Asus has finally released the first version of its much-awaiting all-in-one offering, the Eee Top. For the time being, one version is available to the public, the ET1602, though a slightly beefier version is expected to become available shortly. Of course it’s only available in Taiwan for the time being but the roll out in other markets shouldn’t take long. As for seeing this puppy here in the US any time soon? That remains to be seen but we’re definitely not holding our breath. A recap of the specs:

• Intel Atom processor (1.6GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache)
• 1 GB DDR2 667 RAM
• 160 GB SATA II 5400rpm hard drive
• Graphics Card: Shared Graphics (128MB)
• Windows XP Home (SP3)
• 15.6″ (16:10 Wide Panel) touchscreen
• Graphics: Shared Graphics (128MB)
• Webcam: 1.3 Megapixel
• Mirophone: Digital Array Microphone
• Audio Chips: 2 x 4W Hifi Speaker + SRS
• Communication: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• WLAN: WiFi 802.11b/g/n
• IO Side Ports: Memory card slot (SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro) / USB ports x 2
• IO Rear Ports: Audio Ports x 3 (Microphone, Line in & Line Out) / USB ports x 4 / Gigabit LAN port
• Ships with: StarOffice, Adobe Reader 8.0, Norton Internet Security (90 day trial version), Express Gate, Skype, Eee Memo, SoftStyles, Eee Cam and Eee Cinema

Asus’s more timid ET1602 will run about $580, not bad at all. Our favortie thing about the Eee Top by the way, is the fact that it runs XP SP3 and yet the product page begins with a huge banner reading, “ASUS recommends Windows Vista Business for Business Computing / ASUS recommends Windows Vista Home Premium for Personal Computing”. Excellent.

[Via Engadget]

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The gauntlet has been thrown down and Microsoft is making it pretty clear that they’re not going to be bullied around by Apple’s advertising tactics. In England at least. Apparently, these booths aren’t just advertisements, but they’re also interactive booths. From AppleInsider:

“It’s a friggin booth where you can record your own I’m a PC video,” he said. “This is outside the Apple Store, Bullring, Birmingham, England.” He added that a trio of Microsoft staffers will be on hand to turn patrons off from the Mac for the next three days.

Microsoft staffers will be there goal-tending! Wow, this is a pretty gutsy move. One would think this is just asking for it - how can things not get intense or even hostile? Of course, it’s perfectly legal for Microsoft to put these booths right in front of Apple stores, but talk about taking it to their house and just invading their turf - ballsy! Steve Ballmer and all his buddies aren’t holding back and are pulling all the stops. What do you guys think? Good idea, bad idea? Let us know!

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HP announced a new line of netbooks today that will debut in three different variations: The very much consumer oriented Mini 1000, the Linux-based Mobile Internet Experience (MIE) edition and the very fashionable Vivienne Tam edition. The new models will compliment and not replace their current netbook offering, the Mini Note 2133. All variants of the Mini 1000 will share the following features:

• Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz Processor
• 8.9″ or 10″ Brightview Backlight LED display with 1024×600 resolution. (Vivienne Tam is only available in 10″)
• up to 1GB DDR2 RAM
• black matte casing with a swirled imprint finish (Mini 1000 Standard and MIE version)
• vibrant red casing with a peony-flower inspired design (Vivienne Tam edition only)
• 92% full-size keyboard
• 8GB or 16GB SSD or a 60GB 1.8-inch hard drive
• expansion slot for a proprietary HP Mini Mobile flash drive (max of 8GB)
• 802.11b/g WLAN
• future mobile broadband/3G support
• 3-cell battery (3 hours run time)
• 10.3 in (L) x 6.56 in (W) x 0.99 in (H)
• 2.23 Lbs

The new Mini 1000 line will have a starting price of $379 for the Linux version and $399 for XP. The Windows XP versions of the Mini 1000 will be available from HP starting Wednesday, while those hoping to snag a new Linux machine will have to wait until next year. Hit the jump for a quick roundup of the features of the the fashionable Vivienne Tam edition and Linux-based MIE edition.

