ASUS’ Eee netbooks may have been the first netbooks on the market, but they have maintained their position since this whole netbook thing started. Now their newest models have been revealed, and has a lot changed from the cute little plastic boxes that shocked us with their $200 price-tags back in 2008.

They new models include the 1015P, 1016P, and 1018P. Their old bodies have been chucked in favor of a new, more masculine, brushed metal chassis.  They come with styling tiled keyboards and nice wide touchpads, which are always very classy.

The leak source for this info, Blogee, doesn’t have much in terms of real specs. However, it does mention 10” screens, webcams, fingerprint scanners, and the highly awaited for USB 3.0 ports. There are currently no pics of the 1016P.

The most stunning piece of this however is the battery life of these little things. The 1018P is a mere 18 mm thick and will have 10-hour battery life; the 1016P, however, blows its sibling’s figures out of the water with an incredible 14-hour battery life.  The accuracy of battery lives aren’t known to be reliable pre-release, but to boast numbers like that means they have to be far above average.

Via Gizmodo, image via Blogee.

A new version of Leeenux, a Linux distribution for netbooks, has come out. Version 2.0, upgraded from 1.3, includes the Firefox 3.7 beta, Thunderbird for email/calendar management, and multiple emulators for SNES and Sega Genesis. Installation takes up only 1.2 GB, and best of all, you can download it for free. If you are wondering about other reasons why you should install Leeenux for your netbook, take a look at this list taken from the Leeenux website:

Why Leeenux?

Honestly, I’m just excited about the SNES emulator!

Get your free version of Leeenux here.

Via Liliputing

People might have thought Acer, the new rebellious teen on the block and netbook powerhouse, would have come out full throttle into this tsunami of tablet products.  Instead, however, they plan to go against the tide, refusing to take part in the tablet war.  Acer’s champion of choice will instead be the ultra-thin laptop, a form factor that has never truly realized its full potential.

Acer Taiwan’s President Scott Lin simply retorted to Digitimes that, while there would be no difficulty in developing such a tablet, it simply has no place in the Acer business model.  He estimated that 20-30% of their business this year would come from ultra-thin laptops, a surprisingly large statistic for what has remained a niche market for so long. This is indeed a peculiar and unique announcement, given the current climate where the public’s attention is fawning over tablets.

He also mentioned models thinner than 2 cm (0.7 inches) coming out this year.  Most likely, some of those fabled Chrome OS netbooks will be tossed into this mix.  Whether or not they will be ready to compete with the tablets will be seen in due time.

Via Engadget

The bestselling netbook on Amazon right now is the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE, retailing for $368.59. Why’s it so popular?

One reason could be the extremely classy ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, a tool that allows users to, upon the tapping of a hotkey, speed up the processor for performance or slow it down to extend battery life. This, combined with the ultra-efficient Intel Atom N450 CPU, allows users to get up to 14 hours of juice.

Also encouraging such efficiency is the LED-backlit 10.1″ screen, coming in at 1024 x 600 pixels. Other features include 802.11/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Windows 7 Starter, Bluetooth, a Plug-and-Play flash card slot, 0.3 megapixel webcam, 1 GB of RAM with the option to upgrade, and a massive 750 GB of Hybrid Storage (250 GB in the HDD and 500 GB on ASUS’ web servers.

What more needs to be said? Go get yours now for only $368.59.

Via I4U.

ASUS’ latest Eee PC is called the ASUS Eee 1001P. It rocks the Intel Atom N450 CPU and achieves an admirable 11 hours of battery life on a single charge.

It comes with 1 GB of DDR2 memory, upgradeable to 2 GB. The SATA hard drive is a 250 GB, 5400 RPM monster. The new netbook comes with a 0.3 megapixel webcam and a 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel LCD screen.

Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Windows 7 Starter as an OS. This thing weighs about 2.8 pounds and you can get it on Amazon now.

Via GadgetVenue.

ASUS has added its UL30 CULV notebook to Amazon, available for pre-order for a hefty $849. Officially designated the ASUS UL30Vt-A1, ASUS’ new machine is a tier above the netbook market in both pricing and power.

The ASUS UL30 features an Intel Core 2 Duo chip at 1.3 GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500 GB HDD, and Nvidia G210M graphics with 512 MB of VRAM. The 13-inch UL30 comes with 64-bit Windows 7 as well.

Shipping dates for the ASUS UL30 are so far unknown.

Via Nexus404.

It is rumored that Asus will release a new gaming laptop early next year, which will allegedly use Intel’s powerful dual-core i5-430M Processor. Another supposed feature of the Asus laptop is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU that can surely handle the most advanced graphics.

