NetbookShow

While we’re all still waiting for the ASUS Eee PC 1201HA to go official outside of Europe, Blogeee.net has gotten word that the yet to be officially announced ION powered ASUS Eee PC 1201N will be arriving in France in December intended just in time for landing under the Christmas tree. They’ve somehow gotten a hold of some promo material showing the specs for the 1201N, though it hasn’t been announced yet.

One nice feature in Windows 7 is that it gives users a bit more control over their power settings. But in some cases, even without tweaking your PC to adjust the CPU clock speed, shut down the hard drive, display, or other tweak other features Windows 7 may still help you squeeze more life out of some batteries — either that, or Asus decided to throw a higher capacity in the Windows 7 version of the Eee PC 1008HA. Either way, Chris Guthrie at Netbook Reviews decided to compare battery performance on a Windows XP version of the Eee PC 1008HA and a new model running Windows 7.

The result? The Windows 7 model ran for more than an hour longer. With the brightness set to full, WiFi and Bluetooth on, and the processor set to run at 1.75GHz, the computer ran for 6:07:30. The Windows XP version ran for just 5:03:18 under the same conditions.

Chris used Battery Eater Pro for his test. I’ve stopped using that particular test, since it taxes the CPU non-stop until the battery dies which doesn’t really provide a good picture of real world usage. In other words, it’s quite likely that you may be able to get another hour or two of battery life out of the new Eee PC 1008HA. I haven’t had time to test the battery on my review unit, but you can be sure I’ll be paying close attention to battery performance in light of Chris’s findings.

Asus has officially announced its Windows 7 lineup, and that includes an updated version of practically every Eee Family product launched during the second half of 2009 as well as the company’s new thin and light UL-series notebooks.

Here’s a brief rundown of computers that are available with Windows 7 starting today:

Eee PC netbooks, notebooks:

* Eee PC 1005HA – 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD
* Eee PC 1005HR – 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD
* Eee PC 1008HA – 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1-2GB RAM, 250-320GB HDD
* Eee PC T91MT – 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel multitouch display, convertible tablet, 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB SSD
* Eee PC 1101HA – 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB RAM
* Eee PC 1201HA – 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520 CPU, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD
* Eee PC 1201N – 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330 dual core CPU, NVIDIA ION graphics, up to 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD

Eee Box nettops:

* Eee Box EB1501 – Atom 330 dual core CPU, NVIDIA ION graphics, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, DVD burner
* Eee Box EB1502 – ?

Eee Top all-in-one PCs:

* Eee Top ET2002 – 20 inch, 1600 x 900 pixel display, 1.6GHz dual core Atom 330 CPU, NVIDIA ION graphics, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD
* Eee Top ET2002T – same as above, but with a touchscreen display
* Eee Top ET2203 – 21.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, 1.6GHz dual core Atom 330 CPU, NVIDIA ION graphics, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD
* Eee top ET2203T – same as above, but with a touchscreen display

UL-series thin and light laptops:

* Asus UL20 – 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 7.5 hour battery
* Asus UL30A – 13.3 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 10 hour battery

The Asus UL50A/UL50Ag/UL50Vg/UL50Vt/UL80V models and other larger laptops have also been updated.

In related news, Asus has posted the user manual for the Eee PC 1201 online, and as netbooked points out, it mentions a third, previously announced model called the Eee PC 1201T. The Eee PC 1201T doesn’t have an HDMI port, which would seem to indicate that it might not have ION graphics. There’s no word on what else might set it apart from the 1201HA and 1201N.

Microsoft has been offering low cost Windows XP Home Edition licenses to PC makers selling netbooks for nearly two years. In order to qualify, a netbook needed to have a small screen, slow processor, and no more than 1GB of RAM or 160GB of hard drive space. As a result, nearly every netbook released over the past two years met those specifications. But here’s the thing: If you’re not interested in keeping the price down, the sky is the limit, because those restrictions don’t apply to laptops with Windows Vista, or even Windows XP Professional.

Now that Windows 7 is just around the corner, Asus Japan has apparently decided to give the Eee PC 1005HA a business-class upgrade: by sticking with Windows XP, but loading the computer up with Windows XP Professional.

The Eee PC 1005HA Business edition is virtually identical to the versions currently on the market. But the new model has a silver and black chassis instead of a solid black one, and 2GB of RAM. The rest of the specs are prety much what you’d expect, including a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. 160GB hard drive, and 10 hour battery. The Eee PC 1005HA Business edition is due out today in Japan for about $715.

Keep in mind, Asus is launching updated versions of its Eee PC 1005HA, 1008HA, and 1101HA laptops with Windows 7 in the US, Europe, and other parts of the globe later this week.

The multi-touch version of the ASUS Eee PC T91 series, the T91TM has arrived in Germany, and is up for pre-order at Amazon.de where it will be available from October 22 priced at 506 Euros.

Comes with the same Atom Z520 (1.33GHz) processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB HDD, GMA 500 graphics but now with Windows 7 Home Premium and of course, a multi-touch display.