[Via Press Release]

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The Vivienne Tam edition is meant for the ladies, with its bold red keyboard and vivid floral design. If you open this netbook at your local Starbucks you’ll certainly turn some heads. It has the same specs as the plain Jane Mini 1000 but will come only in a Windows XP version with a 10″ display. Sorry ladies, no linux or 8.9″ display for you. The Vivienne Tam edition is expected to start around $699, though final pricing has not been released.

Last but not least is the Mini 1000 Mobile Internet Edition (MIE). Linux lovers can say bye, bye to the SUSE Linux of the Mini Note 2133 and say hello to the new Mobile Internet Experience (MIE), a proprietary OS built on top of Ubuntu Linux. The MIE version features an Instant-On Dashboard Interface and comes with pre-installed applications for web browsing, instant messaging and email as well as Skype for online video chat.

Netbooks have pretty much become almost like an overnight sensation with manufacturers like Asus, Dell and HP dishing out these tiny little computers. MSi is releasing the Wind 2 this November to add to the flurry of options available to consumers. For $600 you’ll get a new look, new case, 128 GB hard drive (and SSD option at some point), 3.5G modem, 1GB of memory, Windows XP and the awesome Intel Atom N270 processor. Look for the MSi Wind U120 to make its way in Asia in November, and possibly the U.S. soon after.

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When you think of Asus and Eee PC, you think “cheap Linux netbook”. With their latest offering, the S101, Asus tries to shatter this stereotype by designing an elegant netbook. The folks over at UMPC Fever got their hands on an S101 and have put together the most extensive collection of photos of this slim and sexy notebook to date. We already have covered the specs of the S101 and they fall right in line with all the other netbooks out there. So what does the Asus S101 have that sets it apart from its competitors and permits it to command its higher price tag? First, it is super thin and tapers to only 18 mm which is a slightly more than the height of a Hong Kong dollar. It is also ships with a few extras like a suede leather pouch with straps instead of the cheap cloth pouch found on the standard Eee PC models. It even includes a pouch for its very compact 12V power adapter. The Asus S101 has upgraded the the design of the casing with a brushed aluminum arm rest, a trackpad with a single button and faux diamonds embedded in the hinges (kind of gaudy?). It features a keyboard that is 92% the size of a standard keyboard (nice!) and the internal look is uncluttered and sleek. Only two buttons and three LED indicators are present near the inside hinge and there is a 0.3MP camera at the top. Most of the peripherals (SD slot, RJ45 port, VGA out, power, Kensington Lock) connect in the back, giving the sides and front of the netbook a smoother look and feel. The bottom of the netbook houses the battery, a door to access the RAM and the stereo speakers. So what do you think? Will the new S101 set the new standard for elegance in netbooks or is it a MacBook Air wannabe with unimpressive specs and a tawdry exterior? Hit the jump for more pictures than you can stand.

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S101 in packaging

S101 in suede leather pouch

S101 closed

S101 open with brushed aluminum arm rest

S101 left side

S101right side

S101 back

S101 bottom

S101 closeup of trackpad with single button

S101 diamond-embedded hinge

S101 is slightly thicker than a Hong Kong 50 cents and one dollar coin

A survey sent from Microsoft to select users hints that Microsoft is interested in the concept of an “Instant On” OS where a select subset of services can be accessed within eight seconds. The survey asks users how valuable this service would be, which services they would want to be accessible via Instant On and how quickly this Instant On should launch. With Intel’s engineers recently showing off an Eee PC that can fully boot in five seconds, the folks in Redmond might be looking to remedy their case of “boot time” envy.  The full survey is after the jump.

