Asus Eee PC 1005HA and 1101HA officially announced for UK

Whilst we already know lots about the Eee PC 1005HA and 1101HA Seashell netbooks, both models have officially been announced for the UK market today. The 10-inch 1005HA will come in two different SKUs and launch at the end of the month. We would suggest that consumers pay special attention to both model numbers as there are significant differences between both SKUs.

The cheaper 1.6GHz N270 Atom netbook will cost £329 and is available in black (1005HA-BLK083X) and white (1005HA-WHI064X). This model comes with a lower-rated 6-cell battery (4400 mAh) that should be good for 8.5 hours according to the company. You will not find Bluetooth on this model and it only has a 0.3MP webcam. The N270 SKU also has a matte (1024 x 600) display. Asus also does not include a netbook sleeve with this version. Read more

Asus Eee PC LED messaging notifier [Mod]

The last mod we came across for the Asus Eee PC netbook was one that we’d not come across before (Mighty Mouse trackball). Now here is another. JustBlair created a custom-built LED whose primary function is to alert you to new messages, whether it is via email or social networking. Specifically speaking, this LED notifier alerts you to new messages from your email, Twitter and Pidgin .

He modded an Asus Eee PC 901 by creating an extra LED to the top left of the device. He used an AtMel AtTiny45 microprocessor, a 5mm red/green/blue LED that would light a different colour depending on which service the message was from. Judging by the ‘how-to’ post, it’s clearly quite a complicated but ingenious mod, which includes programming the chip. Luckily, he got it all to work first time. For the full details head over to his blog post here.

Via Liliputing.

Asus Eee PC 1101HA reviewed – hindered by poor performance

The Asus Eee PC 1101HA is the company’s first foray into 11.6-inch netbook territory. We were quite fond of the form-factor when getting hands-on a couple of weeks back. It didn’t feel significantly bigger than the 10-inch models and that space has been put to good use, including a full-sized keyboard and high resolution (1366 x 768) display. Our main concern was that the 1.33GHz Z520 Atom CPU would not do the screen justice, especially as a 1.6GHz Z530 Atom SKU is ruled out for now.

Cnet UK has posted the first review of the Eee PC 1101HA and it seems our fears were well founded. The Acer Aspire One 751 was criticised for not having enough grunt (it also used a Z520 Atom) and the same negative point has been levied at the 1101HA. Whilst Cnet liked the comfortable keyboard, high-res screen and excellent battery life, they felt it had been let down by “rubbish processing power”. They scored it 7.0 overall.

However, it sounds like they didn’t play around in the BIOS too much as we know that the 1101HA can be overclocked by as much as 32 percent. Even boosting this by 25 percent would put the performance on par with a 1.66GHz N280 Atom netbook. Obviously there will be an impact on battery life, but at least the option is there for those who want it. The key Cnet review points are after the jump. Read more

Asus confirms three Eee PC T91 SKUs: base, 3G & multitouch

Asus has a lot riding on its first convertible netbook, the 8.9-inch Eee PC T91. It is their first netbook to have a swivel screen that can also be used as a tablet device. We know that several different versions of the T91 are planned, including the 3G-enabled T91GO. We also know that a Windows 7 multitouch version is planned from our conversations with Asus. However, what we didn’t know were the model numbers and specification differences.

According to AsusTablet, the standard version (T91) will be followed by the 3G T91GO, which will also have GPS and a digital TV Tuner. The multitouch Windows 7 version will use the model name T91A. The Eee PC T91GO will weigh 0.06kg heavier than the standard SKU at 1.02kg, probably to account for the weight of the TV Tuner.

As things stand, we have no idea when the T91GO will release, or even if an UK launch is planned. From our conversations with Asus, the T91A will probably not launch until the end of Q3 at the earliest. The standard Eee PC T91 is expected to launch at the end of this month for £449.

Thanks John!

Asus Eee PC hacked to include Mighty Mouse trackball

We have seen a number of netbook mods here at NbC, but this is a first. One hacker, who was fed up with the scrolling on the touchpad of his Asus Eee PC 901, decided to stick an Apple Mighty Mouse trackball into its palm rest. Plasti-Bots has the complete tutorial on how you go about doing this for the enterprising modders out there.

