Like most netbooks, Asus’ Eee PC mini-laptops don’t have disc drives. But that hasn’t stopped the company from shipping a recovery DVD with each and every Eee PC model shipped… until now. The company has posted a note on its support page explaining that Asus will no longer ship support DVDs with Eee PCs.

Asus says the move will help cut down on waste, which is true. It will also save the company a few pennies for each product shipped, which probably doesn’t hurt either.

But here’s the thing — most Eee PC models ship with a recovery disk image already preloaded on the hard drive. Just hit reboot your computer and hit the F9 key when the Asus splash screen comes up and you can recover your computer to its factory default settings. So to some degree the support DVD was redundant — and kind of useless for customers that didn’t have USB DVD drives.

Of course, if you accidentally delete the recover image on your hard drive while trying to install Ubuntu, OS X, or another operating system, this could mean there’s no going back — without obtaining a full Windows installation disc.

via Netbooked and EeeUser Forum

The Eee PC 1005PR is the first 10 inch netbook from Asus with a high resolution 1366 x 768 pixel display. It was first spotted at CeBIT in Germany last week, but now Asus has posted an official product page for the mini-laptop.

Here’s a rundown of the specs:

• Display: 10.1″ 1366 x 768 pixels
• Graphics: GMA 3150 + Broadcom BCM 70015 HD video accelerator
• CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition
• Memory: 1GB (Max: 2GB)
• Storage: 250GB HDD (plus 500GB Asus WebStorage)
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, Ethernet
• I/O: VGA, mic, headphone, SDHC card slot, 3 USB ports
• Battery:Two options: 6 cell, 63Whr or 6 cell, 48Whr
• Dimensions: 10.3″ x 7″ x 1.4″
• Weight: 2.8

No word on pricing yet, but the Eee PC 1005PR should be available in April. And by all appearances, the netbook is virtually identical to the Eee PC 1005PE in most respects. The two key differences are the high resolution display at the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, both of which are likely to drive up the price. My guess is that we’ll see this model selling for about $50 more than a standard Asus Eee PC 1005PE.

via Eee PC.it

Asus introduced three new laptops today. While the model numbers make the Eee PC 1201pN, Eee PC 1018P and Eee PC 1016P sound like modest updates to existing notebooks, these machines actually feature some pretty notable changes in both specs and case design.

Asus Eee PC 1201PN

This 12.1 inch notebook looks virtually identical to the Eee PC 1201N. But while the earlier model had a dual core Atom 330 CPU and NVIDIA ION graphics, the Eee PC 1201PN has a 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU and next-generation NVIDIA ION graphics.

It has 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a 1366 x 768 pixel 12.1 inch display. 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 6 cell 63Whr batter. The notebook also has HDMI output.

You can find more details about the Eee PC 1201PN at Netbook News.de.

Asus Eee PC 1018P

This model has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and comes with either a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 of 1.83GHz Atom N475 processor. As far as I can tell, what makes these CPUs special is support for DDR3 memory.

You also get 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and support for USB 3.0. There’s also an integrated 3G modem (this may just be an option), 1GB of RAM, and a 160Gb or 250GB hard drive as well as a 44Whr battery.

The Eee PC 1018P has a brushed aluminum chassis that measures just 0.71″ thick.

You can find more info and photos at Notebook Italia.

Asus Eee PC 1016P (credit: Notebook Italia)

Asus Eee PC 1016P

At first glance, this model looks a lot like the 1018P, but it has a few extra features including Bluetooth 3.0 and WiMAX capabilities. You also get a choice of a 47Whr battery or a higher capacity 63Whr battery.

The Eee PC 1016P comes with either an Intel Atom N450 or N455 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB or 250GB hard drive. It has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and 3G modem (which, again, may just be an option).

This model has an aluminum chassis. The demo unit has a matte black lid, as well as what appears to be a matte display.

Notebook Italia has more photos and details.

I haven’t seen much information about the Eee PC 1015P, but I did glance a photo at Notebook Italia showing a placard with that name on it. Word on the street is that the Eee PC 1015P will have a matte display and aluminum chassis, much like the Eee PC 1016P.

Just a few days ahead of the CeBIT trade show, Blogeee is reporting that Asus plans to launch three new netbook models which may be on display at the show. For the most part, these appear to be updated versions of the recently launched Asus Eee PC 1005PE and Eee PC 1008P.

Here’s the rundown:

• Asus Eee PC 1015P: This appears to be an updated version of the Eee PC 1005P, but with a matte display and aluminum case. It will reportedly have a 14 hour battery and a slightly tweaked keyboard as well as a wider keyboard
• Asus Eee PC 1018P: This model is thinner, and more closely resembles the Eee PC 1008P. It will reportedly measure just 0.7 inches thick and feature an aluminum case, a redesigned touchpad, a fingerprint reader, and USB 3.0 as well as a 10 hour battery
• Asus Eee PC 1016P: Blogeee reports that this model will be aimed at business consumers, competing with the HP Mini 5102 and Lenovo ThinkPad X100e. It will have a more angular design while still featuring a chiclet keyboard, aluminum case, and 14 hour battery.

I’d take all of this with a grain of salt for now, but Blogeee does have some pictures to back up its claims, and the site has a pretty good track record of getting Asus press shots before they’re officially released.

