Integrated WiMAX not coming to the Eee PC anytime soon?

ASUS has been running around demoing Eee PCs with built-in WiMAX for a while now, but a new report in the always-salacious DigiTimes says that we won't be able to get our hands on similarly-equipped units until after 2008 because the company feels the WiMAX market won't reach "maturity." Fair enough -- and ASUS is still planning on shipping the wireless tech in its larger laptops -- but something tells us that WiMAX isn't going to mature if popular devices aren't available with the tech built-in. Something about a chicken and an egg, you know?

[Via jkOnTheRun]

[MastrCake @ May 20th 2008 4:09AM]

Oh, C'mon...

I wait for months just to find out that I may have to wait till next year to get WiMax in a new Eee? Guess I should just break down and buy one now...

[MastrCake @ May 20th 2008 4:11AM]

Oh, by the way, I am sorry about complaining... I don't normally do this. I also am not normally up until after 4 o'clock with an inability to sleep...

[ethana2 @ May 20th 2008 5:21AM]

I am.

[A.C.E.R. @ May 20th 2008 5:22AM]

Sir, your avatar sucks ass.

[Tim @ May 20th 2008 4:21AM]

Why does Engadget treat every little tidbit on information regarding eee as big news? Just you wait. Engadget will get their hands on a photo of some hollywood star or political leader using one and they'll act like jesus just returned or something.

[GenBanks @ May 20th 2008 5:53AM]

I would be upset if they covered Jesus returning on a tech blog. It just wouldn't be relevant.

[Luisen @ May 20th 2008 6:41AM]

Because those tidbits of information are quite important news for a lot of users (i.e., other people and me)

[Down @ May 20th 2008 7:24AM]

If Jesus was caught using an Eee PC, I'd be more concerned about whether its the 7 inch or the 9 inch version.

[Richard Lai @ May 20th 2008 7:55AM]

@Down: nah, Jesus would be using the 1001 prototype.

Or give him a 701 and he'll turn it into a 901. Bless him.

[hrt @ May 20th 2008 10:21AM]

Actually Tim, this is very interesting news to someone looking to purcahse an Eee with the arrival of the atom. I've been waiting a loooooooong time, and it's not nice to see the feature list decline as I wait.

[bard @ May 20th 2008 4:29AM]

Oh, so Eee news is "overdone", yet we're supposed to salavate over every silicon sleeve that comes out for the iPhone and every pseudo-rumor of a possible alteration to the USB port of a potential upgrade to a mythical MacTablet?

Personally I see the Eee PC as being far more of an impact on consumer laptops and it's industry as a whole, and worth keeping an eye on, especially when it comes to stuff like WiMAX. Because...well, let's face it.... unlike many geeks on here who can blow their income on $2000 and $3000 computers, the rest of the world and many in the US gain more by the innovations in these cheap little buggers than some trendy fashion whore of a computer like the MacBook Air.

Regardless if it's Windows or Linux.....or even Apple OS!

[Kurian @ May 20th 2008 5:07AM]

I hate Macs. But I still spend 3000$ on custom PCs simply because they are better.

[ethana2 @ May 20th 2008 5:25AM]

I hate macs too, but you can get a decent Ubuntu Dell with an nVidia GeForce go 8400 GS and 1440x900 screen for $800.
...I'll be coming from a radeon 9200SE with horrible drivers.. so while it may be relatively pathetic, I'm sure to be blown away by its power :) (factor of >10x)

[ethana2 @ May 20th 2008 5:26AM]

That is to say I really don't understand the folks who would spend $3000 on a single non-tablet computer.

[Mark @ May 20th 2008 4:37AM]

Asus is just full of disappointments, isn't it?

[X-BLADE @ May 20th 2008 5:28AM]

Thats going to make the price what..., $800?

[MattyG @ May 20th 2008 5:31AM]

"Integrated WiMAX not coming to the Eee PC anytime soon?"

I'm sure the tinkerers and hackers amongst us will have something to say about that

[x20mar @ May 20th 2008 6:49AM]

Clearly the egg came first, who said it had to come from a chicken!

[GenBanks @ May 20th 2008 12:23PM]

But the chicken could have been born without an egg, then lay an egg because it was different from its mother... So who says the chicken has to come from an egg... ;P

[Richard Lai @ May 20th 2008 7:56AM]

Screw WiMAX. Let's have some more battery juice!

[hrt @ May 20th 2008 10:36AM]

Amen, brother.

[Oinquer @ May 20th 2008 9:24AM]

..Wimax??
JUST GET BLUETOOTH IN THERE! ITS MORE USEFUL!

[Mark @ May 20th 2008 11:19AM]

Its coming, for $650.

[Jon Acheson @ May 20th 2008 10:29AM]

It's fine that they aren't putting WiMax in.

The EeePC is an economy laptop, after all, not a cutting edge one.

Keep the price down, and maybe add some Bluetooth.

[Hellios @ May 20th 2008 11:18AM]

Every time Engadget does an article on the Atom EEE, its price increases by $10.

[Adam Zey @ May 20th 2008 11:07PM]

Most major cities in Canada have WiMax coverage, and have had for years. How much more mature can it get?

That said, while the coverage is there, the subscribers aren't necessarily; it's marketed as a wireless portable (not mobile) internet solution, and only comes with something like 10GB per month of data.