming touchscreen netbooks, scale down their shipments, or even cancel them.” The only upcoming touch-based model we know of is the 10-inch Eee PC T101. The release date of the T101 has been pushed back to September, at the earliest, according to the report. This is two months later than originally anticipated.
We have heard the above before. Asus UK recently told us that the appearance of a multi-touch T91 and T101 would depend on the success of the T91. However, I’m inclined to believe that even if the model wasn’t a great success, Asus would still try and release another model based on Windows 7 and a multi-touch panel. After all, that would be an almost entirely different proposition to the model on the market today.
Gateway intros 10-inch LT2000 netbook
July 20, 2009 at 10:59 am
Gateway has officially announced its second netbook, the LT2000. This 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) netbook follows on from its 11.6-inch big brother the Gateway LT3100. You won’t find AMD internals in this netbook though, Gateway has reverted back to Intel, where you’ll find an Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB RAM and a 160GB (5400RPM) hard-disk drive. The model is basically a rebranded Acer Aspire One D250.
Features include Wi-Fi (b/g), three USB ports, a 3-cell battery, card reader and webcam. The netbook weighs 1.2kg (2.62lbs). The model also supports some basic multi-touch gestures on its touchpad. So this appears to be your typical netbook then, nothing to get too excited by. Well apart from the price, which at $299.99 seems quite reasonable. The Gateway LT2000 is available now in NightSky Black (LT2001u) and Cherry Red (LT2021u). Check out some more pics after the break. Read more
Toshiba NB200 netbook to come in pink and blue colours
July 20, 2009 at 9:36 am
The Toshiba NB200 netbook has garnered some very positive reviews since its recent launch. However, one factor that has divided critics was the stripy brown coloured lid that adorns the more expensive SKUs (along with a “snow white” model). You do of course get a black NB200, but that only comes with the lower-specced model.
Personally, I think the brown model looks quite nice, but regardless, Toshiba will be introducing new “silky pink” and “blue” colours in the UK. Like the brown and white models, the colours only extend to the lid and screen bezel, with the same well-regarded chiclet keyboard used as the more expensive versions. According to T3 these models will come with a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, 1GB Ram and a 160GB HDD. They should hit UK retail within the next few weeks for £310. Check out some more pictures after the break. Read more
Packard Bell dot m/a video overview
July 17, 2009 at 4:33 pm
The Packard Bell dot m/a is basically the European version of the Gateway LT3100 (LT3103u) that was released a few weeks back in the US. NetbookWereld managed to get hold of the dot m/a and shot a 10 minute video that goes through the product being unboxed along with its features too.
The Packard Bell dot m/a is an 11.6-inch netbook that comes with a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display and is powered by an AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor and comes with the ATI Radeon X1270 graphics chipset. It uses Vista Home Basic and also has three USB ports, a multi-touch touchpad and a 3-cell battery that should be good for 4 hours of battery life.
It is due to hit the UK this month in two colours (black and red) from July with pricing starting at £350. Check out the video after the jump. Read more
Gigabyte TouchNote and Booktop on sale in US
July 17, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Two Gigabyte netbooks have now seen their release in the United States. The Gigabyte TouchNote T1028 and Booktop M1022 have both gone on sale for $599.00
The TouchNote T1028 is a convertible netbook similar to the Asus Eee PC T91, so that it can be used in a tablet mode. However, the T1028 has a 10-inch screen compared to the 8.9-inch screen found in the Eee PC T91.
The Gigabyte M1022 has a docking station that can be connected to monitor/keyboard/mouse and be used as a desktop system when at home. It also has a 6-cell battery that should be good for 8 hours of battery life. Both models are powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU and come with 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. So far there is no sight of these Gigabyte netbooks in the UK.
Via Portable Monkey.
Asus Eee PC T91 now available to pre-order in UK
July 17, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Our friends across the pond are already lucky enough to be enjoying the Asus Eee PC T91 convertible netbook that released earlier this week. However, here in the UK we are still waiting for that vague “late July” timeframe before the T91 hits retailers.
Anyway, it may lessen the pain somewhat to know that the Eee PC T91 has now hit pre-order at Amazon.co.uk
First Intel N450 ‘Pineview’ netbooks shown off in September
July 17, 2009 at 3:01 pm
The next-generation Atom processors, dubbed Pineview, are scheduled for release by the end of the year. However, we won’t have to wait that long to see exactly what netbooks will use the next-gen platform.
Digitimes is reporting that Intel is planning on unveiling a number of products at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) which runs from 22-24 September in San Francisco. Among them are netbooks based on the N450 Atom processor as well as the company’s latest ultra-thin notebooks.
The Intel Atom N450 processor has the same clock speed as the current N280 (1.66GHz) but will benefit from running much cooler. The result should be netbooks that are thinner, fanless and have longer battery lives than we’ve seen so far. That’s the theory anyway…
Via Portable Monkey.
Blockbuster to sell Archos 10 netbook across US stores
July 17, 2009 at 2:48 pm
This one seems a bit of a strange partnership in our eyes. Blockbuster has announced that it has partnered with Archos to offer the Archos 10 netbook for sale across 1,000 US stores. Whilst the specifications of the Archos 10 is very run of the mill, Blockbuster will be offering the netbook for a very reasonable $299.99.
Obviously, if you go to rent a DVD from Blockbuster, there’s no chance of it playing back on your netbook, which has no optical drive. However, it seems they are making sure you think of Blockbuster by ordering rentals online or using their download services. “Enhancing our consumer electronics offerings with an affordably priced netbook that allows customers to access our online rental, retail and download services, whether they’re at home or on the road, is a natural fit,” said Joanne DeLorenzo, VP of Products at Blockbuster.