Credit: All Touch Tablet

The Asus Eee PC T101MT still isn’t shipping to customers yet. But the folks at All Touch Tablet got their hands on a review unit of the first 10 inch touchscreen tablet-style netbook from Asus. And they’ve posted a short review of the laptop.

Asus wisely decided to drop the sluggish Intel Atom Z520 processor used in its 9 inch Eee PC T91MT tablet. Instead the T101MT has a faster 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail CPU and GMA 3150 graphics. It also packs 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Review John Pope says the build quality is decent, with little flex in the keyboard and a solid hinge that doesn’t feel like it’s going to break off. On the down side, he says the hard drive is kind of noisy, and the touchscreen wasn’t very precise near the edge of the display — although this may be the result of a defective screen on the demo unit.

He says the computer also feels overall pretty sluggish — although it’s not clear if it’s actually any slower than any other Atom-powered netbook. Clearly, a more powerful processor will provide zippier performance. But there are few budget tablets available with Intel CULV or faster processors.

You can check out John’s unboxing and hands-on video after the break.

via SlashGear

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Asus didn’t make much noise when it launched the Eee PC 1001P recently. The company’s flagship netbooks at the moment are the Eee PC 1008P and 1005PE which both feature Intel Atom Pine Trail processors, Windows 7, Bluetooth and other features that drive up the price. And then there’s the quietly announced Eee PC 1001P.

This model comes with 802.11b/g WiFi, but no 802.11n. It lacks Bluetooth. And it has a lower capacity battery than the Eee PC 1005PE. But it does have a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, and 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display. It runs Windows 7 Starter and Asus says it can run for up to 11 hours on a charge. Best of all? You can pick one up on Amazon for just $299, making it one of the cheapest netbooks on the market today.

But how does it stack up in terms of real world performance? Laptop Magazine kicked the tires and published a detailed review. And while the Eee PC 1001P doesn’t last for 11 hours as promised, I don’t know any netbook that really lives up to the manufacturers’ battery life claims. But the 1001P did last for 8 hours and 23 minutes in the Laptop Magazine test, which is pretty darn good.

The only other brand new netbook in the same price range is the Acer Aspire One 532h, but the $299 version of that laptop (also available from Amazon) ships with a 3 cell battery which will likely only provide 4-5 hours of run time.

Aside from the battery, and lack of Bluetooth and 802.11n, the Eee PC 1001P is virtually identical to the Eee PC 1005PE which I reviewed recently, which is to say it has a fairly comfortable keyboard, a decent touchpad, and decent performance. But it’s the battery life that really makes the new Eee PC Pine Trail netbooks stand out.

The Asus Eee PC T91MT 8.9 inch touchscreen tablet-style netbook has been available in the US for a few months. But there’s one thing you can’t get with the US model yet — a built-in TV tuner. Peter from Netbooked picked up a Japanese model recently that comes with a 1Seg TV tuner.

For the most part, the T91MT looks just the same as the US version. It’s small, has a kind of tiny keyboard, and a touchscreen display that can be folded down over the keyboard for use in tablet mode. When I reviewed the Asus T91 last summer, I was underwhelmed with the performance of the 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor. But that model also ran Windows XP rather than Windows 7 and lacked the TV tuner.

You can check Peter’s unboxing and first impressions video after the break.

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The Asus Eee PC T101MT convertible touchscreen tablet-style netbook continues its slow crawl toward general availability. There’s an official product page for the tablet on the Asus web site, complete with pretty pictures and detailed specifications. And while there’s still no release date available for the US yet, French site Blogeee reports that the Eee PC T101MT will be available in France by April.

According to Asus, the notebook will be available with Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium. It has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel touchscreen display with a swivel that allows you to fold it down over the keyboard for use in slate mode. The T101MT comes standard with 3 USB ports, 1VGA port, mic and headphone jacks, and an SD card slot and 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1. It has a 35Whr battery that Asus says should last for up to 6.5 hours.

The Windows 7 Starter version of the netbook will come with 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, while the Windows 7 Home Premium model has 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. It looks like the notebook will be available in black or white.

via Eee PC.it

The Asus Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid Edition is a distinctive looking nettop, thanks to its designer edition crocodile-style cover. It’s also one of the thinnest netbooks on the market, measuring just 1 inch thick. Engadget has posted a review of the laptop and the good news is that it looks as good in person as it does in the pictures. The bad news is that the battery life is pretty subpar for a netbook with an Intel Atom N450 processor.

The Eee PC 1008P comes in hot pink or chocolate brown, with the brown color looking much more subdued. Overall, the notebook looks a lot like the Eee PC 1008HA, which has been available since last summer. But the new model ships with Windows 7 Home Premium, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a removable battery.

Unfortunately, Engadget’s Joanna Stern found that the notebook lasted for just 3 hours and 20 minutes in a video rundown test, which is about 5 hours less than the score notched by the Asus Eee PC 1005PE. Oh yeah, and the Eee PC 1005PE sells for well under $400, while the Eee PC 1008P has a suggested retail price of $499.

It’s nice that you do get the extra memory, storage space, Windows 7 Home Premium, and designer lid for your money. But a higher capacity battery would also have been nice.