Yesterday we told you about the T101H release date supposedly being in September of 2009.

Without any news today, we like to focus on what you are thinking.

How do you think the two mobile tablets match up?

First of all for a fair comparison, let’s look at the two side by side:

Specifications for the T101H

• Screen: 10.1″ LED Backlight / Resistive Multi-Touch Panel
• Enabled for Microsoft Windows 7
• Resolution: 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
• Battery: Li-polymer, 5.4 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: 20Gb (free for 18 mos.)
• 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: 1.50 kg
• GPS: Yes
• 3G Module: Yes
• Digital TV Tuner: Yes

Specifications for the T91

• Screen: 8.9″ LED Backlight / Resistive Touch Panel
• Resolution: 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
• Battery: Li-polymer, 5.4 hours runtime
• Processor: Intel Atom Z520 – 1.33GHz
• OS: Windows XP Home
• Memory: 1Gb (DDR2); 2Gb Maximum
• Storage: SSD 16Gb + 16Gb SD Card (included)
• Online Storage: 20Gb (free for 18 mos.)
• 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

Which device are you more interested in? The T91 or the T101H? Do you think they match up or will they be used for different applications? Let us know, in the comments.

ASUS will be releasing their 10.1″ netbook touchscreen in September 2009 at the earliest according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes. The release date is more than two months later than previously announced. 

The follow up to the just released smaller illustrious Eee PC T91 will hold an Intel Atom Z520 processor running at 1.33 GHz, 1Gb of DDR2 RAM memory and a 16Gb SSD storage under the hood. 

Possible extras are a 16Gb memory card and the potential for a GPS, 3G and Digital TV tuner, however this is not confirmed yet by ASUS officially.

Slashgear reports that ASUS is using the sales of the Eee PC T91 as a prediction for the success of the T101H. The T91 was met with some strong criticism but overall it was received quite well.

It could be a good step for ASUS to change the specifications of the T101H based on the problems with the T91. It is reported to sometimes respond slowly and the touch interface does not work well with the included standard version of Windows XP. However, as Windows 7 will be released at the end of this year, they might be able to fix this in one shot. Just include a faster processor and it’s a win for ASUS.

At only $484.38 against the official retail price $499.99, we might have a new lowest price for the ASUS Eee PC T91 at Sparco.com.

However it says the item is currently out of stock, mentioning a new batch will arrive on Monday the 20th of July. The deal includes free ground shipping.

It probably did not pass you without notice when today an entirely new consumer computing segment was born out of nowhere. ASUS did its trick it before with creating the netbook sgement, and now they are doing it again by launching the world’s first touchscreen tablet netbook.

The ASUS Eee PC T91, as it is called, was launched today in stores worldwide and reviews were all over the place.

ASUS Tablet gives you a wrap up of the day. Opinions were divided around the internet today. As per usual, Engadget was one of the first to hit it with a complete in-depth review.  Followed by Gizmodo, Liliputing and CNET.

Design

Starting with the design of the device, most reviews agreed on one thing: this is a good looking and well thought-out product. Engadget called it attractive and very slim, Liliputing felt it had a definite sex-appeal, CNET agreed, but Gizmodo complaint about the size of the dimly-lid screen. In addition, with its barely 1 kilogram , the device feels light.

[ + + – + ]

Hardware

The performance of the device is a concern however. Engadget noticed the device sometimes responding slowly and hanging in the touch interface. Gizmodo agreed that it had sub-par hardware under the hood, even for a netbook, which are usually low-specced any way. Liliputting called its processor “sluggish” and said it ocassionaly slowed down the software interface; watching HD video on it was not recommended, as the display of the video quickly became choppy. CNET agreed that the T91’s processor was not powerful enough.

[ –  – –  – ]

Software

All reviews agreed on the fact that Windows XP Home is by far not able enough to be used with this device. It is simply not prepared for touch, Liliputing agreed. However, Engadget and CNET appreciated the Touch Gate software layer, ASUS installed on the device to make XP usable with touch. Gizmodo felt it to be confusing and annoying at times and called it a “glorified app launcher”.

[ –  + +  – ]

Battery

Time registered was around 3 hours with high performance and 4 hours with maximum battery and low performance, according to all four reviews.

[ –  + +  – ]

Swivel functionality and touch screen

And now, on to its greatest selling point, the swivel screen. The T91’s screen can be turned around 180 degrees and put flat on the keyboard to form a tablet with only a touchscreen. All reviews agreed that the swivel screen feels solid and the movement happens natural and moves smoothly.

There was some discrepancy about the brightness of the screen, Engadget reported it to be brightly-lit, while Gizmodo said the opposite; it was “typically ASUS-like” dimly-lid. Did they receive different models?

All reviews mentioned the touchscreen itself worked well and was precice enough to take notes with. However, Engadget mentioned that when putting your palm on the device while writing, it registered touch there. Meaning it is not possible to write completely naturally, as you would on a notebloc.