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And there you have it people - the touchscreen Eee PC from Asus is finally available for pre-order from Play.com in the UK. With a scheduled release date of November 20, this discount all-in-one has some real potential. We first heard about this touchy feely Asus back in July but people were pretty unclear as to what it was. Mystery solved. Specs please:

• Intel Atom processor (1.6GHz/533MHz FSB/512K Cache)
• 1 GB DDR2 667 RAM
• 160 GB SATA II 5400rpm hard drive
• Graphics Card: Shared Graphics (128MB)
• Windows XP Home (SP3)
• 15.6″ (16:10 Wide Panel) touchscreen
• Graphics: Shared Graphics (128MB)
• Webcam: 1.3 Mega Pixel
• Mirophone: Digital Array Microphone
• Audio Chips: 2 x 4W Hifi Speaker + SRS
• Communication: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• WLAN: WiFi 802.11b/g/n
• IO Side Ports: Memory card slot (SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro) / USB ports x 2
• IO Rear Ports: Audio Ports x 3 (Microphone, Line in & Line Out) / USB ports x 4 / Gigabit LAN port
• Ships with: StarOffice, Adobe Reader 8.0, Norton Internet Security (90 day trial version), Express Gate, Skype, Eee Memo, SoftStyles, Eee Cam and Eee Cinema

Play.com lists the all-in-one Eee PC at £399.99 which works out to $678 US at today’s exchange rate. Not bad at all.

[Via Engadget]

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With every computer manufacturer and their chip supplier’s barber now jumping on the netbook train, it’s clearly about time for Asus to step it up a bit. Many would credit the Eee line of ultra-portable laptops with popularizing the new breed but now that Asus is competing the likes of top manufacturers, the Eee is in danger of becoming like a Hollywood actress over 26 - still pretty good at what it does but no one in tinseltown wants to look at it anymore. Fear not Asus lovers, the S101 might be just the botox injection the Eee line needed. Don’t let the relatively hideous shade of brown pictured above fool you; the S101 means business. A variety of SSD drives to choose from, an ultra-slim body (tapers to 18 mm, just thicker than the MacBook Air) and pretty solid specs make the S101 very buzz worthy. Check it:

• 264 mm (w) x 180.5 mm (d) x 18 ~ 25 mm (h, tapered)
• 1 kg (2.2 lbs)
• Windows XP Home (base model) or GNU Linux OS
• 10.2-inch wide LED-backlit TFT display, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. 252K colors
• Intel Atom processor
• 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM
• 3 USB 2.0 ports and a VGA port for an external monitor
• Integrated 4-in-1 multimedia card reader
• Multi-touch touchpad
• 2450 mAh battery, not removable
• Available in brown, champagne and graphite

But what about storage - you said it had SSD drives? Calm down, we’re getting there. The S101 will be available in three different trims and here’s what they look like:

• Windows XP, 16 GB SSD or 20GB SD - $699
• Linux, 32 GB SSD - $699
• Linux, 64 GB SSD - $799

So what do you think? Is the S101 the face lift Asus needs or is it just another Joan Rivers?

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In continuing with its new and “clever” line of advertising, Microsoft has temporarily ditched the Gates/Seinfeld ads in favor of reclaiming their image from Apple. As you can see in the image above, it doesn’t seem like they’re really doing themselves a huge favor by taking one of their very own employees and dressing him to resemble John Hodgman, who plays the PC character in Apple’s Mac vs. PC ads. We say all they’re doing is reinforcing or reminding us of that persona: boring, inadequate, and so easy to poke fun at. The character will even reiterate the line, “Hello, I’m a PC…” What’s odd is all the commotion about Seinfeld giving Microsoft a little boost and now they’re taking a detour for these ads which are said to have cameos of celebrities like Eva Longoria and Pharrell Williams. But apparently, the real stars of these ads are going to be everyday folks whose jobs and lives are aided by the use of MS Windows. What do you all think? Does it seem a little over-the-top or is this just what they need to take their image back - the caricature of PC created by Apple? One would be tempted to pat Microsoft condescendingly on the head saying, “Aww, how nice. You’re trying and it’s the effort that counts!”

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After launching a mere week ago, Dell Mini’s were arriving on doorsteps everywhere Friday. As expected, it did not take very long for one of you eager, early adopters to put together an unboxing video. This time it is a reader over at Gotta Be Mobile who posted 12 minutes of brand spanking new Mini 9 goodness. What can we say, we’re suckers for shiny new ultra-portables.

