New pictures of the forthcoming full tablet PC by ASUS have risen up. The new picture seems to be an artist rendering of how the Eee Pad may look like.

The tablet will be directly competing against the forthcoming Apple Tablet, which is scheduled for the end of January. However, the Eee Pad will be a late-comer in this respect, as it is expected for the end of 2010.

The EeePad will look similar to ASUS’ latest T91 and T101 offering, albeit without a keyboard.

It will sport a 4 to 7-inch capacitive touch screen display with multi-touch as well as haptic feedback.

(Pictures are not official but artist renderings instead)

Our sister blog AppleTablet.net has reported about the recent launch of the Apple iPad. It will be a serious contender against the Asus Eee Pad. Read more in this article about it:

The moment the tech world has been waiting on for possibly decades, maybe years and definitely months has finally culminated into today… The official launch of Apple’s highly anticipated tablet device: the iPad.

Tablet computers’ horrible history

Tablets have been announced and denounced as the future of personal computing for decades.

In 1991, they were dubbed pen computers. Focusssing on handwriting recognition and interaction by a pen instead of fingers, software developers like Microsoft started including Pen Extensions into Windows 3.1 making it compatible with these pen computers. Microsoft predicted these computers would take over the consumer market in a matter of years, and hardware developers such as IBM, Samsung, Fujitsu and Toshiba quickly followed up to support the new technology with their new touchscreen devices. Tech press was positive but consumers were not ready for it yet. The devices simply did not sell. Millions of dollars in investment were not recouped and instead lost forever.

Pulling the tablet out of the niche

In 2000, Bill Gates tried again. He was still a firm believer that this technology could succeed. Re-dubbing the pen computer into the Tablet PC, Microsoft had relative success at stirring up the industry again. Touchscreen technology had developed rapidly since the 1990s fiasco and it was clear that the keyboard would at least for now not be replaced with handwriting technology. These developments made it possible for new devices to enter the market.

However, it still was not really taking off. Even in 2007, offered by majors like Dell and HP, the tablet devices were simply too expensive with prices ranging from $1,500 up to $5,000 and staying in the premium and business niche. One of the first actually cheap devices entering the market and still including a keyboard (being covered by our sister blog) were the Taiwanese ASUS Tablets with models like the ASUS Eee PC T91 and T101 selling unexpectedly well in the consumer market. ASUS’s inferior specifications however resulted in relatively slow devices.

And then Apple stepped in…

Rumors about a tablet device by Apple have been circulating the web for years now and we took part in covering on what was simply wrong, might be true and what was definitely truth. In the last year, the rumors even started seaping into the mainstream (including paper) press coverage, showing the impact of Apple possibly launching a new device on the consumer tech world.

The stories spoke about if an Apple tablet was coming up, what it would look like (with artists all over the web rendering their own 3d interpretations), which specifications it would have and which chips the tablet would run on.

And in the last few months, rumors focussed on the tablet possibly offering e-book functionality, making it a serious contender against Amazon’s Kindle e-reader. With The New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Wired and Harper-Collins already rumoring to have signed up to Apple’s content program, this made things all the more interesting.

The launch

Today, the moment has arrived to see what is fact and what is fiction and how this device will supposedly change the world. In a packed and excited conference hall Apple invited worldwide press and technology pundits to “Come see our latest creation“, as the invitation read.

Steve Jobs presented us with the tablet device by Apple called the iPad. Video below.

The Apple iPad’s insides

First of all, the iPad comes in two flavours: the standard WiFi-enabled edition and the premium 3G-enabled edition with makes it possible to transfer data over AT&T’s data network. No contract with AT&T is required, however it is obvious that it will cost you to use their network.

Notable specs we really did not expect: the by Apple in-house produced A4 1 GHz processor – we were honestly thinking more of an Intel Duo Core 2 GHz as found in the Apple MacBook range. Earlier we reported the nVidia GeForce 9400M to be in the Apple Tablet. However, this one is missing; the Apple A4 chip seems to be responsible for all video processing in the iPad. Our designs of the Apple Tablet (see the background of this website or previous posts) was pretty close but did not include such a big border as the iPad. Apple has not chosen for this kind of screen for aesthetic reasons but simply to keep costs down. Cheaper screens need more technology on the sides of the displays and therefore the border is so large. We expected a USB port, to enable you to use USB data sticks and external third-party devices on your iPad but for unknown reasons Apple has made the mistake to not include this. Finally, we were wrong by 0.1″ in the size of the display; we expected 9.6″ and the iPad has a 9.7″ display.

