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!

An anonymous source told AsusTablet.com that Asus will release three versions of the Asus Eee PC T91. We already knew about the T91GO which enables 3G, GPS and a digital TV features. In addition to the standard T91 (with a single-touch screen) and T91GO (or T91go), there will be the T91A. This model will be the only one to hold a multi-touch screen. It is not clear if this last version will or will not include the options of the T91go too or if there will be a fourth model (T91Ago), which includes both a multi-touch screen and 3G, GPS and a TV tuner.

An interesting point to note is that the T91A will weight about 0.06 kg more than the standard T91. This is because of the chips installed.

Here’s a line up of the specifications for the different models:

ASUS Eee PC T91A (Multi-touch)

“The Eee PC™ T91A 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™ T91A 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
• 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: 0.96 kg

ASUS Eee PC T91go (GPS, Digital TV and 3G enabled)

“The Eee PC™ T91Go measures just 225cm by 164cm, and weighs a mere 1.02kg—making it one of the smallest and thinnest gadgets with an 8.9″ display in the world today. The Eee PC™ T91go is a device for on the road. With its built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) and 3G connectivity, it supports advanced navigation capabilities on the go and enables you to connect to the web through a cellular connection. The DVB TV tuner makes watching television on your device a possibility for extensive entertainment options.”

• 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: 1.02 kg
• GPS: Yes
• 3G Module: Yes
• Digital TV Tuner: Yes

ASUS Eee PC T91 (Standard)

“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.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. ”

• 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

Asus UK has told Netbook Choice that the Asus Eee PC T91 is delayed again until “late July 2009″:

“Whilst still no specific date is being committed too, we were assured that this “late July” timeline was now concrete and they envisaged no more slips. The reason for the delay was being attributed to nailing down the interface and making sure they were 100 percent happy with it before shipping. As this is their first touchscreen net tablet, they cannot afford the negative reaction on an unfinished product.

Asus also confirmed that the Eee PC T101 has slipped down the priority list although it’s still on the company’s roadmap.”

An interesting take on the development that netbooks are becoming featured with tablet like features. The small convertible tablet netbooks have limitations that make it hardly impossible for it to be used as a note taking, inking or other handwriting type of device. They work great when using the touch functionality with hands and fingertips but it becomes cumbersome when using it to write notes.

The reason for this according to jkOnTheRun is that most professional tablets use active digitzers. You might know these from your typical standalone Wacom tablet designers and artists use. The digitzers connect to the pen by radio and detect only the touches made with the pen but not touches by fingers or other objects. This immediately is also their advantage. Leaning on the screen with your hand palm or wrists will not create a touch.

However, the Asus Eee PC T91 uses passive digitzers. Just like the upcoming Asus Eee PC T101H and other upcoming netbook tablet offerings by MSI and Gigabyte. The reason? Cost ofcourse. And because the target demographics for netbook buyers is not design professionals but consumers with a low-budget. They don’t care. The touch idea seems to be a great selling point but it is good to see the critical side of it in terms of actual touch functionality when you go passed the ‘gimmick’ phase. The GUI video played by AsusTablet.com before did show some note taking though, it did not look all too bad. But the video is made by ASUS in a set up environment, thus possibly not being a very realistic perspective.

Still, even without note taking and inking the T91 is useful. Imagine students quickly sliding through Powerpoint slides while having the T91 next to their notebook. Or your parents using it because the touch interface feels so much more natural to them than a keyboard. Or media consuming young people who dislike the idea of working with a keyboard when playing their music and watching videos on YouTube. Apart from being the first, the T91 still has enough selling points even if it does not take notes best.

We also need to consider the relative age of this new market of netbook tablets. ASUS again pretty much single-handedly created a new market segment (just as they did with the netbooks). This is the first model in that market. There will be kinks in the cable and they will be resolved in future models. The costs of touch screens are rapidly decreasing and the quality of them is increasing. In any way, it is good that it happens eventhough there is criticism to be made on the first few models. It will change the way users interface with their computers forever.

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 this week 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…

Although the device has still yet to hit stores, drivers for the Asus Eee PC T91 have just been posted up on the Asus website:

The page shows a hint that a Linux version of the

There are currently 14 drivers available for the T91. These are:

• Asus T91 BIOS (1) [BIOS History]
• Asus T91 BIOS-Utilities (1)
• Asus T91 Chipset (1)
• Asus T91  ATK (1)
• Asus T91 AUDIO (1)
• Asus T91 VGA (1)
• Asus T91 LAN (1)
• Asus T91 TouchPad (1)
• Asus T91 Utilities (4)
• Asus T91 Wireless (1)
• Asus T91 BlueTooth (1)

T91 on Asus website