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Eee PC with 9-inch touchscreen in the works?
Details of future generation Eee PCs from ASUS have been trickling out even before the first generation shipped. Now that sewing circle of Taiwanese component makers have whispered a few secrets in the direction of DigiTimes. We already heard directly from ASUS at CES that 7-, 8-, and 8.9-inch models are in the works. Now DigiTimes claims a "9-inch" (we'll assume that's just the 8.9-incher rounded up) and new 10-inch version is also on the way. Notably, the 9-inch versions will feature "four-wire resistive" touch-panels. Great, right? Sure, at first blush what's not to like about an Eee with a touchscreen. However, a good chunk of the Eee's appeal is its low cost even though it never quite delivered on that early $200 promise. Adding bigger displays and now, a touch-screen, is just going to drive the price higher until there's no difference between an Eee and a Wal-mart Inspiron. Still, adding touch-panel functionality is expected to add just $15 to the manufacturing cost of the device. We only hope that ASUS can refrain from milking the Eee's success dry... RAZR anyone?[Via jkkmobile]
Eee PC killer coming from Acer?
Is Acer prepping to go head-to-head with ASUS in the surprisingly hot low-cost laptop market? A Chinese-language Commercial Times report says so. The laptops are expected to carry 8- and 9-inch displays when launched "late in the first quarter or early second quarter" and priced to compete directly with the Eee. Of course, ASUS is planning their own refresh about that time so Acer (and Everex) had better keep on its toes.
Asus EeePC spotted running SplashTop instant-on OS
You probably remember the SplashTop instant-on, Linux-based OS from past posts or perhaps developer DeviceVM's demo at last October's reader meetup in San Francisco. It's well known that this embedded feature will ship standard on select ASUS motherboards, but as we were cruising around the PC manufacturer's booth today, we happened to catch a rather unexpected application for SplashTop: running on the EeePC. Neither ASUS nor DeviceVM has made any announcements with regard to porting the software onto the popular ultra-portable laptop, but unless our eyes were deceiving us, this Eee was all ready to run Pidgin, Skype, or a browser without booting into the main OS. We'll keep our eye on this one, as the merger of these two technologies would certainly create quite the compelling user experience.
Xohm on track for April launch with up to 10 devices, nation mops brow
Sprint's CTO, Barry West, is working hard to alleviate concerns that their mobile WiMax service plans might be in jeopardy. Speaking on a WiMax panel here at CES, West said that things are on track for a commercial launch of their Xohm service in April in the Baltimore, Washington, DC and Chicago markets. At that time, up to 10 WiMax devices should be ready to roll which, if our Xohm booth tour is any indication, would include a WiMax-enabled Samsung Q1 UMPC, Nokia N800, and Eee PC among a few laptop and desktop modems. The service will sell for "reasonable rates" with plans to cover daily, weekly, monthly, or longer commitments. Devices like WiMax-enabled cameras could be sold with the service price baked in according to West. A 1-week disposable camera we imagine. However, unlike cellular services, Sprint has no plans to subsidize WiMax devices. While none of this is new, we're definitely relieved to hear it again.
WiMAX-enabled Eee PC demoed on Sprint's XOHM network, more details revealed
That, friends, is the WiMAX-enabled Eee PC, showcased today on Sprint's XOHM network (as was the OQO model 02). No word on a price just yet, but it sounds like it will see production with "an attractive MSRP." Also of note, ASUS is planning to dish out 7-, 8-, and 8.9-inch models (not necessarily WiMAX-enabled, mind you) in Q2 in a variety of colors, but it seems we'll be playing wait-and-see regarding the all important price / specifications bit.
