It's been a while since we've heard anything of ASUS' ebook reader intentions, but according to DigiTimes the company's CEO, Jerry Shen, has confirmed that they plan to have a device on the market by the end of 2009 at the earliest. Slotting into the company's Eee brand of low-priced consumer electronic devices, Shen failed to give suggestions of specifications or pricing for the upcoming reader.
![Android 2.0 Donut gets Eee PC netbook install hack [Video]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/android_donut_asus_eee_pc_netbook.jpg)
The plans of many official Android-based netbooks and Smartbooks may be on hold as companies tentatively measure the market, but if you're desperate for a blast of Google's open-source OS on your budget ultraportable then there are certainly ways to do it yourself. The latest tutorial we've spotted comes courtesy of UMPC Fever, who have put the latest build of Android OS 2.0 Donut onto their Eee PC.
Video demos after the cut
We've a soft-spot for DIY netbook tablet PC conversions here at SlashGear, so it's always nice to see a user turn their budget notebook into something a whole lot more interesting. EeeUser forum member Maine_Coon turned his ASUS Eee PC 900HA into a finger-friendly 8.9-inch slate, flipping the display around and adding a touchscreen layer on top.
Pegatron's Smartbook prototype has made another appearance, this time squaring up to one of ASUS' Eee PC models in order to flaunt its slender chassis. The Smartbook - here in touching, emotionally-available, secure-in-its-own-masculinity pink - is considerably thinner than a netbook (the 1005HA) that until now has helped lead the pack in terms of slimline scale, and it's not an unfair battery comparison either. The Pegatron may only have a 2-cell, 4,400mAh battery, but thanks to the low-voltage components inside it's rated for around eight hours runtime.
ASUS’ 11.6-inch Eee PC 1101HA has finally made it to retail, with the 1.33GHz Atom Z520 ultraportable landing at Amazon. $429.99 gets you not only the 1101HA’s 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit panel, but a 160GB hard-drive and 1GB of RAM. According to ASUS, the 1101HA’s battery is good for up to 10hrs runtime.
ASUS have apparently pushed back the launch of their second touchscreen netbook, the Eee PC T101, according to the latest whisperings from the industry. Originally set to be released in June 2009, the T101 - which has a 10-inch touchscreen display, and is the larger sibling to the T91 - will now arrive in September at the earliest.
What's that, you say? Why, it's ASUS' Eee PC 1101HA, the 11.6-inch Atom Z520 model from the company's slippery Seashell range, and it's sat next to the packaging it so recently was unboxed from. It's the handiwork of NewGadgets.de, who have managed to acquire one of the netbooks over in Europe.
Unboxing video after the cut
Having showed up on Amazon earlier today, it seems the ASUS Eee PC T91 really is ready for US prime-time. The reviews have already begun to spring up across the usual suspects, so what's the consensus? It looks like it's time for another SlashGear review round-up, this time about what could be ASUS' most-anticipated Eee PC to-date.
Full round-up, plus video, after the cut
Active Media are back, and they've brought a range of upgrades for your tired, file-stuffed Eee PC. The latest SaberTooth-S and SaberTooth-SS SSD ranges are intended to boost storage in compatible ASUS netbooks to up to 64GB, together with access times of up to 155MB/sec.
ASUS’ Eee PC T91 has appeared on the Amazon US site, listed as in-stock and ready for immediate delivery. Priced at $499.99, the long-awaited T91 is ASUS’ first 8.9-inch convertible touchscreen netbook, and uses an Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor, 1GB of RAM (2GB max) and the company’s custom “TouchSuite” UI.
ASUS' Disney netbook, the Eee PC MK90 "Netpal", has shown up for pre-order with retailer Toys "R" Us. Listed as an exclusive, the netbook has an 8.9-inch display and is priced at $349.99, with the first shipments expected to take place on August 3rd.
Twitter is great, but we do prefer more mainstream routes for much-anticipated news like the release date of the Eee PC T91 touchscreen netbook. Still, after the in-stock/not-in-stock flip-flopping of retailers, we'll welcome anything concrete from ASUS themselves, even if it's a two-sentence tweet telling us that the 8.9-inch netbook will arrive in the US on July 15th.