[Via Gotta Be Mobile]

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We almost forgot what it was like outside the mobile phone game. You know: Leak -> Wait -> Official announcement -> Wait -> Launch! Sure plenty has been leaked as far as Dell’s latest lappy is concerned, but kudos are still in order. Just yesterday we learned that the Inspiron Mini 9 was set to be announced this week and bam; today they’re ready to order. Let’s take a look at how each of the three variants of this sweet new ultra-portable shape up specs-wise:

$349

• Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache)
• Ubuntu 8.04 OS
• Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
• RAM: 512MB DDR2 at 533MHz
• Hard drive: 4GB Solid State Drive + 2 GB of online Box.net storage

$399

• Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache)
• Windows XP Home Edition OS
• Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
• RAM: 512MB DDR2 at 533MHz
• Hard drive: 8GB Solid State Drive

$449

• Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache)
• Windows XP Home Edition OS
• Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 at 533MHz
• Hard drive: 16GB Solid State Drive

There is a downside of course, but isn’t there always? The size is great, the gear is great but the battery is… Not so great. Basically you’re looking at about three hours of juice before the Mini 9 starts coughing and needs another fix. Yikes. The good news is that this little sucker is so small that you should have absolutely no problem fitting a heafty external battery pack in your back with it. Does that defeat the purpose? Hmm, your call.

UPDATE: If you purchase a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop between 6 am (Central) tomorrow and 6 am (Central) Tuesday September 9th, you can snag a Mini 9 along with it for only $99. Woo!

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We just got our hands on some interesting photos of the upcoming ASUS N10 notebooks set to be released the third week of this month. For starters, they’re pretty tiny. You know, with them rocking 10.2″ screens and all… In terms of specs and features, here’s what we got from the leaked docs:

• 10.2″ LED 1024×600 screen
• Windows Vista / Windows XP
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 9300M GS 256MB graphics card
• 2GB RAM
• 250GB 5400rpm HD
• One ExpressCard slot
• One HDMI port
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Fingerprint reader
• 3.5 lbs

You also get around 6.5 hours of runtime with the included 6-cell battery, a switch to toggle either the built-in motherboard graphics, or the sexy NVIDIA chip, Altec Lansing speakers, and a totally cool face recgozition software that will enable you to securely unlock your PC. That sums up most of the specs, but what about price? Well, the specific model we listed above is the ASUS N10J-B1 and will retail for $849 in the next couple weeks, but look for the N10J-A1 to retail for $749, and the N10E-A1 to run you $649. Check out all the slides in our gallery, ok?

Click on over to our ASUS N10 notebook gallery!

The Dell mini notebook that we first laid eyes on back in May looks to be all set to become official this week. Geared towards web surfing and light usage, Dell’s Inspiron 910 could be quite an entry into the mini notebook space. While specs have yet to become official, there is a good deal being reported at this point and everything is looking pretty on point. Apparently the sub-10 inch notebook will weigh in around 2.2 pounds and will sport an 8.9 inch screen and three USB 2.0 ports. The guts will include a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, up to 1 GB of RAM, integrated WiFi and a built-in camera. It also looks like the Inspiron 910 will sport SSD for storage and will vary in size up to 16 GB. Of course 16 GB isn’t going to get you very far these days even in a netbook, so rumor has it that Dell has worked out a deal with online storage leader Box.net to include a cloud storage solution out of the box. Stuff all that into a portable that is said to start under $400 and you may very well have a winner on your hands - even in candy apple red (don’t worry, it’ll be available in black as well).

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WOW! (And we do mean World of Warcraft.) Gaming is about to get a little more fun for those nitpicky about their hardware and peripherals options. Microsoft is releasing the new, and long rumored, Sidewinder X6 gaming keyboard along with the new X5 mouse soon. The keyboard will have a detachable numeric keypad for the times you need to use both and remain ergonomically correct, or when your taxes, bookkeeping, and budgeting can wait. The back-lit keyboard isn’t anything terribly exciting, but it does change color and disable certain keys depending on what you’re doing. All the Windows functions keys are disabled during game play so you don’t launch the menu by accident, for example. As far as the backlights, red indicates standard keyboard function and amber means it’s business time.

The mouse looks much like the older one, but it is smaller and feels less clunky and awkward in the hand — perfect for avoiding carpal tunnel during those long raids and tournaments. While the materials used took a nosedive, the cost followed suit. At $59.99, however, it will still have everything a gamer needs such as a 2,000 dpi laser sensor and customizable buttons. Pretty wicked.

