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ASUS offers UK Eee PC 900 owners 10 battery upgrade
Unlike the sticky situation in Hong Kong (which was in fact resolved), ASUS was under no obligation to provide 5800mAh batteries to buyers in the UK. Officially, the outfit noted that it "offers different solutions in different markets," and although UKers have received 4400mAh batteries in their machines, they also get a lengthened two-year warranty. Nevertheless, the company is making the right moves once again by offering these very customers a couple of options; first, users can download a firmware update that will reportedly add around 30 minutes of life to their current cell. If that's not enough, owners can send in the 4400mAh pack along with £10 + VAT in exchange for a longer-lasting 5800mAh edition. Looks like a pretty fair deal from this side of the pond.[Thanks, JC]
Final specifications revealed for ASUS Eee Box B202?
The week of Computex 2008 has begun, and you'd probably know just by checking out the onslaught of ASUS news here lately. Up next is the hotly-debated Eee Box B202, which we now know the final specifications for -- reportedly, at least. HotHardware has it that the mini desktop will exhibit a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, a 80/120/160/250GB hard drive, GMA 950 integrated graphics set, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, optional Bluetooth, a multicard reader, 512MB/1GB/2GB of DDR2 RAM and an Azalia ALC888 audio chip; you'll also find a pair of USB 2.0 ports, DVI out and a headphone jack, but an optical drive is altogether missing. We're hearing that US configurations will range from $269 to $299 with your choice of Linux or Windows XP, with availability in mid-July.
Aftermarket Eee PC 701 touchscreen is supposedly easy to install
Got an Eee PC 701 you want to take touchscreen? jkkmobile found an no-soldering-necessary aftermarket solution that makes it look oh so easy to give your Eee some touch input. Of course, you take your time (and especially money -- approximately $340 US) into your own hands ordering off of Chinese part supplier sites, so be appropriately warned.
ASUS Eee Stick motion controller brings Wii to the Eee
ASUS seems to be bringing a lot of new toys out to play at Computex, but we're suddenly most intrigued by the Eee Stick, a pair of motion-sensing game controllers that looks like nothing more than a pair of Wii nunchuks. We're hearing that the left nunchuck can also work as a 3D mouse, but it'll be interesting to see if ASUS plans to actually pitch the $70 set to game developers, or if it's just another gimmicky controller that'll inevitably get dumped for the comforts of WASD. Gameplay video after the break.[Via Engadget Chinese, thanks Anonymouse]
ASUS 10-inch Eee PC 1000-series to launch at Computex?
Oh, snap. As if it weren't official enough already, the subnote war is on. According to a Computex invitation from ASUS, the outfit is planning to not only showcase the Eee PC 901, but also a brand new variant that will likely go mano a mano with the 10-inch MSI Wind. We quote: "[ASUS] would also like to specially extend an invitation to you to attend the official global launch of the new Eee PC 901 and 1000 series." There's no details beyond that right there, but it's plenty to whet our appetites on the heels of the 10.6-inch Eee PC 1001 evidence we've already collected. Oh Tuesday, you seem so far away. [Via GizmoLounge]
ASUS vaguely hints at alternative Eee form factors
ASUS isn't being shy about its plan for global Eee domination, and it sounds like the company is exploring expanding beyond the laptop and desktop form factors we've already seen. Speaking to Current.com.au, ASUS Australia retail manager Emmanuele Silanesu said that ASUS's Eee group is "obviously looking at other form factors rather than just a clamshell," but wouldn't confirm anything -- and just to make things even hazier, Silanesu said that a forthcoming touchscreen machine from ASUS might not carry the Eee branding. That's just about as vague as it gets, but we're in agreement with UMPC Portal that ASUS has plenty of low-power, low-cost UMPCs on the shelf (like the R2E pictured above) that could easily be made over to fit with the Eee line. We'll see when we see -- Silanesu hinted that something was due to appear at Computex in June.[Via UMPC Portal]
More, different Eee Box specs surface online
