Asus

Looks like I am going to be quite busy reviewing mini-notebooks in the next few months. Not only do we expect the Gigabyte M912 and the ECS G10IL in our offices in the next few days (I sit here tracking the shipping), but it looks like from the rumblings on the Net that Sylvania and Lenovo are striking back with netbooks of their own.

JKOnTheRun got the official specs of the Sylvania G Netbook MESO (not the G or the Cloudbook lookalike, but its new G). The 8.9-inch G Netbook, which I swear is the Amtek Elego that I saw at Computex and that hit the FCC, will run a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor and be priced at around $299. (I’ll believe that when I see it.) It will be available with Windows XP Home and Ubuntu’s Netbook remix and in four colors (Onyx, Snow, Solar, Blossom).

You can see the complete specs below and some pictures in the gallery, but it does look promising with an 80GB hard drive. Read the rest of this entry »

Our buddy Brad Linder at Liliputing spotted ASUS offering a $100 rebate on its $549 Eee PC 900s. This would bring the price of the Xandros Linux, 8.9-inch and Intel Celeron M powered mini-notebook down to $449. The rebate seems to be available right now on ZaReason.

This seems like a smart move on ASUS’ part since its 901 and 1000 series (and maybe even a 903, 904) sporting the latest Intel Atom processor will be the likely choices by consumers and retailers. Of course eventually, you will be able to get an MSI Wind for $499 and that will sport a larger 10-inch screen and the Atom processor. What this price drop doesn’t answer is if an Intel Atom Eee PC 900 is headed our way for $399.

I almost didn’t believe Liliputing’s post about a 16GB Linux Eee PC 900 hitting the market. I mean why would ASUS update its Eee PC 900 (see review here) when its 901 and 1000H are sporting Intel’s Atom processor? And why would the 900 16GB be $150 less than the original 900 20GB Linux version?

But a search of Amazon.com confirms that the Eee PC 900 running Linux will be hitting the market with an Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of space. Best part? It will finally have the $399 price point it should have had from the start.

Confused? We sure as hell are. Why is this model with 4GB less space and a faster processor be $150 less than the orginal Eee PC 900 for $549.99? We have contacted ASUS and hope they have an answer on this topic. We want answers!

First it was just a single mini-notebook. And it was a hit. Then the Asus Eee PC quickly became a line of mini-notebooks, and models with bigger screens, larger keyboards, and faster processors multiplied to combat the onslaught of competitors coming out of the woodwork. Despite some gripes about escalating prices, the Eee PC brand shows no sign of stopping.

That’s why ASUS is rolling out the Eee Box B202 (mini desktop), Eee Stick (Nintendo Wii-like controller), and the mysterious Eee Monitor, which looks like an all-in-one PC. But why stop there? Here’s how we think Eee should be pimped out next. Share your Eee gear ideas in the comment section.

1. The WheelEee
Now that gas prices have surpassed four bucks per gallon, what the world needs is an electric car that will curb our dependence on foreign oil and help the environment bounce back. Like the Eee PC, the WheelEee 900 coupe is powered by a compact AC adapter and can run for up to five hours on a charge. The 1000H cross-over gets a little less mileage, but there’s plenty of room for the kids and all your stuff. Read the rest of this entry »

We were just digging around the FCC’s website looking for juicy news when we stumbled across the FCC filings for ASUS’s Lamborghini phone, the ASUS ZX1. Could it be coming to the US?

ASUS originally announced the Lamborghini ZX1 at Computex in May, and it claims the phone is “designed by racers, for racers.” Because race car drivers talk while driving, too.

While most of the phone sports a car-like interface with a gauge-based UI system, the underlying OS is Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Since it supports UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz networks, as well as EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900 bands, it could potentially serve as a 3.5G phone on AT&T in the United States.

Other notable features include built-in GPS, WLAN 802.11b/g support, and a 3 megapixel camera. Whether or not we’ll see this on store shelves is still up in the air, but I have my doubts that a carrier would pick up a, likely expensive, Lamborghini flavored phone. Even if a carrier doesn’t choose to sell it, the phone may be sold as unlocked so T-Mobile or AT&T subscribers could buy and use it on either GSM network.

Gallery, including internal pics, is below.

Read the rest of this entry »

If Eee mania hasn’t set in yet, it’s about to. Earlier this week pictures of the Eee PC 903, 904, and 905 were leaked. Joining these “unofficial” pictures of new Eee PCs are some shots of the Eee Monitor, or what looks to be an Eee PC all-in-one, which was first talked about by the Taiwanese company at Computex 2008.

Our ASUS rep had no specs on the monitor or availability. However, based on the photos, we’re wondering whether this is actually a monitor or a new all-in-one PC or a rip off of the iMac.