The Asus X77 laptop’s features include:

• 1,600 x 900 17.3-inch LED screen
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU with DDR3 Memory
• Two 500GB hard drives
• 4GB of RAM
• eSata Port
• HDMI Port

This new machine is a full-fledged gaming laptop that should run most of the latest games. The Asus X77 will be priced around $1435.

Via Engadget.

Some watchful eyes have caught wind of the Eee PC T101MT over at the FCC, an update of the $532 multitouch Eee PC T91MT netbook. It’s a bit early to expect this thing at January’s CES 2010, but the few hints we have sounds promising.

The new netbook will be a multitouch tablet, as designated by the ‘MT’ in the model name. It should include a 10-inch display as well as 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi.

The ASUS Eee PC T101MT will most likely come with the ASUS TouchSuite, and hopefully an Intel Atom N450. For now, further details are nowhere to be found, but more could be forthcoming come CES 2010.

Via TechTree, image via BlogCDN.

Asus is planning to unveil the Eee Pad at the CES in January, and some unconfirmed details have been reported by secondary sources. The suspicions are these: the tablet will not run Windows CE, it will have multi-touch capabilities, and it will use either Nvidia Tegra or Tegra 2 platforms.  The Eee Pad will also measure anywhere between four to seven inches diagonally.

We will have wait until next year to know for certain what this device will have in store. So far the tablet fits right into the touch screen trend that we have been seeing and will likely continue to throughout the following year.

Via Engadget.

The specs of the 12.1-inch ASUS Eee PC 1201N netbook have been out for a while now, and they’re truly something to look forward to – 2 GB of RAM and 250 GB of storage on a machine selling for a mere $500. But while the netbook was anticipated to go on sale by December, that’s only a half truth – you can pre-order the Eee PC 1201N right now, but you’ll have to wait until January 15 for it to ship.

If you can stand the wait, get to it – pre-order your own ASUS Eee PC 1201N netbook here.

Via SlashGear.

We hope you still have money left after Black Friday, because for the hefty price of $1700, you’ll be able to get your hands on the upcoming ASUS G51J 3D which claims to bring “real 3D” to laptops. Using NVIDIA’s 3D vision technology, the G51J is already able to play over 400 games.

The system employs shutter glasses, which is supposed to outperform the Polaroid lens alternative currently used by the Acer’s Aspire 5738DG. As for the ASUS G51J, it will include a GeForce GTX 260M card which boasts 1GB of DDR memory. It’s time to start saving!

“NVIDIA® is excited about the world’s first 3D Vision notebook coming from ASUS,” said Phil Eisler, General Manager of 3D Vision business unit at NVIDIA. “The ASUS G51J 3D notebook will set the standard by which gaming and 3D notebooks will be judged. Congratulations to ASUS for achieving this monumental milestone!”

Via Engadget & GoodGearGuide.

The ASUS Eee PC 1008HA netbook had its pitfalls, but no matter! It’s successor, the ASUS Eee PC 1008P or Seashell 2, will soon be in town. This newer netbook model will feature upgrades to the hardware and design of the previous model. For starters, the 1008P netbook will include a slide-out battery and the oh-so-popular chiclet-style keyboard.

In terms of hardware, the ASUS Eee PC 1008P netbook will pack a 1.8GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, which will give the netbook better graphics capabilities. In addition, the ASUS Eee PC 1008P will also run Windows 7 out of the box and feature a new VGA adapter that connects via mini-USB — camouflaging itself on the underside of the netbook.

Other than that, the Seashell 2 will pretty much be similar to the original. (You can check out the original’s specs here.) If you’re interested in learning more, check out the CES in January 2010.

Via Geek.

The Google Chrome operating system isn’t pre-installed on netbooks just yet, but if you’re interested, below are some netbooks that have been “officially” tested and that claim to be compatible with the software. On these netbooks, you can assume that everything works, including 802.11 Wi-Fi, Ethernet, the touchpad, and the suspend/resume functions.

• Acer Aspire One AOD250* – $299.99 at Amazon.com
• Acer Aspire One AOP531h – $269.99 at TigerDirect.com
• ASUS Eee PC 1008HA – $339.95 at Amazon.com
• ASUS Eee PC 900 – $282.25 at Amazon.com
• Gateway LT20* – $259.99 at TigerDirect.com
• Toshiba Satellite A205-S5000 (This is a 15.4″ laptop, but you can get one at netbook pricing for about $350 on eBay.)

*These netbooks ship with both Atheros and Broadcom 802.11 wireless adapters. The Atheros adapter works out-of-the-box with the Chrome operating system, but the Broadcom adapter does not.

Via Google.