It’s certainly not one for the novices out there. The trackball wires had to be unsoldered from the mouse, and then soldered onto the motherboard. The finished result looks very professional and the video below shows how well it works. I wonder whether this is something manufacturers may intend on building into their netbooks in the future… Read more

Asus Eee PC 1101HA unboxing video + manual overclocking tested

We have already seen some unboxing pictures of the Asus Eee PC 1101HA Seashell, but now a video unboxing has emerged of the 11.6-inch Eee PC netbook courtesy of Notebook Italia. The styling is very similar to other netbooks in the Seashell line-up and Asus could be onto a winner given its 11.6-inch high-resolution (1366 x 768) display and power efficient 1.33GHz Z520 Atom CPU and Poulsbo (US15W) chipset. The 1101HA is packaged like any other Asus Eee PC netbook. It also comes with the usual accessories including 6-cell 4400mAh battery. The video is attached below.

Notebook Italia also had a close look at the manual overclocking tool that we reported on recently. As a quick recap, Asus provides an automatic clocking tool in the form of its Super Hybrid Engine (SHE). Using this you can under/overclock depending on your usage but the clock speeds are predefined. The Eee PC 1101HA is the first netbook that Asus has allowed users to manually overclock the CPU themselves through the BIOS. Read more

NbC: Ruby Red Eee PC Seashell hands-on + other colours announced

It was going to happen at some point or the other, Asus has announced various colours for its Seashell range of Eee PC netbooks. Along with the standard black and white colours, the Eee PC 1008HA will also appear in Blue, Pink, Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue. The last two colours will come with an iridescent finish. The Eee PC 1005HA netbook will get just two new colours, Pink and Blue.

We went hands-on with a Ruby Red 1008HA Seashell last week and it looked very nice in the flesh. It also seemed less fingerprint prone to compared to the black version. From what we were told, these versions will come with no extra premium and the specifications will remain the same. You can check out to see how the Ruby Red Seashell looks in the pictures below. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell now shipping in US

The latest line-up in Asus’ Seashell series, the Eee PC 1005HA netbook is now shipping in the United States through Amazon.com. There are two main SKUs being sold and it is important to recognise the difference between both series as there is quite a difference between them.

The more expensive Eee PC 1005HA-P at $389.99 comes with the 1.66GHz N280 Atom processor, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3MP webcam, a higher capacity 6-cell battery (5600 mAh) good for 10.5 hours and a netbook sleeve. This version also comes with a glossy screen. Read more

Netbook vendors clearing out XP inventory to make way for Windows 7?

Microsoft announced its Windows 7 upgrade program earlier this week. The fact that Windows XP devices have not been earmarked for an upgrade has left some netbook vendors upset. They are concerned that this may lead to negative publicity in the netbook segment and are thus looking to clear XP-based netbook stock to make way for Windows 7.

This is not an opinion shared by all, as some vendors believe that consumers are not willing to pay a premium for the new Windows 7 OS. Some are only planning to bundle Windows 7 with Intel’s new Atom processor, the 1.66GHz Pineview N450. This will continue to leave netbooks based on the older processors (N270/N280) with Windows XP.

In related news, Asus is lowering prices of its 7-inch and 8.9-inch Eee PCs to try and clear inventory. According to sources in the retail channel, prices in Taiwan for 7-inch models have been lowered from NT$6,999 to NT$4,999 (US$153). In China, prices for the Eee PC 900A has been reduced to 1,499 Yuan (US$219). This price drops may start to impact Western markets shortly.

Via Digitimes.

Asus’ Windows 7 upgrade program includes two Eee PCs

Asus has outlined its plans on how one goes about updating to Windows 7 free of charge, if you buy an eligible product from 26th June 2009 to 31st January 2010. The interesting thing is that whilst the list is dominated by Asus notebooks, it appears though a couple of Eee PC netbooks are included in the mix.

This includes the 11.6-inch Eee PC 1101HA that runs on Vista Home Premium as well as the Eee PC 1005HA that runs on either XP Pro or Vista Business. Personally, I didn’t even realise that other operating software was being planned apart from XP Home. However, with the number of markets these netbooks are being sold into, different SKUs exist in each. As far as I’m aware, both UK versions of the above Eee PCs will come with just XP Home so the upgrade program won’t really apply here. Windows 7 launches on October 22nd 2009.