To our discerning eyes, the monitor looks to be 19 to 20 inches and has a webcam centered on top of the display. Below the screen are controls for adjusting the brightness and contrast. The right side of the display sports 2 USB ports and a card reader.

In addition to 4 USB ports, the back of the monitor is strangely equipped with two Ethernet ports, three audio ports, one for a mic, and 2 audio-outs. What we don’t see is a VGA or DVI port, making us wonder whether this is meant to be a monitor for an Eee PC or a self-contained all-in-one computer. If it’s meant to serve as a monitor, it must also double as a docking station, because otherwise there’s no reason to have Ethernet and audio ports.

The Denon logo on the bottom right of the display indicates that this potential all-in-one may have a built-in Denon amplifier and speaker system. If it is a standalone system, we suspect its CPU is none other than Intel Atom, but other than that we have no clue what’s inside. The Eee Monitor has been rumored to have a built-in TV tuner and a starting price of $500.

We have all the shots you could dream of below.

Read the rest of this entry »

We are pretty excited to get our hands on the first laptops that have an instant-on mode powered by Splashtop. With the touch of a button, the notebook will boot a Linux-based OS within seconds from which one will be able to quickly get on the Web to check e-mail, visit favorite Web sites, and chat with friends. For more information check out our Splashtop FAQ.

We expect the Voodoo Envy 133 with its Voodoo IOS, an environment powered by Splashtop, to make it into our offices soon. But we have no word as to when we will actually get a peek at ASUS’ ExpressGate notebooks, including the M70T, M5Vr, M50V, F8Vr, and F8Va. ASUS has promised systems that have the instant-on feature in Q3 of 2008.

To tide those eager ExpressGate fans over, I was able to grab this video of the instant-on operating system last month while in Taiwan at ASUS’ TekTrend conference.

Read the rest of this entry »

Could ASUS finally be listening to our complaints about the tiny keyboard on the 901? DigiTimes and Engadget reported this morning that “Asustek Computer is planning to launch new Eee PC models, the 904 and 905, which have an 8.9-inch panel but use a similar chassis and keyboard as the company’s 10.2-inch models.”

Of course that was just a rumor, until my friend Sascha over at EeePCNews.de posted some pictures of what looks to be an Eee PC 903 and Eee PC 904 (links in German).

The Eee PC 903 (picture after the jump) looks puzzling. It seems to lose the fancy build of the 901 including the silver hinge and dedicated shortcut buttons along the top of the keyboard. It resembles the Eee PC 900 more than anything else.

Could this be a cheaper 8.9-inch Eee PC with Atom? Is this move designed to make the Eee PC more price competitive with the MSI Wind? Read the rest of this entry »

After unboxing the Eee PC 901, I finally sat down with it and put it through the paces. Granted the Windows XP OS is in Chinese, but I was still able to get a good feel for the performance of the Intel Atom powered netbook. Check out the video hands-on and read through my mini-review to find out what I think of the system and if I think it can rival the MSI Wind.

Updated: Read our full review of the Eee PC 901.

Impressive Hardware Redesign

I never had any complaints about the original design of the ASUS Eee PC, but I gladly welcome the redesign. The matte coating on the lid has been replaced with one that has a glossy shine to it. It actually doesn’t seem to be getting too smeared in finger prints, but it has already gotten a small scratch. I am pretty pissed about that since I have been keeping it in the included felt case at most times. (The case isn’t that swim suit lycra anymore).

I am impressed with the new circular, silver hinge. The system has also been rebranded; you won’t find any ASUS logos just the Eee script logo on the right hand corner of the lid and under the screen.

Read the rest of this entry »

It takes a savvy tech journalist to secure a product that hasn’t completely made it off the manufacturing lines, or just one willing to venture into the computer markets of Taipei. This morning I set out to buy an Eee PC 901 - the ASUS mini-notebook wonder sporting the latest Intel Atom chip. Off to the Kauanghua Plaza district I went with a few fellow tech journo commrades (Kevin of NotebookReview.com and Sascha of EeePCNews.de).

Update: Read our Full Review of the Eee PC 901 >>

The district’s streets should be paved in silicon with the amount of laptops and desktops on sale. Shop after shop has the latest laptops on display along with a ton of software and other computer parts. Struggling with the fact that we didn’t speak Chinese, we wrote down “ASUS Eee PC 901″ on a piece of paper and went around showing it to as many vendors as we could find.

After close to 10 failed attempts, one nice man took us into a back room and pulled out a lime green Eee PC box. A simple check of the specs printed on the side showed that we had struck gold. 17,300 NTS (around $573 USD) later I was walking down the street with the newest mini-notebook on the market.

So what do I think of my new baby Eee PC 901 running Windows XP? I like it. The white lid is glossy and smooth and its got a bit larger footprint than the Eee PC 900. It seems to get its chunk from the thicker screen and bezel.

Read the rest of this entry »