Amazon is taking pre-orders for the Asus UL20A-A1 laptop for $589.99. The laptop will be available to the public on Thursday, October 22nd. This will be the first 12 inch laptop from Asus featuring an Intel CULV processor. It’s similar to the Asus UL30A in many respects, but it has a smaller screen, less RAM, and a smaller hard drive. It also gets slightly less stellar battery life.

Here’s a rundown of the specs:

* CPU: 1.3GHz dual core Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300
* Display: 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pxiels
* OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
* RAM: 2GB (4GB max)
* Storage: 250G (5400rpm)
* Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi
* Webcam: 0.3MP
* Battery: 7.5 hours

The price is close to $200 higher than Acer Aspire 1410, another thin and light Intel CULV-powered laptop. But the Asus UL20A has a dual core processor and a longer-lasting battery.

In related news, Amazon is now taking pre-orders for several different versions of the Asus UL30A, which is the company’s 13.3 inch model. All of the new configurations will ship with Window s7. The good news is that while there are still models that will sell for closed to $800 (with Windows 7 Professional or with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and a 16 hour battery!), Asus is also offering a lower priced option for $680 with Windows 7 Home Premium, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a 12.5 hour battery, and a Core 2 Duo processor.

The folks at NewGadgets.de, at some ASUS Germany press event, have some snapshots up of the DVD drive, ION laden ASUS Eee Box PC 1501 on display.

The Eee Box PC 1501 went official early this month, so we have already seen pictures and full specs.

The ASUS Eee Box PC EB1501 is their latest nettop with the main features being a super-multi DVD burner, dual-core Atom 330 processor and NVidia ION graphics.

Other specs include: 2GB RAM (4GB max), 250GB HDD (2.5” SATA), Gigabit LAN, 802.11n Wi-Fi.
Ports: 1x LAN, 1x eSATA, HDMI, VGA, 6x USB, S/PDIF, Mic and headphone, Card Reader and built-in Antenna.

Mouse and keyboard come in wired and wireless varieties. Includes a VESA kit to attach it to the back of a monitor. Optional remote control.

Runs Windows 7 Home Premium, which means an upgrade kit to Windows 7 should be offered. Available in black or white.

With Windows 7 set to launch in just a week, we’re about to see a whole lot of netbooks, notebooks, and other computers get a spec bump. And the Asus Eee PC lineup is hardly exempt. At an event in Germany, Asus officials outlined some of the company’s plans for the next generation of the Asus Eee PC Seashell line, including the Eee PC 1005HA, 1008HA, and 1101HA.

For the most part, the info is in keeping with a leaked product roadmap from earlier this year. But here’s the interesting part. Most of the netbooks will ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition, while the Eee PC 1101HA with an 11.6 inch display, 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 260GB hard drive will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium.

The Asus Eee PC 1005HA will be available in two different versions. Both will have 1GB of RAM, 250G hard drives, and Intel tom N270 processors. The 1005HA-H will have Bluetooth and a 10.5 hour battery, while the 1005HA-M will lack Bluetooth and include an 8.5 hour battery.

The Eee PC 1008HA will have 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, an Atom N280 processor and a 6 hour battery.

The Eee PC T101H is a 10 inch convertible tablet-style netbook from Asus. The company first showed a demo of the netbook at CES in January, 2009 but it has yet to hit the streets. And now Netbook News.de is reporting that Asus plans to show off a revamped model at CES 2010. The new model could be available as soon as Q1, 2010.

This will be the second convertible tablet from Asus. The first was the Eee PC T91, which has an 8.9 inch display. But that model had an incredibly tiny keyboard and an awkwardly slow processor. The Eee PC T101H will have a larger keyboard, a larger 10.2 inch touchscreen display, and a faster processor.

According to a Netbook News.de tipster, the updated T101H will have a multi-touch display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 pineview processor, 1GB of RAM, a 16GB solid state disk, and 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, and optional GPS, 3G, and DVB-T modules. The laptop will also reportedly have an accelerometer and a battery that’s good for up to 8 hours.

It’ll ship with Windows 7 Home Premium. Now for the bad news. The laptop will reportedly have a starting price of nearly 700 Euros, or over $1000 US.

I’m going to take all of this with a grain of salt for now. After all, we’re talking about an anonymous tip regarding a product that was technically introduced more than 10 months ago.

ASUS is introducing another notebook based on the new Core i7 processor: the 16 inch M60J. Unfortunately, only the specs are available right now, and they are as follows:

* 16-inch glossy display (1366×768)
* Intel Core i7 720QM/820QM processors
* Nvidia GeForce GT 240M 1GB graphics
* Dual 2.5-inch hard drive bays
* 6-cell 4800mAh battery
* Weight: 3.3 kg/7.27 lbs w/battery
* Dimensions: 14.8 in. (W) x 10.4 in. (D) x 1.3~1.6 in (H)
* 2-year limited global warranty

Please note that the dual hard drives can offer up to 1 Terrabyte of storage, so by all means, go nuts on the movies and music.