[ + + + + ]

Price

The Engadget reviewer felt it hard to justify the cost of $499.99 for the device. Gizmodo did not mention the price. Liliputing mentioned that it was about the same for competing small touch screen tablets. While CNET appreciated ASUS’s efforts to keep the price in the netbook range (below the famous $500 netbook mark).

[ –  = +  + ]

Videos

With 10 negative and 13 positive reviews, it seems as though the receival of the ASUS Eee PC T91 went quite well for a first-time device in a new consumer computing segment. Remember that, except for the ASUS Eee Top, this is the first actual touchscreen personal computer device ASUS has launched. It is obvious that there will be kinks in the cable that need to be worked out. Especially the software. With the release of the touch-enabled Windows 7 yesterday however, we are sure these software problems will be ironed out.

We are looking forward to seeing its bigger brother, the ASUS Eee PC T101H hit the streets soon. It is obvious that ASUS is testing the streets with this device. Being the company that it is, it will take all the pointers reviewers and customers give them, and implement these in the T101H.

What about you?

The question that remains…are you going to get it? How did these reviews make you feel about the T91? Leave your answers in the comments as usual.

Via Engadget, Gizmodo, Liliputing and CNET.

The third retailer to add to the list is Amazon.fr (from France). It has added the Asus Eee PC T91 to their assortment. This is bit odd, as on the Amazon US or Amazon UK sites, the T91 is nowhere to be found. Also French retailer Materiel sells it as well. Does anybody want to check and order it, to see if it’s actually shipped?

And we have the second spotting of the beloved ASUS Eee PC T91 in the wild! Now at ExcaliberPC up for grabs in black. Just like at BuyDig, the price is $499 USD.

The specifications are shown:

ASUS Eee PC T91 Netbook – Black, Intel Atom Z520 Processor, 8.9″ WSVGA (1024×600) LED-backlit / Resistive Touch Panel, 16GB SSD + 16GB SD + 20GB Eee Storage, 1GB DDR2 Memory, High-Speed 802.11n & Bluetooth V2.1, 28.5Wh Battery – Up to 5 Hours of Battey Life, Microsoft Windows XP Home Preloaded. The official model number is shown as T91SA-VU1X-BK.

Its slogan is “Fun at Your Fingertips”

Here’s a print-out of the website:

Sleek and Stylish Portability

Anticipating that the Eee PC T91 will spend a sizable amount of its time cradled in users’ arms, ASUS’ designers made sure to keep it extremely slim and light. The Eee PC T91 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.

Intuitive TouchSuite software

The Eee PC T91’s unique software applications, collectively known as TouchSuite, allow users to perform a myriad of fun tasks with their fingertips, such as touching up photos, creating photo albums, leaving handwritten desktop memos for loved ones, and sketching cartoons or custom emoticons.

Touchscreen and Convertible Tablet PC Form Factor for Flexibility of Use

The Eee PC T91’s tablet PC functionality makes it easy to cradle in one arm, enabling users to read documents, scribble ideas into digital notebooks and surf the Internet while traveling on foot. The Eee PC T91 is also equipped with a TV tuner and Global Positioning System (GPS) for extensive entertainment options and advanced navigation capabilities on the go.

“Hybrid Storage” for Massive Storage

With the Hybrid Storage options, the Eee PC T91 allow users to choose between different ways to enjoy easy access to data storageon-the-go. Users can choose from: Built-in Shockproof Solid State Drive (SSD) of up to 16GB, exclusive Eee Storage of up to 20GB which allows users to upload and download their files via an intuitive drag and drop interface, and also download games, wallpapers and customized software to enhance their Eeexperience, and expandable storage via through the Disk Expander Card of 16GB.

Extended Battery Life with Super Hybrid Engine

With the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine’s increased power efficiency, the Eee PC T91 can deliver an impressively long battery lifespan—eliminating worries about power while on-the-go and easily keeps users connected for 5 hours, unplugged computing.

Always-on Connectivity

The Eee PC™ T91 is equipped with 3G plus (HSUPA) technology*, enabling high-speed Internet access anywhere. With support for 802.11n, you can now enjoy faster surfing speeds than previous a/b/g wireless standards. This allows you enjoy quick downloading and streaming of large multimedia files; and with a full range of applications, help enhance your communications and computing experience.

Online retailer BuyDig is showing the ASUS Eee PC T91 for sale and in-stock (“Usually ships in 1-2 business days”) on their website. It includes Windows XP and free shipping for a total price of $499. If this is true, then the culmination and wait is finally over and right here we have the first sale of the product.

The T91 has not appeared at other retailers such as Amazon, Amazon UK, BestBuy or NexTag.

The T91 model offered is ofcourse the base version including an Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB SSD (and a 16GB SD card) and 1024 x 600 resistive touchscreen.  Wireless connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, but no integrated 3G.

Will you wait for the T91go with its 3g, GPS and TV-tuner, th eT91A with its multi-touch screen, or are you going to get the base model? Leave your answer in the comments!

Some new photos of the black edition of the ASUS Eee PC T91 8.9″ being sold now.