Asus Eee Transformer Shows Up On Best Buy USA For $399

Best Buy has a new tablet on their site that's priced at $399.99. This is the Asus Eee Transformer and that's actually a good price for the tablet. This tablet features a 10.1-inch display with a 1,280 x 800 resolution, a dual-core Tegra 2 chipset, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and Android "Honeycomb". Keep in mind that the "transforming" part of this, the keyboard that you can attach it to, is optional and will cost a bit extra. Check it out on Best Buy.

[Engadget]

Asus Prices and Dates the Eee Transformer and EP121 Tablets For Europe

Asus has just confirmed pricing and availability for the Eee Transformer and the Eee Slate EP121 - but not in the US. First off is the one above, which you should already know as the Eee Transformer which packs a Tegra 2 chipset along with Android "Honeycomb" and that external keyboard that you might need. The 16GB and 32GB models will be available in Europe for £379 ($608 USD) and £429 ($688 USD), respectively.

On the other hand you have the Eee Slate EP121 tablet below which is obviously running Microsoft's Windows 7. This tablet features a 12.1-inch display with an active digitizer, an Intel Core i5-470UM CPU, WiFi b/g/n support, a stylus if you need it, and a 64GB SSD. This one will be available on April 10th on Amazon UK for £999 ($1,602 USD).

[Slash Gear]

Sony Reportedly Working On VAIO Hybrid PC and Chrome OS Netbook

Sony Insider has mentioned a bunch of things that Sony might actually be launching this Summer. They reportedly include a VAIO Hybrid PC and a VAIO running the Chrome OS, which is pretty expected since they're the only company that ships their PCs with Google Chrome. The website is hearing about some specifications on both devices too and, of course, we'll sum it up for you.

The VAIO Hybrid PC is said to feature an ultraportable thin body along with Intel's Thunderbolt tech, a Core i7 CPU, and 8 to 16.5 hours of battery life. Other specs reportedly include SSD options, an HDMI output (with 3D support), an AMD GPU, Blu-ray drive, and other standard ports (VGA / USB).

Sony also reportedly has a Chrome notebook on the way as well. This one's said to feature an 11.6-inch display (1,366 x 768 resolution), a Tegra 2 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of flash storage, a GeForce GPU, WiFi, and an 8-hour battery life. Remember that it won't have an HDD inside to speed up things because you'll be relying on the cloud to save your information. Of course, that could be risky so the decision is yours.

[Sony Insider, Engadget]

Asus Aiming To Launch a $200 - $250 Android / Chrome OS Netbook

DigiTimes has just mentioned something pretty cool that's apparently coming from a supplier's mouth. The report says that Asus is looking to really undercut the netbooks that we're used to seeing right now. Apparently, the company plans to launch a $200 to $250 netbook running on Google's Android or, hopefully, Chrome OS. The notebook will reportedly be a 10 or 11-inch model and will be free subsidized on a carrier if you wan to sign a 6-month contract. Hmm, this might be something I'm interested in if it's a $200 netbook running Chrome OS.

[Crunch Gear]

Asus' CEO Says They're Working On a 3D Tablet, MeeGo and Android Netbooks and WP7 For 2012

Asus has just announced something that sounds pretty darn great. Apparently, the CEO, Jerry Shen, has mentioned that they're working on a few products. They include: a 3D tablet, MeeGo and Android Atom powered netbooks, and even a Windows Phone 7 handset which actually won't hit the market until 2012. Nothing else has been mentioned but it would be surprising for the 3D tablet not to run Android so you can get excited if you don't want the LG G-Slate / Optimus Pad.

[Engadget]

7-Inch NEC LifeTouch Note Netbook Runs Android 2.2 and Has Access To the Market

If you're interested in a 7-inch netbook running Google's Android OS then you could do it yourself or you could check out what NEC just announced. What you see above is the NEC LifeTouch Note. This netbook packs a WVGA (480 x 800 resolution) resistive touchscreen display, a 2MP camera, and version 2.2 of the OS. There'll be three models of this netbook: 3G / WiFi with 8GB of storage, WiFi-only with 4GB of storage, and WiFi-only with 8GB of storage. Furthermore, this netbook reportedly has access to the Android Market and will be available in Japan soon for somewhere around ¥45,000.

