EASTER WEEKEND OFFER for first 25 customers only.

Buy a Car Charger and International Travel Charger Kit for Asus EEE PC and receive an Airline adaptor for the Asus EEE PC worth £7.45 FREE.

To take advantage of this offer, please add following links into shopping cart.

>> Car Charger
>> International Travel Charger Kit

Offer ends Midnight(GMT) Monday 24th March. Limited to first 25 customers only.

HAPPY EASTER.

Asustek says two-thirds of Eee PCs will have Windows XP

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Asustek Computer (2357.TW), the world’s top maker of computer motherboards, said nearly two-thirds of its Eee PCs shipped this year will be Windows-based as consumers embrace the company’s low-cost laptop models.
 
The Taiwan company’s branded business last year launched a 7-inch child-friendly Linux-based personal computer priced as low as $200, and new models with Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) Windows XP will be priced around $390 to $400.

“About 60 percent of them (Eee PCs) will have Windows XP operating system,” Asustek Chairman Jonney Shih said at a news conference.

The Eee PC has won Asustek much recognition worldwide and Shih said his company was keeping its previous target of shipping 5 million units this year versus 300,000 units shipped in 2007.

Sales have been the strongest in Europe, followed by Asia Pacific and China, said Lillian Lin, Asustek’s head of marketing. More at Yahoo.

Asus Announces Eee PC 900 with 9-Inch Screen

Asus took advantage of the CeBIT tradeshow in Germany today to announce a version of its low-cost micro laptop with a wider screen.

Like the current models, the Eee PC 900 series will have a clamshell design and run a version of the Linux operating system. In addition, Asus says it will be ready to have Microsoft Windows installed on them if the user wants to.
 
The most obvious change in the upcoming version will be the 8.9-inch display, up from 7 inches.

Update: New information coming from CeBIT indicates that the upcoming model will also have a higher-resolution screen: 1024 by 600 pixels.

In addition, versions of the Eee PC 900 will have up to 1 GB of RAM and storage capacity of up to 12 GB, much more than in the current versions.

Update: To make room for the new features, the newest model will be a bit larger: from about 2 lbs to about 2.2 lbs, and the device will be slightly thicker.

These new Eee PCs will cost 400 Euro each, and will be available in the summer of this year in select countries on the first wave of launch. More at Brighthand. Thanks to Luca.

Adding a 1.2GHz Pentium M processor to the Eee PC

Luca spotted an interesting article called Adding a 1.2GHz Pentium M processor to the Eee PC which will presumably speed thing up a bit…

While there are several variations of the Eee PC, with different amounts of storage and RAM, each Eee PC ships with a relatively slow Intel Celeron processor. One Eee PC owner who goes by the name of Gurywha decided that the he wanted a bit more juice in his tiny laptop. So he popped out the 900MHz Celeron chip and soldiered in a 1.2M Pentium M processor.

Keep in mind, this is not an easy modification to make. I know you’re all proud of the fact that you were able to upgrade your RAM, but it doesn’t mean you’re qualified to attempt this hack. But if you know your way around a soldering iron and a miniscule circuit board, it’s apparently possible to replace an Eee processor.

Elonex to launch £99 Linux laptop

Here’s some interesting news from tachradar- “British company Elonex is preparing to launch a revolutionary £99 educational laptop at the Education Show 2008 at the Birmingham NEC later this month.

Called ‘the One’, the new notebook is aimed primarily at schoolchildren and features a stripped down yet fully-functioning range of Open Source software that includes word processing, spreadsheet, email and an internet browser. Out of the classroom, the One can also be used to play MP3s and games with.

The One boasts Wi-Fi access as well, with 1GB of built-in memory and a USB port for attaching additional memory bands to. For an additional £20 the One can be purchased with 2GB of memory and Bluetooth.

The notebook employs a rubberised keyboard and a seven-inch screen that can be detached from the keyboard. Although there’s no touch-screen functionality, the screen can be used as a tablet with the aid of a track-pad located on the back of the screen…” Thanks to Luca.

Just how big is the EEE?

If you haven’t been able to see an EEE for real, and can’t be bothered to make a mockup based on the specifications, you might be interested in this website, which has a series of comparative photographs, which should help demonstrate the EEE’s dimensions. Of course, you do need to know how large the comparator objects are, but, even taken as a simple “one machine against another” approach, it’s clear that the EEE is pretty small 🙂

Proporta Gadget Bag – Asus Eee PC

Proporta has released the Gadget Bag for the EEE, which, to be honest, is just like their normal gadget bag 🙂

They don’t have any in stock at the moment, but, when they come in, I’ll be sorting out a review.

