NetbookShow

The new / old 8.9-inch netbook today was short listed on the official ASUS website. Notebook Italia drafted the specifications, and images show that there are virtually no differences between the “new” ASUS Eee PC 900AX and the now no longer available for ASUS Eee PC 900A. The system relies in the same case and continues to have a Intel Atom N270 CPU. This device could be little more then an attempt by ASUS to get rid of remaining stock, but for those who crave the 9″ form factor, this is an interesting re-rerelease.

Eee PC 900AX’s specs:

• Processor: Intel Atom N270
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 SO-DIMM
• Screen: 8.9 “LED Backlight WXGA (1024×600)
• Networking: WLAN 802.11b / g
• Hard Drive: 160GB 2.5 “
• Audio: Integrated speaker, microphone
• Ports: 1 x VGA, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x RJ-45 LAN, 1 x Audio Jack
• Expansion: Memory Card Reader MMC / SD (SDHC)
• Battery: 4 cell Li-ion
• Dimensions: 170mm (W) x 225mm (W) x 34mm (H)
• Weight: 1.127Kg
• O/S: Windows XP

The Apple iPad is the first blockbuster tablet computer. While companies have been pumping out Windows tablets for the last 10 years or so, none has gotten as much attention as the iPad, and while I don’t have the sales numbers, I’m not aware of any other model that sold 300,000 units on the first day either. And Apple’s success in building hype for the iPad has led dozens of other companies to prepare similar machines with touchscreen displays and no physical keyboards. The problem is that many of them are missing the thing that makes the iPad work: A truly touch-friendly user interface.

Latest case in point? The Hiton HT-960. This 8.9 inch tablet has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel touchscreen display, 802.11b/g WiFi and a SIM car dslot for an optional 3G modem.

Unfortunately, the tablet also runs Windows XP, which is an operating system that wasn’t really designed with touch in mind. In fact, you could make the case that even Windows 7 which has touch-friendly features like simulated right-click feels like touch was thrown in as an afterthought. Some software takes advantage of Windows 7 touch features, but most apps simply don’t.

Anyway, the long and short of it is, I can’t see why users would be happy with a tablet like the Hiton HT-960 which is basically just a Windows XP netbook without a keyboard and touchpad.

On the bright side, at $418, the tablet is a little cheaper than an iPad plus it can run Windows apps, has 16GB or more of storage, an SD card slot, and 3 USB ports for peripherals. It also has a 0.3MP webcam. On the less bright side, shipping is $69, which kind of eats into that price advantage.

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.