[Liliputing]

Fujitsu Unveils the LifeBook MH330 Again, This Time With MeeGo On Board

If you were waiting for a MeeGo netbook and Nokia shattered those dreams then don't worry because Fujitsu has your back. They have actually just revealed the revitalised LifeBook MH330 netbook and thrown on the OS on there. This MeeGo powered netbook features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display with a 1,024 x 600 resolution, an Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 250GB HDD. The MH330 will be launching soon for $399 but no one knows when that'll be.

[Engadget]

Dell Inspiron Duo "Coming Soon" To 3 UK, Shipping In February

If you take a look at 3 UK's website then you'll notice a new product on their 'Coming Soon' page. It's the Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook / tablet device and it'll reportedly be available in February which is next month. The Inspiron Duo features a dual-core Intel Atom 1.5GHz N550 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, and a unique 10.1-inch display. This hybrid should be hitting the carrier with 3G connectivity but that's unconfirmed right now. Price is unknown for now.

[Slash Gear]

Amazon Now Taking Pre-Orders For the Acer Aspire One 522 Netbook With AMD APU

Acer's latest AMD Ontario based netbook has just hit the online e-tailer known as Amazon. This netbook features a 10.1-inch display, AMD's new Zacate E-350 APU, Radeon HD 6250 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB HDD, a 4,400mAh battery which will reportedly last for 6 hours, an HDMI output, and Windows 7 Starter Edition. It's definitely one of the more powerful netbooks on paper, so you'll be able to put that HDMI output to good use if you ever need to. If you want to pre-order one right now for $329.99 then check it out on Amazon.

[Engadget]

Where Do Tablets Fit in Computing Devices Spectrum?

Ever since the iPad launched, lots of us have been trying to figure out where the tablet device fits in the spectrum of computing devices. Nobody has trouble with iPods, though the iPod "touch" causes questions. People understand PCs, notebooks and even netbooks. People have no trouble figuring out where smartphones fit.

Tablets are harder to categorize. They seem to be "content consumption" devices, but it now appears that is the case both for business and consumer applications. Content consumption in the former case means access to email, instant messaging and other Web-based applications. In the latter case, though email is helpful, video and gaming seem to be the drivers.

But it probably won't be the case that tablets are clearly distinguishable by type of user or mode: business or consumer.

Deloitte predicts that in 2011 more than 50 percent of computing devices sold globally will not be PCs. While PC sales are likely to reach almost 400 million units, Deloitte’s estimate for combined sales of smartphones, tablets and non-PC netbooks is well over 400 million.

Unlike the 2009 netbook phenomenon, where buyers chose machines that were essentially less powerful versions of traditional PCs, the 2011 computing market will be dominated by devices that use different processing chips and operating systems than those used for PCs over the past 30 years.

Deloitte’s view is that traditional PCs will still be the workhorse computing platform for most of the globe in 2011. PC unit sales are expected to rise by more than 15 percent year-over-year, and the global installed base of PCs stands at over 1.5 billion units. At the end of 2011, non-PC computers will still represent only about 25 percent of all computing devices.

However, when looking at the future of computing devices, 2011 may well mark the tipping point as we move from a world of mostly standardized PC-like devices, containing standardized chips and software, to a far more heterogeneous environment.

In 2011, buyers of computing functionality, whether in the enterprise or consumer sector, will face some interesting choices. In this new era where more than half of all new computing devices sold are non-PCs, the ranges of price, performance, form factor and other variable will be at least an order of magnitude wider. Choosing will take longer, and will need to be done more carefully.

read more here

"Sirocco" Gets Announced As the Asus Eee PC 1015PW, Another Boring Netbook

As expected, Asus announced yet another Eee PC netbook today and it's the 1015PW. Asus hyped up the launch for this one a bit too much, mentioning that this would make waves in the industry but all it made was a ripple in the water. The best part about this netbook is the textured paint job on the lid, which is likely what the company was talking about because it's quite unique. This netbook will be available in gold, pink, and purple models.

On the specifications front you get: a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth 3.0 support, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB / 320GB HDD, and a dual-core Intel Atom N550 1.5GHz CPU. Price and release date is unknown right now, but I can't imagine a bunch of people picking this one up. Netbooks are just about dead at this point.

