Asus Eee PC 1201HA: 12” ION-powered netbook gets closer

We had already heard that Asus is planning to launch its own ION-based netbook, following a leaked roadmap. It looks like this launch may be getting close as the Eee PC 1201HA has popped up on the company’s support pages.

The roadmap suggests that this 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) model will be powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD. It will come with Windows 7 Home Premium, 6-cell battery, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi (Draft-N). These specifications appear to have some ground as a Chinese retailer, PCPop, listed the ‘Eee PC 1201N’ last week that has the same specs. Further details include that it will run on a 5200mAh battery that should be good for 11 hours of battery life.

The roadmap suggests that the 1201HA will join the Seashell family of Eee PC netbooks and ultimately replace the 11.6-inch 1101HA. It is expected to launch for around the $499 mark during Q4 2009.

Asus 12” ION Eee PC on horizon according to leaked roadmap; other SKU revisions

Following on from the lead of Lenovo and Samsung with their upcoming ION netbooks, it is no surprise to learn that Asus is also planning an Nvidia ION-powered netbook according to a leaked Eee PC roadmap. The roadmap was disclosed by EeeUser Forum member, JazzDoc, who claims to be an industry insider.

The new $499 model will have a model number Eee PC 1201 and sport a 12-inch display and be powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom, 250GB HDD, 2GB RAM, 6-cell battery, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (Draft-N) and Windows 7 Home Premium. Interestingly, the roadmap suggests that the 11.6-inch 1101HA will reach EOL in October in anticipation of this new model. Read more

Asus resorts to scantily clad models to promote Eee PC netbooks

Asus isn’t the first company and it won’t be the last to use half naked women to help sell a product. It has teamed up with modelling agency Moko to help promote its line of Eee PC netbooks in Asia. Whilst pretty girls are often used to get a product some exposure, they don’t often involve women with their tops half way up their chest!

Obviously, Asus are looking to tap into the young male segment to push sales. The real question is, how many in that segment would actually notice the Eee PC’s! Check out a selection of photos after the break. We normally wouldn’t post something like this, but it is Friday… Read more

Asus’ Disney Netpal netbook hands-on video tour

The Disney Netpal netbook recently went on sale on the US. The 8.9-inch device is manufactured by Asus and is technically part of its Eee PC family line-up. The Netpal is targeted for kids between the ages of 6 and 12 and includes customised software and user interface. Sascha from NetbookNews has gone hands-on with the Netpal and given us a great video tour of the device.

The 8.9-inch netbook is powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU and comes with 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. We like the little touches that the design team has put into the netbook. The exterior is covered with a special Disney print, in this case, the blue version has a tiny Mickey Mouse print. We also like the Mickey Mouse shaped webcam.

The netbook has an 8.9-inch matte display with resolution of 1024 x 600. The Netpal comes with an internal battery and the only component that is upgradeable is the RAM. The keyboard seems comfortable to use with good feedback and large right shift key. The touchpad is similar to that seen in the Seashell Eee PC series, it is largely invisible apart from a dimpled surface. Check out the full video along with customised kids software after the break. Read more

Asus planning Eee-Book reader

Asus is planning an assault on the e-book segment by launching its own device under the Eee family umbrella. The Eee Book may even see a launch before the year is out according to Asus President Jerry Shen.

Asus is not the only netbook manufacturer looking at this segment. MSI is also considering launch its own device, given the low barriers to entry. Whilst there is growing demand for such products in Europe and North America, the business opportunities in Asia are as yet unproven.

As can be seen with the Kindle’s success, the key appears to be getting the content delivery platform nailed down. That is likely to be a much more difficult hurdle to jump compared to the low barrier hardware requirements of such a device.

Via Digitimes.

Asus’ Snapdragon-powered Android Eee PC smartbook on ice

The CEO of Asustek, Jerry Shen, does not see a market for smartbook devices right now and has frozen plans for its own Qualcomm Snapdragon Eee PC using Android. The device was first spotted during Computex in June, but Asus has never confirmed plans for mass production.

“Currently, I still don’t see a clear market for smartbooks,” said Shen during an investors conference in Taipei. The reason why an Asus smartbook has been put on the back-burner is due to limited engineering resources according to PC World. This is despite the fact that manufacturing could be outsourced to Pegatron, who has already shown a number of smartbooks. Despite this, a number of smartbooks from other manufacturers are expected by the end of the year. Let’s just hope it is as close to that $199 mark that has been muted for a while.

Via Engadget.

Asus tops reliability study… once again!

Rescuecom has released its Q2 2009 reliability report and once again Asus has topped the study ahead of Apple and IBM/Lenovo. Asus dominated the previous report, where it also came ahead of Apple.

“Because ASUS just introduced the newest version of the EEE laptop last fall, the original predicted computer reliability of this laptop has been somewhat up in the air,” says David A. Milman, Rescuecom’s founder and CEO. “However, a good eight months later, we’re still receiving the fewest calls for computer repair and support with ASUS, while their market share is increasing, adding the EEE desktop to their line as well, indicating that this PC is continuing to prove itself in terms of computer reliability,” read the statement. Read more

Asus’ 3G-enabled Eee PC 1101HGO turns up in Italy

The 3G-enabled version of the Eee PC 1101HA, called the 1101HGO, is now available in Italy. TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) is the first European carrier to offer the 11.6-inch netbook. TIM is charging €499 for the netbook that includes 5 hours of internet use. It also comes with a €5 pre-paid data card.

