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Asus can be credited for the huge success of netbooks in the market today thanks to their groundbreaking Eee PC laptop, and it seems that they’re once again poised to set a new trend this year with the unveiling of the Eee PC T91 and T101H. As their name implies, both new netbooks belong to the continuously growing Eee PC family, but unlike previous releases, these two feature a touchscreen display allowing it to function as a tablet PC as well. The T91 comes with an 8.9-inch display and an Intel Atom Z520 processor. The Eee PC T101H, on the other hand, comes with a bigger 10-inch screen and a new keyboard design that greatly resembles that of Apple’s Macbook laptops. Aside from the details mentioned above, further information regarding specifications and more importantly, price and availability were not disclosed just yet. Considering that Asus has decided to out not just one but two tablet netbooks this early on in the year, the question on my mind is; will tablet netbooks be the next big thing as far as netbooks are concerned? If these two pioneering models become successful when they're released, I have no doubt that tablet netbooks will indeed be the next phase in the continuing evolution of the netbook.

While Asus has a massive collection of netbooks to parade in today’s market, Acer has just one to its name, and it’s the Aspire One that is slowly creeping up behind the lead of the EeePC. How successful has the Aspire One been since its debut? Good enough that it could snatch the lead from Asus in the netbook segment of the market. Shipments for the Aspire One for this year is expected to reach a high of 6M units outnumbering Asus' 5M. That’s pretty impressive considering that it was introduced at a later date as compared to the EeePC and rival products popping out of the woodwork when it became available. I guess the low price complemented by a decent spec sheet and stylish design helped propel it to the upper echelon of the market, but will it be enough to upstage Asus and stay at the top? I think they’ve done enough to take the lead, but to stay there, that’s a completely different story. With HP, Dell, MSI and Asus coming out with their next set of netbooks to flood the market, it would be wise for Acer to introduce a more feature-packed netbook come 2009.

We're every bit as curious about the new Asus EeePC S101 as the next hopeful netbook owner out there. While we have yet to hear about its release date, thanks to the interent, we now have some unboxing pics to feast our eyes on. As you can see, Asus didn't hold back in terms of design. The laptop itself is a million times better than the original and current EeePC line in terms of aesthetics and features, and they sure didn't hold back in the packaging department as well. It's housed in a big, sturdy black box and comes with an equally elegant looking sleeve which you can use to carry it around in when on the go. Personally, I love the bigger keyboard and thinner profile, but some of it is a bit over the top and the S101 can do without. With a rumored price of almost $700, Asus could have exercised a little restraint in order to make the price a little bit more reasonable. Anyway, I guess the EeePC S101 isn't exactly for the everyday Joe, and with the extra time and effort they’ve put into its packaging, they've made sure that whoever gets to buy one won't have any second thoughts about the EeePC S101. Who knows, maybe Asus is cooking up a similar looking netbook with less of the bling that's more affordable for the average consumer. That, I think, will be a major hit if and when it does become available.

It looks like Asus is trying to conquer yet another segment of the laptop-using market by releasing their new Montevina-based F8Va laptop.     It features an Intel 2.53GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB SATA HDD, a 14-inch WXGA display with maximum resolution of 1440x900, and runs on Windows Vista. Yeah, those look more or less pretty decent even by today’s standards, but what even makes it better is the inclusion of an ATI Radeon HD3650 video card. No word though on how much dedicated RAM it will carry, but we figure that it should at least come with a minimum of 256MB VRAM. Rounding up the rest of the treats is a Blu-ray DVD combo drive, 1.3-megapixel webcam and HDMI support. Unfortunately, it’s only going to be released in Korea at the end of the month with no word on international availability. Yeah, it’s really disappointing if you ask me considering how such a well-packaged laptop is limited to only a particular market. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the rest of the world, including the Philippines, get’s a chance to have a crack at this little portable gaming machine.

It looks like Asus is totally milking the Eee-PC concept dry as they are set to unleash yet another spin-off product from the popular line of mobile computers. The Eee Monitor, according to Laptop Mag, is an all-in-one PC that’s reminiscent of the iMac and the recently launched HP Touchsmart 2 PC. Unfortunately, no detailed specs are available at the moment, but I guess it probably won’t match the competition with its powerful features since the Eee PC’s claim to fame is its affordable price, and not its bevy of high-end specs.   We’re not sure of its size, but they’re guessing it’s either 19 or 20-inches. However, based on the pictures available, we can surmise that it’ll feature Denon speakers, a built-in webcam, modem, LAN port, mic-in, audio-out and 4 USB 2.0 ports. It also appears to come in two variants: black and white.   A built-in TV tuner is also rumored to be part of the package, but what we’re excited about is the speculated $ 500 tag price. It might not look as sleek as the other desktops in its category, but if ever the price holds true, it'll be the most affordable.  There's very little to work on for now so we can't really say what it's really worth. Let’s just hope that the good stuff remains and the unkowns will be as delightful as the supposed price once everything's made official.