Asus to unveil next-gen Eee PC with WiMAX alongside Intel and Sprint
There's a WiMAX shindig coming our way at CES next Monday courtesy of Intel, Sprint and Asus. From the sound of things it'll primarily be Sprint and Intel letting everyone know how very, very fast WiMAX is -- and how ahead of the curve we should know they are on deployment and chipsets -- but things will get a little extra interesting when the companies start showing off WiMAX "mobile solutions": actual devices that actually play around with the new wireless standard. Asus in particular will be one to watch, since it's showing the sequel to the Eee PC, bedecked in WiMAX garb. That's as much info as we have at this point, and we're guessing Asus won't be launching the new Eee PC in the coming months while the current model is still selling so well, but we're looking forward to a peek all the same.[Via Notebook Italia]
Asus reveals accessory line for Eee PC
Obsessed with your Eee PC? Enough to go and buy a few accessories designed specifically for it by Asus? If so, you should know that Asus has unveiled five compact mice, a headset, world power adapter and a pair of extra batteries for its newest darling. As for the mice, they each sport a 1,000dpi resolution, USB connectivity and come in five different hues. Moving on, we've got a pair of noise-isolating headphones that come with a trio of ear tips and in your choice of white or black, and the new power adapter provides prongs for an unspecified number of foreign countries. Lastly, users who are perpetually finding themselves far, far away from an AC outlet can pick up a four- or six-cell battery. No word on prices or release dates just yet, but we'd bet they'll be rolling out soon enough.[Via MobileWhack]
Eee PC hacked for internal 3G HSDPA
This one's definitely not for anyone concerned with warranties and whatnot, but those looking to expand their Eee PC's wireless capabilities without resorting any unsightly adapters may want to check out the latest how-to from jkmobile, which gives you the rundown on adding internal 3G HSDPA to the diminutive laptop. That, as you might have guessed, involves a fair bit of slicing and soldering, not to mention disassembling a standard 3G HSDPA modem (a ZadaCOM 3G+ HSDPA, in this case). The process is apparently further eased if you have just the right Eee PC model, as the 8G's 8GB SSD drive takes up too much room, and the earlier 4G models require some additional cutting to squeeze the modem in. Hit up the read link below for pics of the whole process and a video of the hack in action.[Thanks, C.K. Sample]
Asus exceeds expectations, ships 350k Eee PCs in one quarter
We're not exactly sure why, but we never really had a feeling that Asus wouldn't be able to move a copious amount of these things. Nevertheless, DigiTimes has it that Asus actually sold through 350,000 Eee PCs in a single quarter, beating industry expectations by a solid 50,000 units. Also of note, the report mentions that Asus is planning to launch the little bugger into Best Buy stores in the US while also kicking off sales in Japan next year, so there should plenty of opportunities to grab one if you've somehow missed out thus far.
Asus Eee PC 2G Surf: now with color
The newly announced $300, 2G Surf ASUS Eee PC is now available on-line and in color. Twas always meant to be, only we weren't expecting them to pop for another month. Since the previous models were only available in black (the absorption of all colors) and white (the reflection of all colors), these are technically the first Eees to feature color -- fancy blush pink, sky blue, and lush green. In stock and ready for delivery by that chubby man who's fond of children.[Via EeeUser, Thanks Neil]Read -- BlueRead -- GreenRead -- Pink
Eee PC gets modded with a touchscreen
We've seen a couple sweet Eee PC mods, but this seamless addition of a touchscreen is probably the best so far. It looks like this particular Eee is running XP, and the $60 eBay-sourced car touchscreen our enterprising hacker bolted on seems to work seamlessly with both pen and finger. Check the full vid after the break.
Fresno schools buy 1,000 Eee PCs, Asus launches 2G Surf model
The OLPC and Classmate PC may be getting most of the attention these days with their attempts to win over as many schools as possible, but it looks like Asus' Eee PC is starting to make some moves of its own, with the Fresno Unified School District recently snagging 1,000 of the laptops in an attempt to boost student scores. As The San Francisco Chronicle reports, the schools also went the extra step of getting the laptops pre-installed with Windows and other Microsoft software, which apparently brought the total cost to $464 a seat. Also according the Chronicle, it seems that Asus has officially launched its $299 2G Surf model a little ahead of the January date we first heard about, although it still seems to be nigh impossible to come by, at least at the moment.[Thanks, Bill]
Vista gets wrangled onto the Eee PC
It already seems pretty clear that there are few OSes that won't at least be attempted to be installed on the Eee PC, and it now looks like you can chalk up another of the big ones in successful column, as one fearless user has managed to squish Vista onto the diminutive laptop. To accomplish that feat, Paul O'Brien used the vLite tool to cut out as much bloat as possible before putting the custom disk image onto a USB stick, after which he then installed the OS on the Eee PC and, perhaps most notably, moved the Side by Side (or SxS) directory onto an 8GB SD card, freeing up some much needed space on the laptop itself. If for some reason you want to try that yourself, you can find complete instructions by hitting up the read link below, or you can live vicariously through the video after the break.[Via Gadget Lab]
Asus sez Eee PC warranty still valid if you break seals
Ever noticed that "Warranty Void If Removed" label over the access door to the single SODIMM slot in your Eee PC? Apparently, Asus wants you to just ignore those four little words. In a warranty update posted to the firm's website, it plainly states that "merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the Asus Limited Warranty," and while it recommends that customers use company-approved service facilities, it wants to ensure that buyers "are free to make appropriate hardware and software modifications and upgrades, regardless of whether the service is performed by an approved facility, a non-approved service provider, or by the customers themselves." Going forward, it seems that Asus will be using a label that simply informs users that it won't be held responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of any tinkering, but yes, you can indeed feel free to piddle around till your heart's content knowing Asus still has your back.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Asus says it'll ship 3.8 million Eee PCs next year
It's no secret that Asus has some big expectations for its low-cost Eee PC, but it looks like the company is now getting a bit more specific on the matter, with it saying it expects to ship some 3.8 million of the laptops in the next fiscal year. To put that in some perspective, HP (currently at the top of the laptop heap) shipped some 6.2 million laptops total in the last quarter, while Apple sold approximately 1.4 million in the same time period. Given that Asus is talking about one particular model (with few variations), however, 3.8 million in a year certainly isn't too shabby. What's more, as Daily Tech reports, at least some of those 3.8 million laptops will be shipping with Windows -- specifically, a stripped-down version of XP that's been designed for "emerging markets." Stripped-down or not, however, those'll apparently still demand a $30 to $60 premium over the base, non-Windows model.[Laptop sales figures courtesy of CNET News.com]
The 20GB+ Eee PC mod
8GB of flash storage is currently the best you can hope for in a standard (though imported) Eee PC. However, if you're industrious and determined enough, you can marry your 4GB Eee with a $150 (or so) 16GB Corsair Flash Voyager drive for a full 20GB of storage. That's exactly what Johnx did over at eeeuser.com. He even integrated Bluetooth like we've seen before. Best of all though, the new NAND and Bluetooth radio are not soldered to the system. Rather, they are fitted to a pair of newly installed, internal USB ports slung off the miniPCIe connector. Thus, the system can be upgraded at any time. All hail Johnx... king of the Eees! [Thanks, chainofcommand02]
Asus' Eee PC on sale with 8GB SSD, 1GB RAM for $499
Don't look now, but those not quite satisfied with the Eee PC's 512MB of RAM and 4GB hard drive can finally get what they've been asking for. E-tailer Dynamism is offering up Asus' 7-inch darling (in Pearl White and Galaxy Black) with 1GB of RAM and an 8GB SSD, but all of the remaining specifications look to be the same. Of course, you'll be coughing up nearly five bills for this version, so we'll leave it to you to decide if it's worth it. Oh, and don't expect either flavor to arrive before "mid-to-late December."[Via jkkmobile]
Asus clarifies Eee PC GPL issues, says omission was a mistake
We never really assumed foul play by Asus when it was discovered that the Eee's Linux source package was missing the ACPI module, especially after Asus released it with little fanfare soon after it was first noticed -- and now the company has released a statement formally calling the omission a mistake. Asus also said it's working to publish all the Eee's source in the appropriate forums, and that it intends to respect "the spirit of the GPL." Which is great and all, but considering how much time Asus had to sort this out, you'd think they'd have their ducks in a row.[Via TG Daily]
Eee PC mod brings some internal Bluetooth
The Asus Eee PC isn't missing many must-have specs right out of the box, but there's always going to be a reason or three for some internal Bluetooth. Luckily, the hack really isn't too terribly difficult as demonstrated by tnkgrl -- as long as you've got a basic idea about what you're doing when it comes to a few stray USB wires and a motherboard. It involves a standard USB Bluetooth dongle stripped to its essentials and hooked up to the mini PCIe slot that also hosts the Eee PC's wireless card. The hack doesn't mess with your original wireless, and provides the sweet, sweet Bluetooths to XP and the standard Xandros OS. And speaking of Xandros, someone's also gone through the trouble of getting their WM6 HTC TyTN up and tethered with the Eee -- which seems like a natural next step after you manage the tnkgrl hack, but we're not the boss of you.Read - Internal Bluetooth hackRead - TyTN tether
Asus posts more Eee source code to comply with the GPL
While we're certain Linux fans will continue to pore over every aspect of the Eee's Xandros distro to make sure Asus remains in compliance with the GPL, it looks like the company is doing its best to make amends by posting the source to the Asus_ACPI module that kicked off the controversy in the first place. The module's code was not originally included in the 1.8GB source .zip Asus had made available, but it's now chilling out on Asus' public FTP server -- we're certain three of you are absolutely thrilled.