The model was first announced at Computex. To compensate for the additional power drain from 3G, it will be fitted with a slightly larger battery (that protrudes out) than the one found in the 1101HA. There’s no word whether when/if this will be released with other European carriers.

Via Netbook Italia.

Asus Eee PC S101H appears in Europe

The Asus Eee PC S101H netbook has now made an appearance across European retailers. The S101H is similar to the S101 but uses a marginally faster 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU compared to the 1.6GHz N270 in the original. It also has a 160GB HDD compared to the 16GB SSD over the original.

Retailers are charging €399 for the Eee PC S101H, which is around €50 more than the original. However, sas the device has just been released, prices are bound to settle after a little while.

Via Fudzilla.

HP & MSI planning Pineview-powered tablet netbooks for H1 2010?

Both Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Micro-Star International (MSI) are planning to launch convertible netbooks during the first half of 2010, according to Digitimes. MSI will be launching a 10-inch tablet netbook at the start of 2010, whilst HP plans a similar release for April/May 2010 manufactured by OEM Inventec.

The report says that both convertible netbooks will use Intel’s next-gen Pineview N450 Atom processor. It’s therefore very likely that they will be powered by Windows 7, taking advantage of the operating system’s touch features. It also says that Asus will be launching its 10-inch Eee PC T101 tablet netbook with Windows 7. The report goes on to say that Apple may be launching its tablet device as early as November 2009.

Via Electronista.

Asus Eee PC 1101HA netbook review roundup

A number of reviews for Asus’ 11.6-inch Eee PC 1101HA have appeared over the last few days. The 1101HA can be thought of a larger version of the Eee PC 1005HA that we reviewed recently. It shares a very similar design and has a removable 6-cell battery and no port flaps, unlike the thinner 1008HA Seashell.

One of the main differences, apart from that high-resolution 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display is that it uses a 1.33GHz Z520 Atom processor (the 1005HA uses a 1.6GHz N270 Atom). To compensate for the lack of relative power, however, Asus allows you to overclock the processor by up to 30 percent. Read more

Asus gets knuckles wrapped in Taiwan over misleading Eee PC ad

Asustek has been sanctioned by the Taiwanese Fair Trade Commission for a misleading Eee PC advertisement. Asus placed an advert highlighting that consumers could receive a TV receiver worth NT$2,900 (£53), by paying just NT$999 (£18) for it when buying an Eee PC netbook.

However, as Asus could not show that the TV receiver was actually being sold for that amount, the FTC deemed the advert to be misleading. When the receiver actually hit the market, it was indeed priced lower than shown by Asus. The company countered the claim by saying that the price quoted was the expected price when the ad was being put together.

Asustek has been ordered to withdraw the advertisements immediately and fined NT$80,000 (£1,453, $2,445, €1,703) for their trouble. It also promised to be more careful with its future marketing efforts.

Via Digitimes.

NbC: Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell (N270) Review

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell can be thought of as the spiritual successor to the company’s best-selling Eee PC 1000HE. It is thinner, lighter and sports a nicer design, whilst not compromising on the specifications and battery life. The 1005HA is a worthy update to the 1000HE and in our view, the biggest hurdle Asus’ marketing team will face is communicating the significant differences between the N270 and N280 Atom versions of the Eee PC 10005HA.

We reviewed the N270 Atom model and found it to be a very competent netbook, offering good build quality, a comfortable keyboard and a crisp matte display. However, battery life wasn’t stellar when compared to the standard set by the most recent models and the 1005HA also had heat issues. At its price point though, it offers great value for money compared to its peers. Read on for our thorough review, including some comprehensive performance and battery tests. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1101HA Seashell now out in UK & US

Asus’ first 11.6-inch Eee PC is now available to purchase in both the UK and US. The Eee PC 1101HA is in stock at Laptops Direct for £339.97 and Ebuyer for £365.59 available in both black and white. For those in the US, you can purchase it from
Newegg for $429.99 and BestBuy for $429.00. It’s only available in black in the US for now.

The Eee PC 1101HA comes with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) LED backlit display and is powered by the 1.33GHz Z520 Atom processor. It also comes with 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD. Wi-Fi (Draft-N), Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3MP webcam and a 6-cell battery.

Via Netbooked.

Asus Eee PC T91 video unboxing

Asus has promised us that its 8.9-inch convertible netbook, the Eee PC T91 should begin shipping this week in the UK. However, whilst you’re waiting, we thought you may want to feast your eyes on what you’ll find in the box. JKKMobile has posted a video unboxing and shows just how small (and glossy) the device really is. He also contorts it into all kinds of positions to show you how strong that hinge really is.

The Asus Eee PC T91 has a 1024 x 600 resolution 8.9-inch display powered by a 1.33GHz Z520 Atom processor. Whilst this version comes with a resistive display, a future SKU is believed to have a multi-touch display and will most likely coincide with the launch of Windows 7. In the meantime, check out JKKMobile’s first impressions and unboxing after the jump. Read more

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