Asus Eee PC 1005HR netbook with HD display tested

The Asus Eee PC 1005HR is pretty much identical to the Eee PC 1005HA apart from the fact that it sports a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display. Peter from Netbooked has his review up of the device and whilst it took time to adjust to the small font-size, Windows can be adjusted to make for a more comfortable experience.

The 1005HR is also quieter over the 1005HA according to Peter. Combine this with a 7-hour battery life, excellent keyboard and multi-gesture touchpad and you have a very capable machine. It’s just a shame it’s only being sold in Japan right now. Click through for the video review. Read more

Acer aims for first to market with Chrome OS netbook

Acer is looking to be the first manufacturer to launch a Chrome OS netbook in the second half of 2010. The netbook has been in development since the middle of this year according to Digitimes. No specifications were given but we would expect the device to have flash storage and run either an x86 or ARM processor.

Acer was also first to market with the dual-booting Aspire One D250 Android netbook and apparently sales were not as strong as expected. This is perhaps not a surprise given the little optimization that the Android OS has seen in the move from smartphone to netbook. However, as Chrome OS is being developed for netbooks from the ground up, momentum behind Chrome OS netbooks should be higher.

Asus Eee PC 1201N netbook unboxed

Whilst we are waiting for the 12.1-inch ION-breathing Asus Eee PC 1201N to hit UK shores in mid-January, the guys over at ElectricPig have already managed to unbox a unit. As part of the Seashell range, it’s no surprise that it looks very similar to the 11.6” 1101HA and 10.1” 1005HA netbooks.

This includes a dimpled touchpad and clam shell design. This particular model comes with a chiclet keyboard though, rather than the flat keys seen in the rest of the Seashell range. The model is due to retail for £399 and will come with a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor along with the Nvidia ION chipset.

Asus Eee PC 1008P-KR Pineview netbook in pictures

We already know that Asus is set to launch Intel Pineview-powered netbooks under the Eee PC 1008P and 1005P model names. From what we understand, these are just the Pineview (hence the ‘P’ in the model name) Atom versions of the 1008HA and 1005HA netbooks respectively. We now have pictures of one of the 1008P versions due to hit the market called the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 2 1008P-KR netbook.

The ‘KR’ part stands for renowned designer Karim Rashid, who has created this designer netbook. Judging by the pictures, it has been designed to resemble a clutch bag with its rippled exterior. Apart from the shell, the 1008P-KR appears to be very similar to its predecessor. It has the same ‘seashell’ shape and comes with flaps that cover its ports. Read more

Google Chrome OS netbook compatibility list

Google’s Chrome OS is still at the very early stages with the source code only recently released. For those interested in testing Chromium OS (the open-source project name of Chrome OS), the developer page has been handily updated to include which netbooks should work with the operating system.

They only list the systems that can run the unmodified Chromium OS source code first time round. It highlights which functionality works and which is broken for the netbooks tested so far. For instance, only those netbooks using the Atheros wireless module will work, the Broadcom module will not. Read more

The CrunchPad is no more

The CrunchPad project from TechCrunch founder, Michael Arrington has been sensationally axed today following what Arrington describes as “greed, jealousy and miscommunication.” This is a sharp turnaround, following positive momentum and an imminent launch.

The 12-inch touchscreen internet tablet was being manufactured by Fusion Garage, According to Arrington’s side of the story, it seems that Fusion Garage was looking to cut ties and push ahead with the CrunchPad without full ownership of the intellectual property.

Obviously Arrington is not happy about this. “We will almost certainly be filing multiple lawsuits against Fusion Garage, and possibly Chandra [Founder of Fusion Garage] and his shareholders as individuals, shortly. The legal system will work it all out over time,” he said. Disappointing news indeed. Click through for one of the key excerpts from Arrington’s post. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1005P / 1008P Pineview netbooks coming with ExpressGate?

The Asus Eee PC 1008P already made an appearance though the FCC, but it appears that Asus will also be launching the Eee PC 1005P, powered by the next-generation Intel Pine Trail chipset. The model number was spotted on the Asus support site, which means it’ll probably be a matter of time before it makes an appearance.

Also, according to the BIOS drivers it will also come with the instant-on OS from Asus called ExpressGate, which utilizes Splashtop. The instant-on operating systems haven’t really become a must-have feature in netbooks, but it looks like manufacturers are still trying to push them. Hopefully, we’ll hear more on the 1005P and 1008P netbooks at CES in January.

Via Netbook Italia.

Asus Eee PC 1201HA netbook now available in US

The Asus Eee PC 1201HA sits oddly with the rest of the ‘1201’ lineup. Unlike the ION 1201N and AMD Congo-powered 1201T, the 1201HA sits at the bottom of the pack without too many redeeming features. In fact it is much like a 12.1-inch version of the 11.6-inch 1101HA. It sports the same 1.33GHz Z520 Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD and even comes with Windows XP.

Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g/n), three USB ports, card reader and a 6-cell battery good for 5.5-7 hours. No Bluetooth here I’m afraid. The Eee PC 1201HA netbook is now on sale in the US for $329.99 at Best Buy. Only a black model is listed currently.

Via Netbooked.

MSI Wind12 U230 ultra-thin gets video hands on

The AMD Congo-powered MSI Wind12 U230 netbook was recently launched and has already seen its first review. Now the crew over at NetbookNews has posted a video hands on of the 12.1-inch device.

The video shows a flat-key keyboard that stretches to the edge of the chassis. The right shift key isn’t that big, but that’s because there are separate keys for PgUp, PgDn and Home keys. It also has a reasonably large touchpad with separate left/right mouse buttons. It has a 5200mAh battery for around 6 hours of battery life. There is also a large access panel on the bottom to upgrade HDD & RAM. Check out the video after the break. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201T: AMD Congo powered 12.1” netbook

Details of the Asus Eee PC 1201T have emerged. We already knew of such a model number, when the manual for the 1201HA and ION-powered 1201N made an appearance. However, we didn’t know what kind of specifications it would sport. All we knew was that it lacked the HDMI port seen on the 1201N and had only two USB ports.

The Asus Eee PC 1201T was launched at a Chinese press event yesterday, lifting the lid on the 1201T spec-sheet. We now know that it will be powered by the 1.6GHz dual-core AMD Congo MV40 processor. It will come with 2GB DDR2 RAM and a 250GB HDD. Read more

Vendors to push higher margin 12-inch netbooks in 2010

The definition of a netbook has changed somewhat since the first 7-inch Eee PC appeared just over two years ago. There has been a gradual trend upwards in display sizes, with 10-inch netbooks being the common standard. However, with 11.6-inch and 12.1-inch models released in the second half of this year, this segment is expected to get a big push from manufacturers in 2010 according to Digitimes.

This doesn’t mean 10-inch netbooks will disappear, however manufacturers will position them as entry-level devices to compete against the emergence of ARM-based smartbooks. Models with touchscreen displays will be displayed towards the mid-range market, whilst the 12-inch models are expected to drive profits. Read more

Stantum’s multi-touch resistive Slate PC demoed [Video]

Stantum’s Slate PC may be just a concept device right now, but that hasn’t stopped the company showing off its multi-touch resistive panel. The Stantum Slate PC is basically a keyboard-less Dell Mini 10. Netbooked managed to get a demonstration of the technology behind the Slate. Initial impressions pointed to a sensitive and responsive panel.

It supports 10 points on the screen i.e. all ten fingers, which is demoed on the video. They even show how sensitive the screen is by using it with a paintbrush! A number of gestures and swipes are also supported. There’s no release date for this but hopefully we’ll see one of these panels in a tablet netbook soon. Check out the video after the break. Read more

MSI Wind12 U230 officially launched & reviewed

Details of the 12.1-inch MSI Wind12 U230 ultra-thin already popped up on its official website at the end of last month although the product page was pulled shortly after. MSI has now officially unveiled the Wind12 U230. The model is similar to the U200/U210 models, but comes with Windows 7 and is powered by AMD’s new Congo 1.6GHz dual-core processor.

The company claims that AMD’s new platform consumes 60 percent less power than standard notebooks and offers 4-hours of battery life. It also comes with the AMD RS780MN and SB710 chipsets that support HD and DX10 and ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics. Read more

Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ review roundup – great battery life

The number of 11.6-inch CULV-powered ultra-thins coming onto the market is bewildering. No company wants to be left behind in this lucrative segment that sits between netbook and notebook. Acer is attacking this market with a number of models, albeit each with slightly different specs. The Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ is powered by a 1.3GHz Pentium dual-core SU4100 processor, 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD and Windows 7 Home Premium.

TrustedReviews reviewed the 1810TZ and came away with positive impressions and scored it 9/10. They even went as far to say that “the 1810TZ is about as close as we’ve ever come to giving a laptop a 10/10.” One of the main things they were most impressed with was that it’s 6-cell 5600mAh battery lasted for an enduring eight hours and 43 minutes. Read more

Kohjinsha DZ: Dual-screen netbook a reality, launches in December

Early last month, Kohjinsha demonstrated what was believed to be a concept netbook device carrying two displays. The idea is that 10.1-inch LCD screen sits behind the other and slides out when needed. Well it appears that Kohjinsha will be commercially launching this netbook, dubbed DZ, in December.

It will have two 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) displays that, when combined, will give a total resolution of 2048 x 600 pixels. It will be powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Neo MV-40 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD and Windows 7 Home Premium. The dual screens will come at the cost of 1.84kg in weight. Battery life should last for 4 hours according to the company.

The Kohjinsha DZ netbook will launch in Japan on December 11th for 79,800 Yen (£560, $920, €615). It’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing this unique model hitting western shores. Check out a video of the concept in action after the break. Read more

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