Via Liliputing.

Asus Eee PC T91 launch slips to “late July” in UK

There has been much speculation as to when Asus’ first convertible netbook, the 8.9-inch Eee PC T91, will start to hit retail. At the very beginning it was believed to launch in ‘late May/early June’, this then slipped to “early July” and now it seems that this has slipped to “late July” according to our conversations with Asus UK last week.

Whilst still no specific date is being committed too, we were assured that this “late July” timeline was now concrete and they envisaged no more slips. The reason for the delay was being attributed to nailing down the interface and making sure they were 100 percent happy with it before shipping. As this is their first touchscreen net tablet, they cannot afford the negative reaction on an unfinished product. Our recent hands-on with the device left us impressed with the build quality but the same couldn’t be said of its interface, which did feel like it needed more work.

Asus also confirmed that a multi-touch SKU was on the agenda to launch with Windows 7, however much would depend on how the T91 sells during Q3 2009. It also seems that the 10-inch convertible tablet, the Eee PC T101, has slipped down the priority list although it’s still on the company’s roadmap.

NbC: Asus Eee PC 1101HA video hands-on

At yesterday’s Asus press event, we also managed to spend some time with the company’s first 11.6-inch Eee PC. The Eee PC 1101HA is certainly a very attractive device. I had always imagined that the move to a larger display size would mean a bulkier and compromised netbook. However, that wasn’t the case, the 1101HA felt only marginally bigger than current 10-inch netbooks.

In fact playing around with the model left me convinced that this particular size could become a sweet-spot for netbook manufacturers. You get a full-sized keyboard and high resolution display in a package that is not that much bigger than current 10-inchers. The keyboard came with flat keys and felt very responsive with the right amount of feedback. I was disappointed that it only had a small right shift key, especially considering the amount of space available. Read more

NbC: Asus Eee PC T91 tablet netbook video hands-on

The Asus Eee PC T91 is certainly one of the most eagerly awaited netbooks on the horizon. We managed to get hands-on with the 8.9-inch convertible tablet at a press event yesterday held at Lamborghini London. Overall our experience of the unit was a positive one, although we do have some reservations about the interface.

What strikes you when you first catch eyes on the T91 is just how small it is. The model doesn’t have the curves that you see on the Seashell Eee PC range, the T91’s design is more ‘boxy’, but that doesn’t detract from the styling. We found the T91 to be very solidly built, with the hinge mechanism feeling quite sturdy, something that’s crucial for such a device. We noticed no creaking when pressing on the case and, despite its size; I felt that I could comfortably put the T91 into a bag without worrying about its fragility. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1101HA Seashell gets unboxed

Asus’ first entry into the 11.6-inch netbook segment is the Eee PC 1101HA Seashell. As it belongs to the Seashell family, its styling is very similar to the 1005HA, which doesn’t have the port flaps that adorns the super-skinny 1008HA. Electric Pig has just gone hands-on with a unit and posted some unboxing pictures.

The version they unbox has a 1.33GHz Z520 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD running Windows XP. I’m a bit concerned on the lack of detail regarding the 1101HA SKU that comes with the more powerful 1.6GHz Z530 processor. There is an Asus press event tomorrow, where I should be able to get hands-on with both the 1101HA and 1005HA and hopefully get some answers.

Crave has also gone hands-on with the device and you can see some of their pictures here. The Eee PC 1101HA is expected to launch in early July and will cost £379 as hinted at by Amazon UK, before they withdrew the product page. For more details on the 1101HA, the English manual is now available to download.

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell Review Roundup

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook was officially launched in the US market today. Two SKUs have been announced, the 1005HA-V and 1005HA-P. The 1005HA-V comes with the 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, a smaller capacity 6-cell battery and no Bluetooth. The 1005HA-P has the faster 1.66GHz N280 processor, a higher capacity 6-cell battery and Bluetooth. Overall, the Eee PC 1005HA is part of the Seashell family and therefore shares the design seen in the super-thin 1008HA Seashell.

It differs mainly be having a removable battery as well as a full-sized VGA port. You won’t find any flaps covering the ports on the 1005HA either. To account for the removable battery, the 1005HA is marginally heavier and thicker than the 1008HA. A number of publications released their reviews of the 10-inch Eee PC 1005HA netbook today. Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »