Hu stated that Intel Atom dual core processors will start making an appearance in their products as soon as they can get their teeny tiny little hands on them. Company President Jerry Chen, apparently feeling left out, chimed in to say that there would be another refreshed Eee coming at around $300. With an even lower low end, Atom dual-core processor models and touchscreen units it's not really clear what Eee designation is supposed to mean anymore, though I'd say "things that Asus makes that someone might actually want" sums it up pretty well. [Digitimes]

Claiming 7.2 Mbps down/2 Mbps up over the air, the updated 901's chipset should work with AT&T's network here in the States. Currently the 901 goes for around $500 in its various flavors—and Asus is not mentioning any price changes at the moment for the 3G-packing models.

Coupled with All-day Battery Life, 3.75G Capability Puts Eee PC’s™ Status as the Ultimate Travel Companion Beyond Question

Taipei, Taiwan, September 24, 2008 – ASUS today announced that it will be adding 3.75G connectivity* to its hugely-popular series of Eee PC™ netbooks, enabling convenient and high-speed access to the Internet anytime, anywhere. The inclusion of 3.75G is a perfect addition to the Eee PC’s™ existing set of travel-friendly features such as its high portability, shockproof data storage and all-day battery life—strengthening its reputation as the ultimate solution for computing on the go.

With 3.75G, the Eee PC™ will be able to deliver on its promise of borderless one-day computing better than ever before. No longer bound to Internet hotspots, 3.75G-equipped Eee PC™ users will be able to enjoy low latency mobile broadband Internet access at high downlink and uplink speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and 2 Mbps** respectively, regardless of where they are—ensuring a seamless connected experience on the go. The Eee PC’s™ 7.5-hour battery life*** provides more than ample power to keep it up and running during extended outdoor excursions.

Frequent travelers will particularly welcome the timely addition of 3.75G support, which comes as service providers around the globe are ramping up their adoption of 3.75G High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA). This means that they will be assured of a reliable, high-speed mode of Internet access in many destinations around the world.

3.75G will make its first appearance in Eee PC™ 901 netbooks released to market from October 2008 onward.

[Asus]

The $850 fully loaded N10J-B1 will pack an Nvidia GeForce Go 9300M GS 256MB graphics card. That's pretty good for this 3.5lb computer. (We're not sure what's coming in unspecified $750 and $650 configurations.) Users on the go will be able to turn off said discrete graphics to conserve battery life. According to Asus, it make the difference between about 6.5 hours and 4.7 hours of runtime—we're a little skeptical of those big numbers—and it should give us a tiny computer that doesn't act so much like a tiny computer anymore. [BGR]

Although the project seemed threatened in early 2006 from all sides these were minor compared to the problems to come. The biggest concern at the time was lack of an LCD panel manufacturer, but Negroponte and CTO Mary Lou Jepsen managed to charm another eccentric Taiwanese billionaire. Wen-Long Hsu—founder of southern Taiwan’s Chi-Mei conglomerate—is the owner of the world's largest collection of Stradivarius violins, and he played one for them when they visited to sign contracts.

By the fall, everything was working great in prototype form. Quanta agreed to run its first batch, and even agreed to run a suspend-resume hibernation test cycle 1000 times on each test machine. Normally, test units were give this cycle four times, so it was a particularly unusual request. Then, at 3am on the first day of mass production, Jepsen got a call. Everything was shut down; the laptops were going to sleep and not waking up.

"All hell was breaking loose." She hauled ass to the manufacturing lab with a few other guys and started pumping the caffeine.

Eventually a Quanta guy named Gary Chang and an OLPC guy named Richard Smith ("He's from Arkansas, looks like surfer dude") solved the problem. "We were calling it the second shot from the grassy knoll," says Jepsen. Apparently, as the system was shutting down, electromagnetic noise was corrupting data, screwing up the instructions that told the thing how to wake up again.

At around the same time, the maker of the wireless chips, Marvell, decided to update the firmware for the radio, and they started to crash. "We had four people in four time zones working on that problem," said networking engineer Michail Bletsas. "Mark Foster in Taipei, me in Boston, someone in India, and someone in Santa Clara. We had to program a workaround on the fly: It's in the radio, something you're not supposed to touch under normal consequences."

"A lot of those stories weren't told," says Jepsen. "We weren't hiding it, everybody knew, but we weren't broadcasting it. We figured it all out, and shipped a million of them."

Threat Level Rising
By late 2006, Intel had finalized its specs for the Classmate PC. Though it would cost $30 to $40 more than the XO—the "$100 laptop" in the end cost $188—the Classmate had a faster processor, Intel brand equity and the option of Windows XP as the OS. (Bulk buyers could also opt for Linux.) It was seductive in that it wasn't the revolutionary product that the XO was, but something more familiar, and in line with what ministers of education might have been considering already. What's more, it was a reference design that regional companies could license and customize to fit their needs. And, perhaps, countries rife with pirated software infrastructure had plenty of free programs to run from the black market.

As it began pilot program, Intel's strategy was seen as more traditional too: Laptops could go to teachers, or loaned to students. It did not enforce Negroponte's logical but strict mandate, that the laptops be given to the children, and that they should only be deployed when there are enough to go around.

In the middle of 2007, Intel and OLPC entered into a partnership that was probably more of a hindrance to each other's initiatives than any sort of help. From the start, the deal was vague, more of a mutual appreciation society than a true strategic alliance. Six months later, it had dissolved in acrimony. OLPC accused Intel of pitching Classmate to would-be XO customers; Intel griped that OLPC wouldn't stop asking that the Classmate be discontinued in favor of the XO.

Meanwhile, Intel's more profit-minded operatives were hanging out in Taiwan, spinning the baby laptop idea to one of Quanta's arch competitors, a little known company called Asus.
On June 8, 2007, while both the XO and the Classmate were still deep in pilot testing, Asus introduced the Eee PC, a $400 mini-notebook running a warm-n-fuzzy flavor of Linux. Not only did it resemble the Classmate more than a little, it was unveiled at a press conference hosted by none other than Intel. It would be ready for sale worldwide by that winter, and when it did become available, boy did it sell like hotcakes.

Sales Figures, Sales Facts
"Selling like hotcakes" is an expression that doesn't mean anything in particular. In many cases, "selling a million" doesn't really mean anything specific either. I've heard OLPC people say they've hit the million mark, but in terms of actual shipments, it's not true.

Due to issues that have nothing to do with hardware—and largely to do with Negroponte's greater mission of educating the world's poor—the XO spent most of 2007 in beta testing. In early November, OLPC launched the "Give 1 Get 1" $400 charitable promotion for US buyers, but the first real bonafide XO deployment happened in Uruguay in on December 1. Confirmed orders might have topped a million at this point, but the number of existing XOs, both sold in the US and deployed en masse to schoolchildren in Peru and Uruguay, hovers around 500,000.

Ask Intel how many Classmate PCs are out in the wild, and you get a vague stat, somewhere in the "hundreds of thousands." Intel, too, promises large numbers to come. Portugal will be buying 500,000 of them for the coming school year, for instance.

The Eee PC, though, is already nearing 2 million sold, having hit 1.7 million in the first half of 2008. It is on target to reach a promised goal of 5 million by the end of the year. (By contrast, OLPC will most assuredly not reach 1 million by the end of 2008.)

The success of the mini notebooks has largely been due to price (even expensive ones rarely touch $600) and their intentionally internet-friendly design (you're not going to load up Photoshop CS3, but browsing and email checking work fine). They are also boosted by the negativity surrounding Windows Vista: By running Linux or Windows XP, they present a desirable alternative to the bulkier, more expensive, resource-heavy machines required to run Microsoft's latest OS.

In the wake of the Eee's success, over 40 mini notebooks have hit the market over night. The top four best-selling notebooks on Amazon fall into this catetgory.

At this point, even if the millions of third-world students eventually get laptops, it's unlikely that the XO will be the one they receive. Still, the past two years are definitive proof that Negroponte can take credit for the birth of an entirely new kind of PC.

And Negroponte does claim credit for the Eee PC's success. In fact, he says it's why he introduced the next version of the XO laptop—a radical two-touchscreen device aimed at a $75 pricetag—so early.

Encore?
I asked him why, with the first XO so clearly in its early stages of shipment, would he show off the XO-2. Sure, he doesn't have customers at Best Buy who may hold off because they know what's coming, but it seemed to take away from the momentum of the original device, not to mention confirming some of its criticisms (underpowered, cramped keyboard, etc.).

"When we announce something now that will be in play two years from now, it's partly to give the manufacturers something to start copying now," he says, elaborating, "If you go back two years and you look at the press, [the XO] was dismissed, it was not possible. Then came the Classmate, then Asus. If I underestimated anything, it was how fast people would [copy] it, even if they didn't get down to the same price or didn't have the same features. It was a movement—a hardware trend—that happened because of OLPC."

He also hopes that the announcement of the XO-2 concept, one that only exists in pictures, will stimulate small developers who work on components. Jepsen's new company Pixel Qi will focus on the next-generation of LCD touchscreen, one that can be made as cheaply as current screens today, but have capacitive touch built right into the active matrix, making it thinner than an iPhone screen. Others who saw the XO-2 renderings have already begun pitching solutions to the group.

Not a Manager
If there's one criticism made against Negroponte that's indisputable, is that he changes his tune.

In the beginning, Negroponte repeatedly affirmed that the XO was to run "Linux or some other open source operating system." After a long struggle that could easily be the subject of another series, the XO has recently been made capable of booting both its own Linux OS with Sugar interface, as well as Windows XP. (Critics say that Negroponte never allowed OLPC's Linux OS to mature so that it could stand up to pressure from the Windows advocates.)

Likewise, he was adamant at the beginning that his laptop be the only one shipped to these third-world educational programs where there isn't so much a "market" as there is a case for charity. He says now that if there is a true market—schools and families with the means and desire to buy their own laptops—others can serve it.

Inside OLPC, the leader's mercurial nature and changing priorities proved too much for the talent he had assembled. On the software side, Walter Bender and Ivan Krstic left after open disagreements with Negroponte—mostly pertaining to the adoption of Windows, but also to the overall goals of the program. Jepsen left in January 2008 in what she says was an amicable split, though other hardware experts including laptop maestro Mark Foster had abandoned ship earlier, possibly because they couldn't get along with Jepsen. Most people seem rankled by the credit that Yves Behar took as the "OLPC designer," most notably in a Wired article that would seem laughable to anyone who read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

When talking to staff members, there is a sense that no one really got along, and that the religion that Negroponte had instilled in his lieutenants, enough to get them to hang together for two years, has dissipated. The rocky Intel alliance and the move toward Windows were just the final disillusionments. Negroponte spoke the painfully obvious to BusinessWeek last March: "I am not a CEO. Management, administration and details are my weaknesses."

Pulling an Obi-Wan
Still, Negroponte and whoever has stuck by him charge onward. He said, to us and to others, "OLPC is not a laptop company." He himself said that to be taken seriously, you have to build hundreds of thousands of laptops every month; Quanta currently outputs a reliable stream of around 50,000 per month. Now that the mini-notebook movement is in full swing commercially, perhaps the focus should veer from hardware development. Why then stay in the hardware game? Perhaps it's telling that, on the OLPC website's own "Progress" page, nothing is mentioned after December 2007.

Bletsas—who remains hard at work on OLPC today—says that if OLPC does not stay in business, the laptop makers who followed the XO design cues will start doing what they do best: bumping the specs, upping the prices and keeping product too expensive for the foundation to use it in its educational mission. "Unless we keep designing, showing the world it's doable, I don't think they will follow in that path," he says. "If we stop at this stage, they are not going to come down enough for us to use their machines. We have to push them at least one step further."

Want more on OLPC's secret origins? Jump back to the earlier sections:
Part 1 - Genius, Hubris and the Birth of the Netbook
Part 2 - US and Taiwan's Hardware Lovechild

If you're willing to stretch your browser and translators to the ends of the Earth, you might be interested in something like the Sungjut TangoX, a mini-notebook with a touchscreen, modular Skype phone and DVI out. Or maybe you'd prefer the Raon Digital Everun Notebook, which is only 1.6lbs and packs an AMD Turion dual core processor instead of an Atom or Via.

Either way, it's a convenient chart to keep your head straight. Hit the link to check it out in full. [Liliputing]

[PC Watch]

The only concrete example in the article to warrant this concern is the aforementioned lack of profit margins, and there are still plenty of people who need more from their computers other than web browsing and micro-sized keyboards. But hey, if analysts are worried, should the rest of the world be? [NYT]

MSI BEGINS SHIPPING THE WIND

The Wind is available in Fry’s and online New Egg, Amazon, Fry’s, ZipZoomfly, MWave.com and Buy.com

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – July 8, 2008 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, has begun shipping all the pre-ordered Wind U100 notebooks. The Wind, with its speedy new Intel Atom™ 1.6GHz processor, is also on sale at Fry's and online at www.newegg.com, www.amazon.com, www.frys.com, www.zipzoomfly.com, www.mwave.com, and www.buy.com. These first notebooks sold will feature Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and a 3-cell battery.

In September, MSI will begin selling a Windows version of the Wind with a 6-cell battery , as well as the Linux version with a 3-cell battery. MSI will also carry a 6-cell battery for customers who wish to upgrade their 3-cell battery in late September.

So is anyone picking up the 901? [Newegg via I4U]

The mini-notebook market is heating up, with today bringing stats and shots of the Asus's latest Eee PC with its tiny screen and keys that might work with normal hands. Then later, we get news of a leak about Everex, Asus's competitor in this market, about its next Cloudbooks, including one with a 10.2-inch screen and 3G connectivity, and another with an 8.9-inch screen and WiMax.

No definite word on if they'll be using Intel's Atom processors or competitors from Via, or if they'll be XP or Linux machines, but the makers of the reference design, FIC, would confirm a screen resolution on the 10.2-inch model at 1024x600. It will also feature a 1.3-Megapixel camera, 2GB RAM, card reader, dual USB 2.0 and an express card slot.

Less details are known of the 8.9-inch model, though the specs should be similar, including resolution. The devices might be subsidized by 3G carriers like AT&T or Sprint—if they ever hit the US shores, which there's no promise of.

We liked the Cloudbooks we've seen so far, and we can't wait to see if a slightly larger model will actually be usable for those of us with big, bear-like hands. [PC Advisor, via Slashgear]

MSI went from 6 to 3-cells in hopes of getting to market faster, but the batteries have become a bottleneck...I apologize for the delays and can only ask you and your readers for your continued patience.

For anyone who preordered the Wind, the new estimated ship date is July 7. And you'll be receiving a free overnight shipping upgrade, for what that's worth. Thanks everyone!

[Furryrobo via Freshmoco via Unplgged]

The new version of StreamMyGame can stream 1024x600 from your big PC to your little PC over your home network. So if you've been waiting to recreate some of the most graphically-intensive games of the current era on a squintastic 7" screen, your day has come.

StreamMyGame : Play Crysis and the latest games on the Eee PC. Now compatible with over 100 UMPC models.

www.StreamMyGame.com, which enables games to be played remotely, has released today a new version of its software targeted at the highly popular Eee PC and Ebox from ASUS and over 100 UMPCs from other manufacturers.

StreamMyGame's new software runs at full screen resolution on both Windows and Linux versions of the Eee PC and many other Netbooks and UMPCs.

"The Linux player has been requested by our Eee PC members and has been optimised to run on both the original and new ranges of the Eee PC. The Window's player has also been optimised." said Richard Faria, StreamMyGame's CEO.

"You can have your games installed on your home PC and play them on your Netbook around the home and remotely, providing a portable gaming experience on screens that have resolutions of 1024x600," he said, "There are over 100 Netbooks and UMPCs that are now compatible with our technology and we will guarantee similar compatibility with the MID market."

Utilising StreamMyGame's technology, high-end games including Crysis, Call of Duty 4, BioShock and HalfLife2 can be played smoothly and without lag on the Eee PC and other UMPCs providing a responsive gaming experience. The gaming power is delivered from your main PC and networked to your Netbook. The new range of Eee PCs using 802.11n and WiMAX will further improve game play by substantially reducing any network lag.

[StreamMyGame]

Eee PC 901 (both Linux and Windows versions): $599
Eee PC 1000 (both Linux and Windows versions): $699
Eee PC 1000H (Windows version only): $649

Yes, the screen is bigger, but that hasn't stopped MSI from pricing their Wind for $100 to $200 cheaper—depending on your OS—or Dell's 8.9" "E" that starts at just $299. It looks like Asus is taking their strong Eee branding out for a test drive. The problem is that the original Eee was a smart, frugal machine. It's not meant to be a premium brand.

To be fair, the 1000 price is not completely solidified. But it's hard to believe that it will be cheaper than its $600 9" little brother. [laptopmag]

Windows Vista hasn't been adopted joyfully by the masses, but consumers don't always have a say when it comes to the next Windows OS they'll be using. Most of us have to run whatever comes preinstalled on our machine of choice. And according to Microsoft, starting June 30th of this year, that OS will be Windows Vista only.

There is an exception: A rag-tag group of small, cheap rebels that are exploding in popularity. Netbooks, mini-notebooks, ultraportables—whatever you want to call them—are bending the rules and reigniting Windows XP as a manufacturer-supported OS.

How Can They Get Away With It?
You see, Microsoft has a clause in their Vista-only mandate. Knowing—and now openly admitting—that the OS is far more taxing on a system than XP, Microsoft has agreed to allow makers of "ultralow-cost PCs" to continue selling XP computers until 2010. And while Microsoft will only offer major support for the platform through 2009, limited support will be available for XP until 2014. Essentially, it's a loophole that Microsoft created for an entire new class of computers like the Asus Eee PC.

Will This Really Matter?
The Asus Eee was a hit, already moving over 1 million units. And since then, countless other similar "ultralow-cost PCs" have been announced for the market by major manufacturers. Originally for the Eee PC (and others like OLPC's XO laptop) a Linux OS sufficed. But consumer demand for a more familiar operating system led to the adoption of XP. Now, most of these mini-notebooks offer an XP option right out of the gate, at an added cost.

Aside from the many small to medium manufacturers, the two biggest PC manufacturers, Dell and HP, have both jumped onto the mini laptop bandwagon. Here's where it gets interesting: HP's Mini Note does not support XP drivers natively, only Vista and Linux, and we don't know what OSs Dell will offer. But HP's system certainly qualifies for the exemption category because of its Via chipset, and Dell's very well might, too. If mini-notebooks continue to sell at the rate they're being produced, these big companies will definitely play a factor as to whether or not it's XP or Vista that's on them.

Still, the upstarts have the momentum. XP-loving Asus expects to sell 10 million Eees in 2009 when the mini-notebook market is anticipated to reach 20-30 million units sold, says Reuters. That's a lot of computers ready for XP.

So What's The Catch?
Microsoft was clever. After announcing its intent to support mini-notebooks, it clarified (read: limited) the specs on "ultralow-cost PCs." Requirements include nothing bigger than a 10-inch screen (not a problem), limits on processor speeds (variable by make/model), a cap at 1GB of RAM and a limit on storage. So far, the RAM and storage rules have both been broken by Asus already. And it's probably only a matter of time before Atom processors top their current (released) speeds of 1.6Ghz and create yet another exception to Microsoft's rulebook.

It will be interesting how XP popularity plays out from here—a game that's pretty much controlled by Microsoft at this point. But Microsoft is certainly allowing companies fudge the rules time and time again, probably because in the eyes of Ballmer and Gates, it sure beats some guy running Linux.

Additional Sources: [CNET, ZDNET Asia, Reuters]

Nah, nothing more than a cheap sticker. But apparently, certain circumstances dictate a more hands-on approach.

Embrace Easy, Excellent and Exciting Computing with the New Eee PC™
Eee PC™ 901, 1000 and 1000(H) Unveiled at Computex 2008

Upon reaching the milestone of surpassing 1 million Eee PC™ sets sold in just 6 months after its launch, ASUS has provided yet another wave of anticipation with its release of the new Eee PC™ 901, 1000 and 1000(H) models. These new iterations of the ever popular electronic gadget add even more options to users. With its shockproof Solid State Drive (SSD) design, users will be able to enjoy stable and reliable computing on-the-go – making it the ideal and travelling companion for outdoor activities. This new range of Eee PC™ are also equipped with the exclusive Super Hybrid Engine technology that can provide longer battery lifespans of up to 7.8 hours*, exclusive web storage and high speed connectivity**, and large displays for easy viewing. Available on both Windows and GNU Linux platforms – this range expands upon the original 3 ‘E’s to further its “Easy” concept to cater to even more discerning users.
* Exact battery life subject to actual usage and model.
** 3.5G concept sample will be displayed at Computex 2008.

“With constant innovations and implementation of the latest technologies in the new Eee PC™ range, we have since expanded the original 3 ‘E’s into ‘Easy’, ‘Excellent’ and ‘Exciting’. ‘Easy’ will still encompass the core value of Easy to learn, work and play, ‘Excellent’ will highlight the Eee PC’s™ role as an Excellent mobile Internet device and ‘Exciting’ entails utilizing the Eee PC™ for Exciting multimedia enjoyment.” said Jerry Shen, CEO of ASUS.