We've already heard about some supposed specs for ASUS's forthcoming Eee Box desktop PC, but Trusted Reviews has now turned up some slightly different ones, which it claims come from a "very reliable" source. While that source apparently couldn't confirm that the desk-bound Eee would in fact be an Atom-based box as many are speculating, the source reportedly did flat out say that the system would be launching with 2GB of RAM as standard, and a 160GB hard drive (not 1GB and 80GB as we had previously heard). It'll also supposedly be running the same Linux distribution as the Eee PC, and be available in white only to start with. What's more, it seems that this particular source's information should be able to be verified one way or another soon enough, as he/she is also saying that ASUS will get official about the Eee Box on June 3rd at Computex in Taiwan, with an actual release set to follow sometime in the third quarter, in the UK at least.[Thanks, Argie]
Black Eee PC 901 looks good, just not $650 good
There you have it, ASUS' Amos 'n Andy companion to the Martin 'n Lewis Eee PC 901. The 8.9-inch Atom-based lappie show no signs of the rumored Bluetooth or anything else unusual that we can see. Black is certainly predictable as a continuation of the original Eee PC 700-series color scheme. It's certainly not as surprising as the expected $650 price tag on the original $199 low-cost laptop. [Via The Gadget Site, Thanks KC Kim]
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]
EeePC keyboards different on black and white models
Okay, this is pretty much for the crazy keyboard aficionados out there, but the crew over at Laptop says there's a distinct difference between the keyboards on the black and white Eee PC laptops. They compared the 'boards on a white 701, black 4G Surf, and white 900, and while the two white Eees had identical keys, the black unit featured different switches with deeper keypresses and more tactile feedback, smaller spaces between the keys, and rougher plastic. (Of course, if you actually use any keyboard for long enough, the plastic eventually wears smooth, so that's probably not an issue.) We doubt the difference is going to really sway anyone's purchasing decision -- the tiny Eee keyboard isn't exactly ideal for hardcore typists, after all -- but if you're looking for a tiebreaker between the black and white 700s, well, now you have one that will bore the pants off people at parties.
ASUS's Atom-based Eee 901 shows up in pictures
It was just yesterday that the official announcement of the Atom-based MSI Wind's pricing prompted us to wonder where ASUS's promised Atom Eee 900 was, and would you look at that -- here's the Eee 901, looking radiant in white. Of course, the major changes are internal, so the exterior looks pretty much the same -- apart from some extra buttons and the relocation of the power jack -- but it's good to know this thing is inching closer to release. Now if we could just get some benchmarks and pricing info, we'd be all set. Check the read link for tons more pics.[Via jkkmobile]
ASUS Eee Box B202 desktop gets pictured: we like the concept better
Not like this is the first time we've seen a finalized product look noticeably worse than the concept preceding it, but it's a shame ASUS' Eee PC desktop won't be nearly as pretty as we were led to believe. According to Chile Hardware, the picture you see there to the side is a bona fide Eee Box B202, which weighs in at less than one kilogram (2.2 pounds) and packs an Intel Atom processor / 945 chipset, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB hard drive and a Linux-based operating system. No clue how legitimate those specifications are, but hopefully the unit itself looks way sexier from the other side.
ASUS Eee PC given away with T-Mobile mobile broadband package
We're calling this right now: ASUS' Eee PC is the new MP3 player. But only in the context of giveaways. Anywho, just days after RBC announced that it would dish out free subnotes if prospective customers joined in, PowerUp Mobile is now offering a similar deal for UKers who sign up for T-Mobile's Web n Walk mobile broadband package. In short, folks comfortable with inking their name on a two-year contract at £35 per month will net a free USB modem and a Eee PC 2GB Surf. Better hurry -- the deal expires on June 15th.
Eee 900 now available for pre-order for delivery May 12
We already knew a few delivery dates for the Eee 900 worldwide, but ASUS came real with the Stateside deets today, so if you're in the market, get ready for some unboxing fun on May 12th. A plethora of online retailers should be taking your $549 pre-orders soon, including Amazon, Buy.com, Newegg, PC Mall, and Costco, and several brick-and-mortar retailers will also get stock on the 12th as well. Other than that, it's the same Eee 900 we've been seeing for a while now -- we're just waiting for that black one to hit.