The Archos 10 has already been succeeded (in design only) with the Archos 10s that is much slimmer than the Archos 10 but comes with the same specifications. The Archos 10 comes with a 10-inch LED backlit display powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It also comes with a 1.3MP webcam and integrated Wi-Fi.
Via UMPC Portal.
Banshee media player to get special netbook UI
July 16, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Banshee, which was originally developed as an audio player for Linux, is to get a custom user interface designed for netbooks in the next major update. Banshee has moved on to become a fully featured multimedia player, able to play video and supporting compatibility with devices such as the T-Mobile G1. Banshee v2.0 will also see the player deliver photo management.
Banshee is planning for a new custom interface for netbooks dubbed Cubano in future versions. Ars Technica has a screenshot of this UI and it does look quite simple and user-friendly. It has a look reminiscent of Moblin with its lack of menus and cover art grid view. Read more
Dell Latitude 2100’s Mobile Cart in action [Video]
July 16, 2009 at 10:47 pm
The Dell Latitude 2100 netbook is targeted to the education market. The 10-inch netbook has special kid-proof features like a network activity light on the lid, rubberised case, a fanless bottom to avoid spills as well as some optional extras such as an anti-microbial keyboard, carrying handle and shoulder strap.
While we’ve already seen the Latitude 2100 unboxed, we haven’t seen how the Mobile Cart works. This can be thought of a Mobile Computing Station that allows you to manage and network up to 24 netbooks with just one Ethernet and power cord. It doesn’t come cheap though at $3,900. The promotional video below does a good job of showing this mobile station in action. It does look impressive and could be a sign of things to come in the future. Check out the video after the jump. Read more
Active Media intros SSD upgrades for Asus Eee PC netbooks
July 16, 2009 at 9:27 pm
There seems to be a new solid-state drive (SSD) netbook upgrade from a different manufacturer every few weeks. This time round, Active Media has announced its SaberTooth SSD upgrade for the Asus Eee PC. This SSD is tested to work with the Asus Eee PC 900, 900A and 901 and S101 models and should just fit into the Mini PCI-E card slot.
There are two different lines depending on the performance you after. The SaberTooth S has maximum read and write speeds of 90 and 55 MBps respectively and comes in capacities of 16GB ($62.95) and 32GB ($96.95). The faster SaberTooth SS has faster read and write speeds of 155 and 100MBps respectively. This line comes in 16GB ($82.95), 32GB ($124.95) as well as 64GB ($219.95) storage.
Via JkOnTheRun.
Intel keen to push CULV-based ‘ultra-thins’ over netbooks
July 16, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Intel has not hidden from the fact that it expects the CULV-based ultra-thin notebook segment to deliver higher margins over what it is currently delivered from netbooks. Intel’s CEO, Paul Otellini, reiterated this point at its recent Q2 conference call in which he talked about the differentiation between both product lines and why the company is bullish about the ‘ultra-thin’ segment’.
As the name suggests, ultra-thin devices are based on ultra-low voltage processors which means that a new class of portable can be created, well according to Intel anyway. “I think the usage models are really differentiating between notebooks and netbooks and that will be even more clear when the new ultra-thins are out there because now if you want a thin and light notebook, you don’t have to just pick a netbook. You can pick an affordable notebook that has more functionality,” said Otellini. Read more
Dell interested in Chrome OS and Moblin for future netbooks
July 16, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Dell is one of the few manufacturers that has embraced Linux on its ‘Mini’ range of netbooks. Its Mini 9 and Mini 10 devices had options with Ubuntu as well as Windows. The good news is that Dell looks like it is considering other Linux options for future netbooks too. Dell’s Doug Anson has said that the company is “very interested” in Moblin and is currently evaluating Chrome OS.
He sees all of these different Linux-based operating systems leading to a “renaissance within the PC and small device industry”. Anson went on to say, “these alternative operating environments are truly “different” from the traditional Windows platform – they don’t attempt to simply “mimic” Windows”.
Dell is working closely with key partners (Canonical and Intel) in developing potential offerings for Moblin, which it sees as “the next evolutionary step of the traditional Linux environment”. Whilst anything tangible may be some time away, it is encouraging that Dell is encouraging the use of these alternative operating systems. Hopefully, Jolicloud will also be on that list soon too.
Virgin Media launches branded Freedom netbook
July 15, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Virgin Media has announced its own branded netbook called Freedom. The netbook will be offered for free on subsidised contracts with various two-year fixed line and mobile broadband packages. Virgin says the netbook – the first it’s ever sold under its own name – is optimised for its 50Mb broadband service and has an approximate stand-alone value of £300.
The Freedom netbook doesn’t really differ too much from your typical netbook out there. It has a 10.2-inch (1024 x 600) display powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor. It comes with 1GB RAM and a 120GB HDD. Other features include Wi-Fi (Draft-N), 2-in-1 card reader and webcam. The standard 3-cell (3300mAh) battery should be good for 2.5 hours of normal use.
The Freedom weighs 1.1kg and is reasonably thin at just 26mm thick. It is available in “Virgin Red” or black. The Virgin Media Freedom netbook is available through all retail channels now.
Asus Eee PC T91 Review Roundup
July 15, 2009 at 11:25 pm
The Asus Eee PC T91 convertible netbook officially went on sale in the US today. To mark the occasion, quite a few US publications posted their reviews today. In fact, we counted nine reviews altogether, so for those mulling the decision to lay down $499.99 on this 8.9-inch net tablet, there’s plenty of material to start your research.
The Eee PC T91 is one of the most anticipated netbooks to date. It is the first Asus touchscreen netbook and comes with a swivel mechanism so that it can be used as a tablet device. Asus has developed its own TouchGate user interface. Indeed it was the touch experience that caused quite a difference of opinions in the reviews. Read more
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