Lurking in a corner of CeBIT was this modified ASUS Eee PC 701, which had been given the multitouch touchscreen treatment. Now we've seen touchscreen hacks for ASUS' smallest Eee PC before, but this is the first time its responded to more than one finger at a time.
Video demo after the cut
As busy weeks go, this one has certainly been something to write home about (or at least a Week in Review about), with CeBIT, PMA and an Apple mega-announcement all taking place. ASUS arguably stole the former show in Germany, with the Eee PC 1008HA “Shell” once again proving that netbooks needn’t be the ugly cousins to expensive ultraportable notebooks. For our full CeBIT 2009 coverage, hit the tag.
Everyone likes a bit of excitement at a tradeshow, and CeBIT's came from a raid by anti-counterfeiting agents investigating three different booths for offering pirated NNG iGO My way navigation software. The three companies involved have not been named, but one was apparently showing cracked iGO software just meters away from the official NNG booth.
Thermaltake have been showing off their special edition Level 10 PC case, created in association with BMW Designworks, at CeBIT this week. Unlike most cases, which try to fit everything inside one big dull box, Level 10 looks as though the shell has been vacuum-packed around each of the components.
An image of the upcoming BeBook 2 ebook reader has emerged, in advance of what's expected to be a full launch at CeBIT today. The reader is a significant hardware jump over the original BeBook device, with WiFi and/or integrated 3G connectivity, touchscreen navigation and support for the ePub format.
Aigo have confirmed that the much-anticipated Windows XP version of their touchscreen MID will be made generally available, in addition to the existing Linux model. Up until now, anybody wanting XP on the compact slider device had to do so unofficially.
ASUS' Eee PC Station NAS, aka the ASUS EeeNAS D200, has taken something of a backseat at CeBIT what with all the attention the Eee PC 1008HA Shell gathered, but we're still interested in what the touchscreen device has to offer.
Video demo of the EeeNAS after the cut
We can't quite get enough of the ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Shell here at CeBIT 2009; the super-skinny 1-inch netbook keeps us coming back for more. Today we stopped by to check out not only its textured chassis but the new ASUS Eee Docking bar, which promises one-click access to the growing list of ASUS Eee-family services.
Eee PC Docking Bar screenshot after the cut
MSI have announced an in-car entertainment system, the Funtoro FunStar ST100, which they're claiming is the pioneer for all-in-one systems. Comprising a core processing and distribution unit, together with a 2-DIN DVD player and front display, the BD765, the system can support up to three separate zones each with touchscreen control.
A-DATA have unveiled what they're saying is the highest-capacity SSD to-date at CeBIT this week, in the shape of the A-DATA 512GB XPG 2.5-inch SSD. The SATA-II drive supports read and write speeds of 230MB/s and 160MB/s respectively. Problem is, they're not the only company with such a claim; SlashGear tracked down A-DATA to find out what makes the 512GB XPG different.
The 10-inch Acer Aspire One D150 is not exactly new, but CeBIT was the first chance the SlashGear team has had to spend some hands-on time with the netbook. The model to hand was Intel Atom N280-based, but we were most keen on trying out the keyboard and seeing whether earlier rumors of lowered build quality were true.
It's been a long, long time since we first saw the Road S101 HandyPC - all the way back in August 2006, no less - but the S101 is back at CeBIT 2009. Ostensibly a Nokia Communicator lookalike, only with a 640 x 240 touchscreen, the S101 HandyPC has thankfully had a slight spec boost from its original configuration. Even more interesting, Road have tried switching out the standard Linux OS and Qtopia GUI for Google's open-source Android platform.
Video overview of Road's S101 HandyPC, plus the S101 running Android, after the cut