Asus has finally unveiled the hotly rumored and highly anticipated next-generation models of their successful ultra-portable Eee PC line at Computex in Taiwan. Both the Eee PC 901 and 1000 come equipped with Intel Atom processors, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a new 6-cell battery that’s supposed to last for about 7.5-hours or so. Connectivity is also improved with the inclusion of the much faster 802.11n and Bluetooth.   The 901 comes with 1GB of RAM and comes with SSD storage options that include 12GB for the Windows XP version and 20GB for the Linux variant. The 1000 comes with 2GB RAM and offers an SSD and a traditional hard disk model (1000H). The SSD unit comes with 40GB and runs on Linux while the H version will come 80GB with Windows XP preinstalled.   Size-wise, it looks like the 1000 is going to be as big as it's going to get as rumors have it that officials have no intention of pursuing a larger variant for this line. If you want to see a size comparison of the first to the latest variant, Engadget has just the thing for you to see the evolution of the mighty mini Eee. With more to offer in terms of options, has the Eee PC now have what it takes to tickle your gadget fancy or are you still lusting after the HP Mini-Note?

It seems like only yesterday that the new Eee PC was unveiled in the Philippines, and now Engadget has announced that the Intel Atom-based Eee PC will be released on June 3^rd. That's less than two weeks from today. Aside from the new processor, DigiTimes reports that some design changes are expected to be included in this new version aptly named the Eee 901. Metal alloy parts will be integrated into the hinges and track pad, while Bluetooth is being considered as an additional means of communication for the ultraportable from Asus. It will be unveiled in June so give or take three months before it hits the local market. This will be the most expensive Eee PC to date, but considering the upgrade in hardware configuration, it might just be worth it. With the impending release of this new Eee this early, it might be a tactical mistake on Asus part as would-be buyers of the 900 might just skip this version and opt to wait for the 901. I know that's what I would do, and I believe others share the same sentiment as well.

It looks like Asus is going to be adding a premium to their motherboard collection with the inclusion of Splashtop instant-on OS, a technology developed by DeviceVM. What it basically does is provided users with a built-in OS saved on memory chip linked directly to the BIOS. Since it's stored on a memory chip that's integrated into the motherboard, access time is almost instantaneous as it eliminates the need to communicate with the HDD. The OS is a Linux distro that features Firefox and Skype which allows you to start browsing right from the get go. Asus is calling this new feature Express Gate and is already included in their P5Q motherboard line. They also plan to include it in future/upcoming motherboards as well so don’t be surprised when the day comes that you only need to set-up your PC and you’re ready to surf the net without having to go through the tedious process of installing Windows. Though a bit far fetched, Asus laptops might even become Windows-less in the near future as a result of this. Seriously, this is a welcome development because quite frankly, waiting for Windows to start is such a hassle. This new partnership between DeviceVM and Asus will not only bring Linux to a wider audience, but more importantly, challenge current OS developers to improve on their existing software.

  The latest iteration of the highly successful Asus Eee PC has recently been launched locally. It’s a bit more expensive as compared to the first release, but at least this one packs in more features albeit maintaining its ultra-compact and light-weight form factor. Aside from the larger screen, it now comes in bigger storage capacities of 12 and 20 GB, a 1.3-megapixel camera, multi-touch enabled touchpad, and option to either go Windows or stay with Linux. As a result of this latest version being released in the market, the first edition’s price has been steadily going down to pave the way for this new model. While the improvements are indeed most welcome, the question for current Eee PC owners is: are these new features good enough for you to upgrade or will you wait for something more remarkable to come out in the near future like the Intel Atom-based model?

Not as small as the Eee PC, the Asus U2E offers more power in a slightly larger form factor that still manages to compete with the other ultra portables in the market. I wish we had our own review to offer you guys, but for now, a full review of this baby is available at PC Perspective and based on their tests, while it does manage to offer a decent set of features, there’s no hiding the fact that performance-wise, it's a bit disappointing. However, as the author is quick to note in his conclusion, given its size, price and target market, it’s still very competitive in terms of design and functionality. It's powered by an Intel Core Duo 1.06 Ghz processor and runs DDR2 667 Mhz RAM with 32 GB SSD storage. Unlike the Eee, this comes loaded with Windows Vista and various connectivity options uncluding Bluetooth, WiFi and a fax/modem. If also features a fingerprint scanner for security. A warning though for those who have grown accusomted to the price of the Eee PC, the U2E is in a different class of its own. It may be a compact device, but the leather clad body and chrome accents on its exterior speaks of class and sophistication which, in my mind, already merits the additional figures in its price. It is yet to be available locally, and if any Asus reps are reading this, we’re definitely waiting for a review unit so that we can gie our two cents on this latest model.