Asus Eee PC 1008HA Dock App in action
March 6, 2009 at 9:41 am
Asus’ upcoming slimline 1008HA won’t just be relying on its good looks, a new desktop application bar called Eee Docking debuts on this netbook. The Dock App provides one-click access to a full suite of Asus exclusive software. This includes ‘Eee Arena’ which gives access to multimedia content and ‘Eee Sharing’ allowing easier online data synchronisation with Eee storage. There’s also an Eee Xperience section for managing audio and video content, and a tools section that provides access to various settings. Engadget’s video of this dock in action, shows that the pull-out dock can be positioned on any side of the screen. The main criticisms they had were that it felt sluggish and more importantly didn’t allow the customisation of apps apart from Asus’ own. Hopefully, this will be rectified by the time it launches.
Asus considering Snapdragon for future Eee PCs
March 5, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Asus has confirmed that it is evaluating the use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform for future Eee PCs, according to Samson Hu, general manager of Eee PC business at Asustek. Whilst it has no current mass production plans for non-Intel Atom based Eee PCs, it highlights how competitive the semiconductor space is becoming. The Qualcomm Snapdragon platform targets mobile Internet devices category that Intel is going after. Such devices allow for higher speed communication, high performance multimedia, full Internet browsing along with the use of other productivity applications. Toshiba’s upcoming TG01 is one such device that uses Snapdragon platform from QualComm.
Hu also expects netbook pricing to come down by the second half of the year due to competition. The average selling price of a 10-inch netbook is currently between $299 – $399, but Hu expects this to come down below $299 by the end of the year. In terms of market share, he expects Eee PCs to account for 15% of global netbook shipments to the telecom market in 2009, while touchscreen Eee PCs (like the T91 and T101) will account for 10 percent of the company’s total Eee PC shipments this year.
Via Digitimes.
More details on Asus Eee PC 1008HA
March 4, 2009 at 4:53 pm
The more we see shots of the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA, the more we like it. It certainly wins the sexiest netbook of CeBIT so far. The chaps over at Jkkmobile, NetbookNews & UMPCPortal went hands-on with the 1008HA and came away very impressed. Some of the key points include a sturdy design and, a solid keyboard (a big improvement over the 1000HA apparently). On the negative side, it looks like the system’s battery is built into the casing and non-replaceable, however given that this is a prototype this is subject to change.
As a reminder, the 1008HA is a 10-inch netbook, just 1-inch thick and weighs 1.1Kg. We’ve listed the specifications that we know of so far after the jump. We hope to have further details on pricing and release date soon. The rumours we’ve heard suggest a ‘Spring’ release date and a price point of 600 Euros. More expensive than your average netbook, but I’m sure many won’t mind if it delivers. Click through for the video and specs.
EETI shipping multitouch 7 and 12-inch Panels in H209
March 4, 2009 at 3:41 pm
EETI (Egalax_empia Technology), the Taiwan-based touch-panel supplier, will start shipping 7 and 12-inch capacitive touch panels in the second half of this year, according to its company president Mei Tsai. We are already starting to see a number of netbooks using touchscreen panels including the Asus Eee PC T91GO, the Touch Book from Always Innovating and Gigabyte’s TouchNote M1028 which was unveiled yesterday. However, the touch-panel technology currently used is resistive. The move to capacitive panels will allow multitouch gestures (such as ‘pinching’).
My guess is that we’re unlikely to start to see any netbooks with capacitive screens until the end of the year, maybe tied in with the launch of Windows 7. Microsoft has spoken of multitouch, being one of the unique selling points of Windows 7. It is likely to be the more premium netbooks that sport these panels at first, but what better way than to tie in with the Windows 7 launch. We’ll keep you posted.
OLED screens coming to Eee PCs?
March 3, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Asus company Chairman Jonney Shih has reportedly hinted that the firm is considering bringing OLED screen technology to its Eee range of netbooks. Whilst this is likely the next natural evolution for netbook screens, given that they are now starting to appear quite frequently in the latest mobile handset models, I would be surprised if we see OLED technology appear en masse any time soon.
Asus favours the 10 inch form factor and it’s hard to get away from the fact that the cost of a 10 inch OLED screen certainly would be prohibitive. Especially given the fact that netbooks are supposed to envisage low-cost mobile computing. Besides, first up, it would be nice to see LED backlit screens appear more in netbook ranges before the jump to OLED. However, there may be a market for those willing to pay extra for the benefits of an OLED display (quality of display, thinness and better battery life).
Via Reg Hardware.
Asus denies dropping 8.9 inch netbooks
March 3, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Following a number of rumours over the last few weeks, Asus today denied claims that it would be axing 8.9 inch netbooks. Company Chairman Jonney Shih said, “It seems that customers prefer to have a greater screen, which also means a larger keyboard. I still believe we have a good opportunity in 8.9-inch for kids, telecoms or emerging markets.”
Rumours suggested that 8.9 inch netbooks were to be axed with 10 inch netbooks being the main focus across 2009. It was thought that 7 inch netbooks would survive, however, Asus confirmed during a press conference at CeBIT that 7 inch netbooks will be axed in mature markets.
Via Cnet
Asus Eee PC ‘Seashell’ 1008HA showcased
March 3, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Asus has shown off it’s latest Eee PC netbook called the Seashell 1008HA. Details are thin on the ground in terms of specifications however what we do know is that the Seashell is a slimline Eee (1 inch thick) with a 92 per cent-size keyboard and multitouch keypad, weighing approximately 1kg. It will also have a 1.3-megapixel camera and standard WiFi and Bluetooth. The 1008HA will have optional WiMAX and 3.5G connectivity. No word yet on how much the device will cost nor any details on release date. We will keep you posted on further developments.
Some more pics, a video and the full press release after the jump.
Asus Eee PC T91GO at CeBIT
March 3, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Asus is showcasing the T91GO at CeBIT, which is the 3G enabled version of the T91 that Asus first officially announced in January. The device is a convertible tablet (or net tablet if you like) with a swivelling screen enabling it to be used as a tablet device. The device has an 8.9″ (1024 x 600) LED backlit touchscreen display and runs a customised version of Windows XP which Asus has developed including a series of touch-friendly applications. It is powered by an Intel Atom Z520 CPU and comes with 1GB RAM.
Some more pics and a video after the jump.
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