No voice calling is available as the iPad is a data-only device. However, we have enough voice-over-ip (VOIP) options like Skype and Fring to choose from to make this possible any way; just after the iPad launch Apple has unlocked VOIP calling on the iPhone.

Focus on content and e-reading

The rumors were correct and Apple has made many deals with book, magazine and news publishers to make their content available on the iPad. Which publishers these are is until now unannounced. If we look at how the iTunes store quickly filled up with music as the major labels signed up, then this should not be such a great obstable for Apple.

Yes, there were MP3 music stores before iTunes arrived, but Apple stirred up the music industry world due to it being such a major player in the personal computer industry, both in hardware and software. Yes, there are now e-book stores such as Amazon.com, but again Apple is bigger than those and can forge deals with major publishers more easy. In addition to facing Amazon as a competitor in e-books selling and the hardware for it (Amazon offers the Kindle e-reader), Apple will also soon face Google’s Books program which is creating deals with content publishers rapidly and currently offers the most book content out of anyone. Google plans to start selling books soon in PDF and other formats.

What you might miss on the iPad

Yes, there are some notable features missing on the iPad that are to be found on either the iPhone or a standard MacBook; the iPad does not carry a camera. It will not run Adobe Flash, making it disabled as the majority of the web uses Flash to present its content in some way including YouTube for its video streaming. Like the iPhone, the iPad also does not support multi-tasking. This is a disadvantage as much as its an advantage, it increases stability but decreases functionality. There are mixed reports about the WiFi model having a GPS chip or not; the keynote stated it would not, but Apple’s website states it will. This might have been a last-minute choice by Apple after seeing the ngeative press reactions on this.

Apple iPad specifications

Finally, let’s look at the numbers and data. Here’s the Apple iPad specs.

• Display:
  • 9.7″ widescreen LED-backlit glossy multi-touch capacitive display (with IPS technology)
  • 1024-by-768-pixel resolution @ 132 pixels-per-inch (ppi)
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: Apple A4 1 GHz (by PA Semiconductor)
• Memory: DDR2 RAM
• Video: Apple A4 1 Ghz (see above)
• Storage: 16 GB to 64 GB flash drive
• Wireless data:
  • Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 3G version: UMTS/HSDPA (through AT&T, no contract required)
  • 3G version: GSM/EDGE (through AT&T, no contract required)
• Extra devices:
  • Digital compass
  • A-GPS (assisted GPS)
  • Microphone
  • Speaker
• Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
• Inputs:
  • Dock connector (typical Apple port)
  • 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
  • SIM card
  • No USB port (!!!)
• Battery: Built-in 25 Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery (by DynaPak)
• Usage time:
  • Internet: up to 5 hours on 3G
  • Internet: up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
  • Video playback: up to 10 hours
• Colors:
  • black with silver or
• Software:
  • iPhone OS (for iPad)
  • All iPhone applications are supported on the iPad
  • In addition, iPad has its own App Store
• Price level: $499  USD, 399 EUR
• Release date: April 2010, the 3G version will take slightly longer to become available

The ASUS Eee Keyboard is a completely enabled personal computer in the shape of a keyboard. It features a touch-enabled display next to the keys which a user can customize to hold a quicklist of buttons of applications and tasks or even watch a movie on.

The ASUS Eee Keyboard is up for launch this February and will be sold for a price from $499 to $599 or EUR 350 to EUR 450.

Specifications:
Screen: 5″ LED Backlight / Touch Panel
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (32 bit)
Resolution: 800×480
Battery: Li-polymer, 4 hours runtime
Processor: Intel Atom N270
Memory: 1Gb (DDR2)
Storage: SSD 16Gb (upgardeable to 32GB)
Online Storage: 500Gb
Audio: HD / Stereo Speakers / Digital Array Mic
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: Yes
Color: Silver

We have been waiting on the launch of the ASUS Eee PC T101H or ASUS Eee PC T101MT, or 10.1″ model of the Asus tablet for over a year now. For many potential customers, the T91 with its 8.9″ screen was simply too small to justify its price.

With the passing of the  T101MT through the FCC, all rumors and gossip can come to an end. Before a new electronics product launches, it has to be checked for consumer safety by the FCC. Most products pass without any hardship and therefore you can usually expect a product to launch soon after the FCC has seen it.

The current expectations in the blogosphere and around industry analysts is that the T101MT will be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2010 and will hit stores in Q2 of 2010.

