The Asus Eee PC T91 is certainly one of the most eagerly awaited netbooks on the horizon. Netbook Choice managed to get hands-on with the 8.9-inch convertible tablet at a press event yesterday held at Lamborghini London. Overall their experience of the unit was a positive one, although they do have some reservations about the interface:
“The main problem we had is that when trying to navigate pages, the screen seemed a little unresponsive. Some commands needed a few button presses to register , as you’ll see in the video below. It has to be said though that using the stylus worked much better than our fingers. We were playing with a pre-production sample so hopefully these issues will be sorted out upon release. We do think Asus have a very nice device here but much will depend if they can nail that interface down, especially considering the steep £450 price tag. Check out our hands-on video below.”
However the size of the machine impresses them:
“What strikes you when you first catch eyes on the T91 is just how small it is. The model doesn’t have the curves that you see on the Seashell Eee PC range, the T91’s design is more ‘boxy’, but that doesn’t detract from the styling. We found the T91 to be very solidly built, with the hinge mechanism feeling quite sturdy, something that’s crucial for such a device. We noticed no creaking when pressing on the case and, despite its size; I felt that I could comfortably put the T91 into a bag without worrying about its fragility.”
An anonymous tipster just sent us these photos of a supposedly first batch of ASUS Eee PC T91 models shipped to the electronics store Currys in the United Kingdom.
On Friday, AsusTablet.net was told by an anonymous ASUS insider that the model had been delayed in shipment by logistical problems, being not too specific, but that it would hit retail stores this Monday, this might be true as we see from these photos just sent in.
The photos show the outside of a shipping box with a transit sheet that notes ASUS Computers International GmbH in Germany, where ASUS has its distribution hub for Western Europe. The shipment is destined for Currys Digital in Hertfordshire, UK, where Currys distribution headquarters is located. It all seems to make sense. The date stamp shows today, Sunday 21 June 2009. Does this mean the T91 will be sold tomorrow at Currys? The shipment also seems to have passed through Amsterdam during airmail reading from the AMS on the DHL sticker. Will this mean the T91 will also be sold in stores in the Netherlands this week? We hope so.
What is interesting from the photos is that Currys requested 260 units but received only 193. Is ASUS experiencing a shortage in units or problems in production of the T91, which does require new types of production processes (even for ASUS) as it is its first touchscreen netbook.
An anonymous ASUS insider told AsusTablet.com that the Eee PC T91 is still shipping but is delayed in distribution to the retail channels due to a “logistical mishap” in distribution. The problem is reportedly solved now and the device can be expected in stores from next Monday, the 22nd of June.
Reports last week in news channels all around the world mentioned that the T91 would start shipping thisweek but it still not here. The reasons are now becoming clear.
It is one of the many delays the T91 has experienced. This is interesting as other ASUS Eee PC devices have never been delayed as much as this model. This makes us question if there are structural concerns with the Eee PC T91. Is ASUS experiencing problems with the model and delaying it purposely to resolve these before retail availability? We might never know…
Asus has just announced it has begun shipping the Asus Eee PC T91 tablet net book to retail stores today. It has been delayed numerous times but it seems it is now really happening finally. Information about its sister model the T101H is still missing.
Here are the final specifications in case you missed them:
EEE PC T91 Specifications:
Screen: 8.9″ LED Backlight / Resistive Touch Panel
Asus has published a US product page for the upcoming Eee PC T91 convertible tablet style netbook. This will be the first mini-laptop from the company with a touchscreen display that can fold down over the keyboard for use in tablet mode.
Some important features announced on the product page:
Up to 5 hours of battery life
Size of a B5 paper, 225 by 164 mm
Weight is 0.96 kg
8.9″ Display
Total internal storage is 32 Gb: A shockproof SSD drive of up to 16Gb, online storage called “Eee Storage” of 200 Gb and an expandable SSD storage slot for another 16Gb
Selected models support 3G+ (HSUPA) technology enabling them to be used on the go and connecting to data networks of your cellular provider.
The Eee PC T91 has an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. The version that ships with Windows XP will reportedly have a resistive touchscreen, which means single-touch only. The version that ships with Windows 7 later this year will include a capacitive display capable of recognizing multiple inputs to take advantages of the gesture and multitouch support in Windows 7.
Unique TouchSuite software for intuitive user experience
Convertible Tablet PC Form Factor for Flexibility of Use
B5 size and weight 0.96kg light
Up to 5 hours** long battery life with Super Hybrid Engine
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
The Hybrid Storage options allow users to choose between different ways to enjoy easy access to data storage on-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™ 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.
* Available on selected models
** Actual battery life is subject to normal usage and configuration as well as model type
* All specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers. Products may not be available in all markets.
* PCB color and bundled software versions are subject to change without notice.
* Brand and product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.
jkkmobile reports that Asus has announced that the Asus T91 will be available with a capacative display for multi touch usage with Windows 7. Multi touch is the ability to use multiple fingers at the same time on one screen.
A video below to see how the Asus T91 works with multi touch.
An exclusive video showing a demo of the final graphical user interface of the Asus Eee PC T91 and T101H netbook tablet, we have today. Some features it shows include a touch-sensitive task switcher to move between programs by simply dragging or making hand gestures on the screen from left to right. Also a central menu button on the bottom of the screen is shown, touching this button opens up an array of most used applications such as a calendar, Internet Explorer or your notes, this menu is customizable.
A visual widget interface is also included in the Asus tablet , it enables you to add widgets to your screen to use with just your fingers on the touch screen. Asus has also brought us a top menu bar with which we can quickly change settings on the tablet netbook. Very essential is the on-screen keyboard. It is large enough to be used with fingers and makes it possible to never switch back to the real keyboard agian!
A touch-sensitive visual photo application is included as well, this looks particularly interesting. It enables users to interact with their photos as if they were lying on a table. Juggling them around or sorting them in a photobook which can be then viewed by moving the pages over. It reminds us of Microsoft Surface. Next is the notes application, it enables users to write notes with either the included stylus or their fingers, our expectation was that it would look pixely and low-quality but it actually looks like real handwriting.
Very impressive to say the least and surprisingly smooth for a tablet PC that is in fact a netbook with limited specifications.
The number of different Asus Eee PC netbooks is staggering. With complex model numbers it becomes confusing for customers and makes it difficult to choose one. Therefore Asus has decided that it will phase out all of its netbook models except for the Seashell 1008HA, the Seashell 1005HA and the T91 (and T91GO) and T101Htablet netbooks. The best-selling 1000HE (known for its 10-hour battery life) will be phased out first and replaced by the 1005HA. It is a dramatic step for Asus to phase out one of its best-selling models, apparently they have a strategy made they want to follow now. What that strategy is, we can only guess.
0
“Hybrid Storage” for Massive Storage
Always-on Connectivity
All contents copyright © Prime Ventures. All rights reserved. This website is only to report about the latest news on upcoming tablet devices by ASUS and is not in any way affiliated with or endorsed by ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated (ASUS).
The ASUS, ASUSTeK, Eee PC, Eee, Eee Pad brands, names and/or logos and any other brands, names and/or logos are only used for informative purposes and are property of ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated (ASUS) and/or their respective owners.
News, Pictures, Reviews, Syndicated, T91, Videos | Heather | Sunday, June 28th, 2009
0 COMMENTS