[Liliputing]

HP Wants To Put WebOS On Tablets and Netbooks Too, Could It Happen Soon?

On February 9th, HP is holding an event and we should see a webOS-based tablet at the event. Well, if you take a look at their website (here) you'll see that webOS could actually show up on a netbook as well which would be pretty interesting. We'll have to see exactly how that works out and how they'll actually work together - if they can. Even though webOS isn't a popular OS, the potential is there especially since Palm was acquired by HP. Hopefully we'll see some extraordinary new devices on the 9th!

[Engadget]

Acer Announces Three New Aspire Notebooks Fused With AMD

Acer has just announced a few more of their notebooks at CES and this time they're powered by AMD's new Fusion APU. The first ons is the Aspire One 522 which features an AMD C-50 APU, Radeon HD 6250 graphics, an HDMI output that will handle 1080p, WiFi support, and optional Bluetooth / 3G support. This will be available in green or black at a later date.

Next up is the 14-inch Aspire 4253 and the 15.6-inch Aspire 5253. Both of these notebooks have options for AMD's E-Series APUs, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and WiFi a/b/g/n support. Sadly, the price and release dates for these three notebooks haven't been announced yet but hopefully we'll know them soon.

[Engadget]

Asus Unveils Eee Pad Slider and Transformer; Tegra 2, Android, and QWERTY In Full Harmony

More tablets from Asus and these are actually the more interesting ones. These tablets are both powered by Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset and they're both sporting 10.1-inch displays along with QWERTY keyboards. The first one on the left is the Eee Pad Slider which sports a 1,280 x 800 resolution IPS display, miniHDMI / miniUSB ports, a microSD card slot, a rear-facing 5MP camera with an LED flash, a front-facing 1.3MP webcam, and Android "Honeycomb". The body is 0.5-inches and it reportedly weighs 2.2 pounds.

Now, getting to the tablet on the right. It's reportedly called the Eee Transformer which you might've heard about before. Like I said, it's sporting a 10.1-inch display and you'll be able to dock it on a body which will give you a keyboard along with a touchpad. Basically, you'll be able to use Android like a netbook. Specs are just about the same as the Eee Pad Slider, but the dock on this bad boy will reportedly give you another 16 hours of battery life because it has an integrated one. Interesting, indeed; if only I could get my hands on either of them.

[Engadget]

Lenovo Reveals Their Android-Based LePad Tablet, With Docking Station

Lenovo has finally revealed their Android-based tablet, dubbed the LePad. This tablet reportedly features a 10.1-inch display with a 1,280 x 800 resolution, a 320GB HDD, a front-facing webcam, WCDMA / EVDO connectivity, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3GHz Snapdragon CPU, and version 2.2 of the OS. Of course, the company decided to put their own customized UI over top of it and they call it LeOS. This tablet will reportedly cost $520 when it hits the market which is actually a bit expensive for the device.

This device may actually remind you of the U1 Hybrid concept from Lenovo because you'll be able to dock it to make it act more like a netbook. If you attach the tablet to the base then you'll be running on an Intel Core i5-540UM ULV 1.2GHz CPU (optional Core i7 CPU) along with 2GB of RAM. The Hybrid base will reportedly cost $1,300 which is absolutely ridiculous. Note that these prices are set for China when they'll be available in the coming months. There's no word on a North American release right now so prices may be different. Additionally, Lenovo has mentioned that this may not hit the US until it's running Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" so we could be waiting for quite a long time.

[Slash Gear]

Lenovo Reveals IdeaPad S100 and S205 Netbooks, Both Launching In March

Lenovo may have a few tablets up their sleeve for CES this year but they haven't given up on netbooks quite yet - even though they are, in fact, dying. Today they've revealed the IdeaPad S100 (above) and the IdeaPad S205. The former sports a 10.1-inch display with an Intel Atom dual-core N570 CPU along with integrated GMA 3150 graphics. Other specs include up to 2GB of RAM, up to a 320GB HDD, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth support, a 2MP webcam, USB 2.0 ports, a memory card reader, and Windows 7 Home Basic along with the company's own Quick Start OS which does exactly what it sounds like. This will be available in March at a base price of $329.99.