T101MT Specifications (unconfirmed)

• Screen: 10.1″ LED Backlight / Capacitive Multi-Touch Panel
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (32 bit)
• Resolution: 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
• Battery: Li-polymer, 5 hours runtime
• Processor: Intel Atom Z520 – 1.33GHz
• Memory: 1Gb (DDR2); 2Gb Maximum
• Storage: SSD 16Gb + 16Gb SD Card (included)
• Online Storage: 500Gb
• Audio: HD / Stereo Speakers / Digital Array Mic
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Camera: 0.3 Megapixel Built-in
• Color: Black / Silver
• Weight: 1.08 g
• GPS: ?

And here’s a video of the protoype T101H:

Industry insiders report that ASUS will be launching a new device named the Eee Pad in the 3rd quarter of 2010. The device which will look similar to ASUS’ latest T91 offering, albeit without a keyboard and will sport a 4 to 7-inch capacitive touch screen display with multi-touch as well as haptic feedback.

The device will be directly competing against the Apple Tablet which has just been delayed until the 2nd quarter of 2010.

More details to follow up in a few hours.

(Picture above is an artist rendering.)

A few months ago we were already reporting that in addition to the T101MT, we expected a multi-touch version of the Asus Eee PC T91 to be produced soon.

Problems with the high demand for the T91 created a great shortage in inventory in the last few months. ASUS has upped its production and stocks seem to have been re-supplied now at Amazon. A week ago, pre-ordering started and now finally the T91MT has arrived along with the new batch of T91’s.

The ASUS Eee PC T91MT runs Windows 7, which is almost completely designed for touch-screen devices. Like its sibling the T91, it holds a 1.33 Ghz Intel Atom Z520 processor with 1GB of RAM. For more, read the T91MT specifications.

Unlike some reports in the blogosphere, the T91MT does NOT have a pressure sensitive screen but does have palm rejection. Palm rejections means the device does not accept the touch of your handpalm as a touch input but it does accept the stylus and your seperate fingers as input. This makes it possible to use the T91MT as a notepad.

The latest addition to the ASUS Eee PC family is the T91MT. It is a multi-touch version of the ASUS’s first tablet, the T91. Its specifications are similar.

“The Eee PC™ T91MT measures just 225cm by 164cm, and weighs a mere 0.96kg—making it one of the smallest and thinnest gadgets with an 8.9″ display in the world today. The Eee PC™ T91MT is the one of the first mini laptops to use a full multi-touch interface, supporting Microsoft Windows 7.”

• Screen: 8.9″ LED Backlight / Resistive Multi-Touch Panel
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (32 bit)
• Resolution: 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
• Battery: Li-polymer, 5 hours runtime
• Processor: Intel Atom Z520 – 1.33GHz
• OS: Windows 7
• Memory: 1Gb (DDR2); 2Gb Maximum
• Storage: SSD 16Gb + 16Gb SD Card (included)
• Online Storage: 500Gb
• Audio: HD / Stereo Speakers / Digital Array Mic
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Camera: 0.3 Megapixel Built-in
• Color: Black / Silver
• Weight: 0.96 kg

Update: ASUS Eee PC T91MT was confirmed a few weeks ago and is now up for purchase on Amazon.

An industry insider has just leaked the roadmap for the upcoming line-up of ASUS Eee PC products for the next year. Apart from several new Eee PCs, it contains news on the future of the ASUS Eee PC T91.

Apparently ASUS has not decided to scrap the T91 altogether but instead follow it up with a multi-touch version, called the T91MT (not the T91A as reported before). It sports a 32Gb SSD (solid state drive) and its price will be at $549 or around EUR 399.

Additionally, the roadmap also contains the Asus Eee PC T101P. This is the first time we hear it being called P instead of H. Does the P stand for the Intel PineTrail spec? We’ll hear later. The T101P will be released in 2010. Under the hood, it will sport a standard Atom N450 processor, Pine Trail and running Windows 7. That sounds like a winner to us!

[Via Netbooked]

Problems on the ASUS Eee PC T91 with playing video on YouTube, Vimeo and other video websites where playback would quickly start lagging are reportedly solved by simply using Firefox or Opera instead of Internet Explorer.

The CPU still needs to run on full power though, German blog TouchMeMobile reports in a new and exclusive unboxing video of the device.

The T91 is expected to be available in retail stores in Germany in September 2009.

A translation of the article is available here.

[Video and images via TouchMeMobile]

The long-awaited and even longer delayed Asus Eee PC T91 netbook tablet will hit retail stores in the UK this week, Netbook Choice reports from ASUS UK sources.

Before it was delayed in distribution due to a logistical mishap.

And after that it was delayed to iron out kinks in the interface.

Furthermore, the pre-order price at Amazon UK has dropped from GBP 449.00 to GBP 409.00.

[Via Netbook Choice]