Look out iPhone,  there’s a new world of multi-touch devices available to consumers this holiday season. One such is the newly unveiled Eee PC T91MT which stands to be the worlds first convertible tablet notebook which features a multi-touch screen and fully supports Windows 7 Multi-Touch gestures that we’re sure you’re already familiar with. Those who have finished wiping the drool from their faces will be pleased to hear that the the slim Eee PC, which measures one inch thick and a paltry 0.96kg is designed for mobility – it sports a shockproof 32GB Solid State Drive (SSD) and comes with an additional 500GB of online ASUS WebStorage. Gadzooks!

The Eee PC T91MT puts users in touch with their creative sides:

• Multi-touch functionality makes interaction with the computer fun, it encourages users to be creative.
• Virtually all tasks can be performed with a tap, drag, punch, or twist – get your fingers ready!
• Photos are viewed, positioned, and edited seamlessly.
• Reading a Document is like flipping through pages in a real book.
• Taking Notes and Memos with the included package TouchSuite is intuitive and easy.
• The touch pad boasts a 256-level pressure sensor, the Eee PC™ T91MT’s crisp and responsive 8.9″ multi-touch screen reproduces handwriting beautifully and accurately, regardless of whether a finger or the bundled ergonomically-designed stylus is used.

Specifications

Black Friday is less than a week away and we’re here to bring you yet another spectacular netbook deal.

The ASUS Eee PC 1005HA (one of the top-selling netbooks on Amazon) is going to be available for a mere $199.97 at Hhgregg – discounted $100 from the regular price of $299.99!

The 10.1″ ASUS Eee PC 1005HA netbook will be equipped with an Intel Atom N270 processor, an Intel 945GSE graphics chipset, and 1 GB of RAM. Other tech specs include multi-touch, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3 USB ports, and a 0.3 megapixel webcam. Note that since it’s a netbook, no CD/DVD drive is included, but tackling basic computing tasks should be easy as pie.

There’s a limit of 10 netbooks per store on Black Friday and they’ll be available on Friday and Saturday – at least while supplies last.

Via Notebooks.

Video quality is a touchy subject for people with older netbooks, especially when it comes to HD. However, some serious advances have been made since the days of yore, with the Nvidia ION platform leading the way.

ASUS says it’s going to try to harness the power of the ION chip in new netbooks and nettops, including the Eee PC 1201N, EeeTop ET2002T, EeeBox EB1012, EeeBox 1501, and the AT3N7A-I mini-ITX mainboard. CEO Jerry Shen thinks this will make all the difference:

“Our new ION-powered Eee PCs will redefine netbook and nettop performance. They deliver an outstanding HD experience that isn’t possible with today’s basic integrated graphics.”

ION brings graphics support to XP, Vista, and Window 7 in up to 1080p resolution. It can also stream Flash Player 10.1 video, connect to external monitors, and accelerate a host of other apps using CUDA capability and more.

Via DailyTech.

Mobile operator O2 is changing up its mobile broadband netbook and laptop packages.

The newest netbook to join the team is the ASUS Eee PC 1005H. This 10.1″ LED-backlit widescreen netbook is equipped with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a 160 GB hard drive. It has an integrated microphone and webcam and the default operating system is Windows XP.

The newest laptop addition is the 15.6″ Samsung R519. This laptop is equipped with a 2.16GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core T3400 processor, an Intel GMA 4500M graphics chipset, 2 GB of RAM, and a 250 GB hard drive. Other tech specs include a DVD super multi DL drive, WLAN/Wi-Fi, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. The operating system available on this machine is Windows Vista.

These portable computing devices will be subsidized with the purchase of a 24-month data plan contract that includes 300 text messages and unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot access. 3 GB and 10 GB monthly data plans are available, the latter of which is roughly £10 more per month. There is also a one-time charge of £29.38 regardless of the netbook/laptop package selected, which gets you an O2 USB E169 mobile broadband modem.

Via IsPreview.

SquareTrade, an independent warranty provider, has done research on the failure rates for 30,000+ netbooks and laptops covered by warranty plans. They’ve found out that roughly a third of laptops will fail within three years and that the failure rate for netbooks is 20% higher than that for laptops.

Further breakdown of the results indicate that 20.4% of laptop failures were due to hardware malfunctions and 10.4% were due to accidential damage. Here’s a graph showing some empirical evidence:

5.8% of netbooks malfunction within the first 12 months of ownership, which is 20% higher than the malfunction rate for entry-level laptops and 40% higher than the malfunction rate for premium laptops. The projected malfunction rate for netbooks over a three year period is 25.1%. Compare this to 20.6% for regular laptops and 18.1% for premium laptops.

ASUS Eee PC and Toshiba netbooks and laptops tend to be more reliable. Fewer than 16% of Eee PC and Toshiba owners reported a hardware malfunction over a period of three years. Acer, Gateway, and HP machines had relatively higher malfunction rates.

Here’s another graph to show the 3-year laptop malfunction rates for different laptop manufacturers:

Via Gizmodo.