On the other hand, there's also the IdeaPad S205 (below) which Lenovo outfitted with an 11.6-inch display (1,366 x 768 resolution), an AMD dual-core E-350 CPU, and Radeon HD6310 graphics. Furthermore, you'll also find an HDMI output, optional 3G support, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, up to a 750GB HDD, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth support, USB 2.0 ports, a memory card reader, an integrated webcam with face recognition, and Windows 7 Home Premium. This will also be available but the price is unknown right now. However, it will be more expensive than the Atom-powered S100 netbook.

[Slash Gear]

Acer Aspire One 522 Netbook Leaks, Runs AMD "Ontario" CPU

A new Acer 10.1-inch notebook has just leaked. It'll be called the Aspire One 522 and it will reportedly feature an AMD C-50 "Ontario" APU which has dual 1GHz cores. Additionally, this notebook will also have Radeon 6250 graphics along with DirectX 11 support which is great. Other specs include a 1,280 x 720 resolution display, HDMI / VGA outputs, three USB ports, an integrated webcam, and a multicard reader. This one should be available soon and we'll likely see it officially revealed at CES 2011.

[Liliputing]

Asus South Africa Says Eee Slate and Eee Transformer Devices Are Being Tested

Asus South Africa just tweeted something that you should look forward to seeing in the future. They have just mentioned that their company is currently working on and testing out the Eee Slate and Eee Trasformer. Judging by the names, the Eee Slate will be a tablet, while the Eee Transformer could be something with a touchscreen display and a removable screen / dock. It could very well be something like the Dell Inspiron Duo or the Lenovo IdeaPad U1. Of course, details should be unveiled soon, maybe we'll even see them at CES 2011 if we're lucky enough. Check out the tweet here.

[Electronista]

Google Announces the Chrome OS Notebook (Cr-48), Good Luck Getting Your Hands On One Though

So, at Google's event today they announced a bunch of things. Chrome (the browser) improvements in speed and functionality, the Chrome Web Store (which is available in the USA right now with a global roll-out in 2011), and Chrome OS which is all about the web. The first Chrome OS notebook (they don't call it a netbook) is being dubbed the Cr-48 and it's part of a Pilot Program for now. Some businesses will be using it, like American Airlines and Google themselves. The Cr-48 has no design features at all; it's all black and features no logo. If you really want to get one then you can audition for one here or your business can apply for the Pilot Program here.

As you can see in the photo above, the Chrome OS notebook features a 12.1-inch display, a full-sized keyboard, a large touchpad, global 3G support, WiFi 802.11n support, an integrated webcam, and a battery life that will last 8 hours of active use and 8 days of standy time. This notebook has an SSD inside and does not feature a spinning disc or any function keys. This notebook will be running on Verizon's network in the USA and you'll have 100MB of free data every month for two years. If you want more then there are a number of plans available starting for as little as $9.99 monthly.

Acer and Samsung Chrome OS notebooks will be available in mid 2011 as you can see in the picture below. If you want to know more then the interwebs are flooding with new information and you can also check out Engadget's live blog at the link below.

[Engadget]

Samsung Intros NF210 Netbook and SF510 Notebook In India

In India, Samsung has just unveiled two laptops, the first one is the NF210 netbook while the other is the SF510 notebook. First up is the NF210 (above) which features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit anti-glare display, 2GB of RAM, a dual-core Intel Atom CPU, WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth 3.0 support, three USB 2.0 ports, SRS 3D sound support, and Windows 7. This netbook also has support for Fast Start and just as the name suggests it allows you to boot your OS up quickly. The 6-cell battery will reportedly give you 10.5 hours of battery life but who knows how it'll actually hold up in real-time results. This will be available for Rs. 22,990 ($505 USD).

The other one is the SF510 notebook, which is pictured below. This one features a 15.6-inch LED-backlit "HD" display, 4GB of RAM, Intel Core i3 / i5 CPU options, a 1GB Nvidia GPU, WiFi b/g/n support, an HDMI output, an integrated webcam, a memory card reader, a spill proof keyboard, and also has Fast Start along with Allshare. Of course, this one's also packing Windows 7 and even crams in a numeric keypad beside the full-sized keyboard. This should cost you Rs. 55,490 ($1,225 USD).

Unfortunately, the release dates are still unknown but I'm hoping that it'll be later this month.

[Samsung Hub]