Solid State Drive for Shockproof and Reliable Computing
With mobility being one of the key factors that contributed to the Eee PC’s™ overwhelming success, the new range of Eee PC™ continues in this trend and utilizes the built-in Solid State Drive (SSD) technology. This technology is shock proof, quiet, produces less heat and is energy saving for reliable and stable computing on-the-go. Traditional hard disk designs spin at 5400 RPM (Revolutions per Minute) – creating more chances of data loss or damage in the event of shocks or bumps. The Eee PC™, on the other hand, are able to safeguard against such incidents – making them the perfect solution for outdoor computing and ideally suited for reporters, wildlife photographers and other like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.

Exceptional Features for User Convenience
The new Eee PCs™ are also equipped an expanded battery that provides up to 7.8 hours* of battery life; while the exclusive Super Hybrid Engine technology provides three GUI modes to easily adjust CPU frequency, voltage, and LCD brightness to minimize system noise and power consumption to save up to 15% power consumption, or to maximize system performance according to individual needs. What’s more, the addition of exclusive 20GB Internet storage makes data backups simple and convenient.
* Exact battery life subject to actual usage and model.

Enjoy Easy Viewing with Large Displays
The new Eee PCs™ will integrate large 8.9” to 10” displays – allowing users to view more screenspace and enjoy easier viewing of A4 documents and online webpages – without the need to scroll left or right. Furthermore, the Eee PCs™ pair a built-in 1.3M Pixel webcam with high speed wireless Internet connection capabilities for easy web communications anywhere, anytime – increasing work efficiency or just making it easier to chat with friends and family. What’s more, the keyboard is 92%* the size of generic notebooks – making it more comfortable to type for more relaxed usage.
* Only available on the Eee PC™ 1000 models

Exciting New Covers to Suit Your Trendy Lifestyle
The new range of Eee PC™ also makes its mark with trendy and colorful Infusion cover patterns inspired by various elements. The Infusion technology utilizes a unique manufacturing process that is inlaid into the chassis itself – forming an integral part of the Eee PC™. It is also extremely resilient – resisting scratches and scrapes, and thus will not fade with time. Additionally, these new cover designs are tastefully designed and provide vibrant colors to suit the user’s individual personalities – making the new Eee PC™ the ideal companion for your computing needs.

ASUS will also be showcasing several new Eee Family products like the Eee Box and the Eee TV at our Computex booth. This new range of products embody the “Easy” concept synonymous with the Eee PC™, and will provide allow users to easily enjoy new digital experiences.

ASUS Eee PC™ Achievements
ASUS has sold more than a million Eee PC™ sets since the official launch in October 2007. On April 19th 2008, at the Eee PC™ 900’s official launch in Hong Kong, ASUS sold 1,000 sets in 1 day. In Taiwan, the Eee PC™ 900 was placed on Yahoo’s front page on the 16th of April, and in just 1 hour achieved 20,000 hits – creating a brand new blogging record.

[Asus]

Name and Model: Eee Box B202

OS: Linux System/ Hardware Compatible with Windows XP

Processor: Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz, FSB 533)

Memory: DDRII 512 MB / 1 GB / 2 GB (see US configs below)

Storage: 80 GB / 120 GB / 160 GB / 250 GB (see US configs below)

Chipset: 945GSE + ICH7M

VGA: On-board Intel GMA 950, 1600 x 1200 maximum resolution

Networking: 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN, 802.11n WLAN, Bluetooth optional

SD/MMC/MS slot: SD, SDHC, Mini SD, (Micro SD through adapter) ; MMC, MMC plus, MMC4.x, RS MMC, RSMMC4.x (MMC mobile through adapter);MS,MS PRO
Audio: Azalia ALC888 Audio Chip

Front Ports:
USB x 2
Card Reader x 1
Headphone-out jack (WO/SPDIF) x 1
MIC x 1

Rear Ports:
USB 2.0 x 2
Gigabit LAN x 1
DVI out x 1
Line-Out (L/R) with S/PDIF x 1
WiFi antenna

Accessories:
19Vdc, 4.74A, 65W power adaptor
Mouse (optional)
Keyboard (optional)
VESA mount (optional)
WiFi antenna
Stand

Dimensions: 8.5" x 7" x 1"
Net Weight: 2.2 lbs.
Gross Weight: 6.6 lbs.

US Configurations and MSRP:
$269 1GB memory + 80GB HDD Linux edition
$299 1GB memory + 80GB HDD XP edition
$299 2GB memory + 160GB HDD Linux edition

Availability: For the US, we're expecting to hit the market Mid July. For French-speaking Canada, a French Linux version will be available the following month.