• Three separate compartments to store your different devices, including your Asus EeePC
• Plastic aperture, allowing headphones and charging cables to be fed through each section
• Gadget Bag: 27cm x 22cm x 7cm (10.6″ x 8.7″ x 2.8″)
• Gadget Bag without front pockets: 27cm x 22cm x 4cm (10.6″ x 8.7″ x 1.6″)
• Front Pocket: 14cm x 20cm x 3cm (5.5″ x 7.9″ x 1.2″)
• Internal Compartment – Black: 15.2cm x 9.8cm x 3cm (6.0″ x 3.9″ x 1.2″)

1GB RAM – ASUS EEE PC

Clove is now offering 1Gb RAM for the Eee PC– “This 1GB memory is designed for a variety of notebook, but is treid and tested to work with the ASUS EEE PC.  So if you want to increase the specification of your ASUS EEE PC, you can do with this easy to install piece of 1GB RAM.”

Storage Capacity: 1 GB

Technology: DDR II SDRAM

Form Factor: SO DIMM 200-pin

Memory Speed: 667 MHz ( PC2-5300 )

Make your own case for your EEE

Forum member tanyafish at EEEuser.com has posted a brief but detailed summary, complete with pictures, of how to make a case for your EEE, if you do not wish to buy one – with the range of fabric available, I’m sure you could create a suitably individual case without a huge amount of effort.

DigiLegend case for EEE

Unlike the other cases which I have reviewed, the Digilegend case is a satchel-style, with a shoulder strap (but no shoulder pad). This makes it absolutely ideal for carrying around; with the weight of the EEE, it would be very easy to sling the case of your shoulder and forget about it. As one might expect, the shoulder strap is adjustable, so you can make it as long or as short as you wish (within reason!); it’s worth noting, though, that you cannot remove the strap completely without modifying the case, as it is sewn firmly in place at one end, although you could tuck it into the bag. However, if you do not want a bag with a shoulder strap, then, this probably isn’t the bag for you, really; the shoulder strap is a useful selling point, to my mind.

The case has relatively thin padding all on all sides, and is made of reasonably sturdy canvas-like material, which should protect your EEE from most scratches- it is a robust case. However, I would not expect it to offer much, if any, protection from a fall, although, it is not advertised as being shock-proof, or anything like that; in this respect, it does, however, offer more protection that the Asus slip-case supplied with the EEE, it would seem, although, if you really were concerned, you can just about fit the EEE in the slip case into this Digilegend case, although, it is a tight fit.

In terms of keep the case firmly shut, Digilegend employs a clip fastener, which is a very good idea – it has a good, solid action, and feels sturdy, so I would not be worried about it coming undone accidentally. This is pretty important if you a planning on chucking the case over your shoulder, and is, to the best of my knowledge, the only case for the EEE which incorporates this type of clasp. As well as being secure, it is quick to open – when your computer boots in 30 seconds, you don’t want to have to spend a minute or so trying to get the thing out of the case first!

The flap comes completely over the top of the case, and, in what I think is a clever design, the top of the bag part of the case is slightly tapered; the EEE can be easily slipped in and out, but means that none of the EEE is exposed- a very nice touch. The interior of the case is split into a main pocket and a front pocket, both of which are under the flap. The main pocket will hold the EEE, and the front pocket a small external hard drive, or, with a noticeable bulge, the AC adapter. Because of the way the case is held shut, I’d be confident carrying around the EEE and the adapter without having either falling out. In fact, I was able to hold all my EEE accessories in this case (including my spare battery), although, as you can see from the photograph, it was a bit of a push. If you are out and about, and want to have the EEE with you, though, it’s certainly doable.

The case itself is relatively light, and does not add substantial bulk to the EEE. In this respect, it’s great for keeping all your EEE’s accessories together in one place, ready to grab and go. Other than the printed Digilegend motif on the centre of the flap, the case is matte black, which is excellent if you do not wish to draw attention to it. Because of its size, it does not really look like a laptop case, which I think is a bonus, although it does look a little more corporate than, say, the Fabrix cases. I’d certainly have no qualms using this case in the office, or in my personal life.

The price also goes very much in favour of the Digilegend case- it is $17.50, with payment due via PayPal. At the current exchange rate, this makes the case less than £9, which is pretty remarkable, all things considered. Certainly, I’d be happy to carry my EEE around in this case, both in terms of practicality, robustness and looks, so I think could be a very good investment for those who want a case with a shoulder strap.

The review was prepared with a sample supplied by 3eportal. You can purchase directly from 3eportal.