Switched On: The Linux ultraportable opportunity
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. The US smartphone market may continue to be dominated by mobile platforms from Apple, Microsoft, and RIM, but Linux has been creeping into ever more mobile devices in the last few years. Some Motorola RAZR 2 models have donned a Tux, Palm is looking to Linux to drive its next-generation consumer smartphones, and Android's backers hope to spread it to an even wider array of handsets. Linux is also driving many avant garde connected consumer electronics devices such as the Chumby, Nokia N810, Amazon Kindle, Dash Express, and whatever the fertile minds tinkering with Bug Labs' modules are envisioning,. Even the remote control that houses the user interface of Logitech's Squeezebox Duet is a Linux computer.However, none of these products is intended for as flexible a range of uses as a notebook PC, where Linux is being tested as a tool to achieve lower price points on a new generation of low-cost but style-conscious ultraportables. ASUS set the pace with Xandros on the Eee PC, and HP has tapped Novell SuSE Linux for the 2133 Mini-Note, but whereas the Eee's positioning has been somewhat of a loose hybrid between an adult OLPC and the Nintendo Wii's culture of global inclusion, the HP Mini-Note has been strongly focused on reckless, immature students while acknowledging potential for senior executives that have been known to share their temperament.
ASUS Eee PC 900 display retrofitted into 701
We've already seen one engineering bloke stuff a touch panel into a Cloudbook, so we figured it was only a matter of time before that luscious 8.9-inch unit from the Eee PC 900 found its way into the pioneering 701. According to jkkmobile, all that was necessary in order to make the mod happen was a good bit of reworking around the bezel and a BIOS hack to enable full-screen support on a larger display. Unfortunately, a step-by-step guide has yet to be posted (though it's likely forthcoming), but you can gaze upon a smattering of photos right now by giving the read link a visit.[Via Liliputing]
Black EeePC 900 appears in the wild, goes well with dinner
Although the Eee PC 700 comes in a whole rainbow of colors, the big brother 900 has only made appearances in white so far -- but it looks like ASUS has been quietly prepping a black version as well. These pics just popped up on Flickr with virtually no explanation, but that's definitely a black Eee PC 900 next to someone's terrifying dinner. Seriously, that thing is looking at us. Hit the read link for several more shots.[Via jkkmobile]
Airis' Kira 740 Eee lookalike gets reviewed
French site MobileHub has gotten its hands on another Eee competitor rip-off -- the Airis' Kira 740 (aka, Kira 100) -- and has given it the rundown. The initial impressions are about what you'd expect, besides coming with XP onboard, having 1GB of memory, a VIA C7 1GHz CPU, and a traditional 40GB hard drive, the mini-laptop is almost identical to ASUS' entry. The screen resolution is the same 800 x 480, the keyboard is apparently a shot-for-shot remake, and it features familiar ethernet and WiFi networking options. You can see in the photo above that there are some minor physical differences, though in our opinion they've somehow managed to ugly it up + 30 percent. For €299 (or around $466) you can get yourself a Kira 740 sometime soon. Yay.[Via SlashGear]
Asus rumored to be spinning off Eee brand, 11-inch Eee PC coming too
Information doesn't get much more twisted that this so you'd best tread lightly with it. We've got a DigiTimes rumor whose message appears modified in translation. Engadget Chinese tells us that the original DigiTimes article (in Chinese) states that Asus is planning an Eee PC "sub-corporation." In other words, an ASUS spin-off that would include more than just low-cost ultra-portables. The rumor is attributed to DigiTimes' proven ASUS sources. However, DigiTimes' own English translation simply calls the move an Eee "sub-brand" which was already obvious with ASUS' announced plans for additional Eee branded products including the E-DT desktop, E-TV television, and 19- to 21-inch E-Monitor all-in-one said to be due in Q3. DigiTimes' sources also claim that ASUS will slap a 1001 model number on its 10.6-inch Eee PC and then -- perhaps supporting the spin-off claim -- says that there will be a premium 11-inch Eee PC before the end of the year as well. Originally, Jerry Shen, ASUS CEO, said the Eee PC would never exceed 10-inches so that it wouldn't cut into ASUS' laptop offerings. A spinoff would presumably give the Eee brand more freedom to compete. [Via Engadget Chinese]Read -- DigiTimes (Chinese)Read -- DigiTimes (English)
ASUS replacing Eee PC 900 batteries with longer lasting versions
Attaboy, ASUS. Not even 24-hours after reports starting flooding in over end users receiving less capacious Eee PC batteries in Hong Kong than expected, the firm is stepping up and doing the right thing. According to an admittedly rough translation of a statement on its website, ASUS is openly thanking its supporters for their business, and while it seems as though it's still chalking the whole mishap up as a simple mistake, every single Hong Kong-based customer will be receiving a free (5800mAh) replacement. 'Tis a shame we'll likely still be griping over the battery life.[Via jkkmobile]