Subnotebook: Judging by Google results (1,660,000) and the presence of a Wikipedia entry, "subnotebook" appears to be one of the most popular and closest-to-legit terms, with a history going back to at least Toshiba's Libretto, according to our friend Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief at Laptop. The real sticky point appears to be on the edges—when does a UMPC become a subnotebook, and when does a subnotebook become a real notebook? At 11 inches, Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 is probably the breaking point for subnotebook. In fact, that's our new rule: to classify as a subnotebook or ultraportable (see below), you've gotta be 11 inches or under, and less than 3 pounds. (Sorry Walt, the MacBook Air might be light, but its ginormous, full-notebook footprint means it ain't really a subnotebook in most people's eyes.) Judgment: Like a pair of loafers, "subnotebook" is unsexy, but it gets the job done.

Ultraportable: That's a really tricky term, probably the most amorphous. Spoonauer classifies small notebooks with fuller keyboards and displays like the IdeaPad U110 or HP's Mini-note 2133 as "ultraportables," leaving the "subnotebook" moniker to devices in the UMPC class, like the HTC Shift. However, added confusion comes from the fact that ultraportable sounds like ultramobile, as in UMPC (see below). Still, it's the most compelling alternative to subnotebook, because it sounds sexier, and has over 3 million Google hits alone and 1.27 million tagged to notebook or laptop. The big knock against "ultraportable" is that it redirects to "subnotebook" on Wikipedia. Judgment: I don't mind it, but without a firm identity it'll never be useful. Plus I feel like it's trying too hard.

Mini-Notebook: While "mini notebook" seems like a less popular and unwieldy derivative of "subnotebook," with fewer Google results (1,110,000) and no Wikipedia page (it doesn't even direct back to subnotebook), Spoonauer says that it's distinguished from subnotebook as being the class of small form-factor notebooks that are under $600, like the Eee PC. Judgment: I think this one should be junked, though determining a class on price is probably a good idea.

ULPC: This most generally stands for ultra low-cost PC, though I've seen ultra-light PC, too. (How about that for a red flag?) It isn't overly popular, but it obviously refers to small, cheap notebooks like the Eee or XO OLPC Laptop. While it might be useful in distinguishing the Eee from, say, the pricier U110, overall the term seems pointless, especially when there's already a better alternative. Judgment: Garbage heap.

Netbook: This is actually the brainchild of Intel's marketing department to describe sub-$500 notebooks centered around internet-connectivity, such as its Classmate PC. The original Eee PC, XO OLPC Laptop and Cloudbook would fall into this category. While it is technically flackspeak, I actually like it because it's short and fairly specific. Besides being endorsed by Intel (obvs), Ubuntu has officially picked up the term. Judgment: A keeper, even if it was coined by the Man.

UMPC: The term stands for ultra-mobile PC, and actually has fairly concrete origins in the Project Origami catastrophe headed up by Microsoft. Under Intel and Microsoft's guidelines, technically the form factor is defined as touchscreen mini-tablet smaller than eight inches with a resolution of at least 800 pixels wide. However, we (and most others) include the OQO in this category. Even though it doesn't have a touchscreen, it otherwise fits the slabby form factor to a T. Update: To be clear, the OQO has an active digitizer, not a touchscreen. It won't recognize your finger, you need a special stylus. Judgment: Works, we just have to disabuse people of using it in reference to stuff like the Eee.

Conclusion
Hopefully focusing on three terms that bear the least ambiguity will help with this confusion. Here's where you guys come in, since believe it or not, we do like standards. So while UMPC has dried to a firm, tasty shell, Netbook and subnotebook are still pretty jelly-like. Or maybe you'd prefer ultraportable to subnotebook? Should low-cost dwarfish notebooks be called netbooks, or is there a better term? Help us clean up this semantic cesspool.

Expected for a global launch this July in both Linux and Windows XP versions, the cheapest model will start at about $330 and pack an 80GB hard drive (maxing out at 250GB). Standards for the line will include 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4 USB ports, and a slot for various flash memory cards. There's no word on the processor at this time, or whether or not the Eee Box will be packing an Atom like its mobile sibling. [PCWorld]

"ASUS is looking forward to welcoming you during Computex 2008 in Taipei, Taiwan, for the ASUS' 08 Computex Trilogy of launch events. We would also like to specially extend an invitation to you to attend the official global launch of the new Eee PC™ 901 and 1000 series."

[UMPC Fever—Thanks Frank]