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Recent Internet Explorer 8 rumors being tossed around the Web loosely outlined what bloggers referred to as “porn mode”. Basically this new functionality would allow users to easily enable and disable a strict privacy policy, disallowing all cookies and disabling browsing history, search history, and form data / password memory. Microsoft has finally confirmed that the upcoming much needed update to their Web browser will indeed include a secretive browsing mode, though it seems to have opted to not go with the “porn mode” moniker despite its relevance. Andy Zeigler, Microsoft Program Manager, recently detailed what has been dubbed the “InPrivate” feature line within Microsoft’s upcoming eighth Internet Explorer version. Three new services combine to make up the InPrivate package; InPrivate Browsing, InPrivate Blocking and InPrivate Subscriptions. When enabled, these three components (along with an automatic history deletion feature) combine to ensure that you can go anywhere you want on the Web and no one will ever find out what a sick, twisted deviant you really are.

[Via The Register]

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…is this the new mug for Vista? Our beloved, impeccable, and extremely user-friendly Windows OS? All kidding aside, it seems like Windows is still desperate as ever to push Vista into your home or office if you haven’t been forced to take it already. After a year-and-a-half on the market, Microsoft’s Vista has still been taking a backseat to Windows XP and pirated copies of XP Pro and other XP variants. Companies like Dell have even offered to install XP into their computers for free, though at one point there was a premium to pay for choosing XP over Vista. That’s not even counting how many people have “downgraded” to XP from Vista directly. With a reception like that, what is a company to do? Hire celebrities!

As we know, Microsoft is pouring $300 million into a huge ad campaign attempting to convince us Vista isn’t terrible - and Jerry Seinfeld’s help may just be the beginning. It’s also rumored that funny-boys Will Ferrell and Chris Rock are being considered for this face lift. With that kind of financial and celebrity backing, who knows? It just might be enough for people to overlook Vista’s shortcomings. You know what they say, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? And if it is broke, why fix it when you can push it with smart heavy advertising and famous celebrities? Expect to see them around starting September 4.

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Amongst the many processes that the Windows OS has a knack for making particularly annoying is the process of managing connections. Every time you arrive at a new location, be it a hotel, cafe, airport, conference room, public hotspot or otherwise, you need to search for available connections, maybe tweak some settings, add the connection to your approved list and so on. There are a few companies that currently offer solutions to simplify this process, but how many do you know of that offer said solution for free? Avanquest announced this morning that it’s Connection Manager software, typically carrying a $30 price of entry, is now available absolutely free of charge from its website. In a nutshell, Connection Manager does everything for you. It will find available connections (WiFi with WEP, WPA1 and WPA2 support, LAN,  ADSL and even WiMAX), connect and configure your security, printer, VPN and other applicable settings on the fly. It will then store the new connection profile for a near-instant reconnect if and when you return to the location. Avanquest offers a bunch of personal productivity, multimedia, business and educational applications that are worth checking out. In the meantime hit the read link to snag the Connection Manager software and make your travels far more tolerable by giving yourself one less thing to worry about.

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Microsoft is a company that takes a lot of heat from the public. Sure the Northwest giant may have made some tiny mistakes in the past, but it really does have its customers’ best interest at heart! Take the security update Microsoft issued earlier this week. If you think about it, Tuesday’s KB951748 security update is the most secure patch Microsoft has ever issued in its long and storied history. What’s the best way to ensure that Windows 2000 / XP users don’t come across any malicious code on the web or in their email? Kill their internet connection. Brilliant! Of course there is the slight chance that this end result wasn’t Microsoft’s intention. Perhaps they were merely trying to address the DNS issue discovered a few months ago and reported at length, and they screwed the pooch. The problem might just be that Microsoft has never heard of a little software firewall called ZoneAlarm. We can’t blame them though; it is after all, the most popular software firewall in the world. Countless Windows 2000 and XP users ran into quite a problem between Tuesday and today when a conflict between Microsoft’s security update and the popular firewall software resulted in the inability to access the internet. Mmm. Greatest line ever:

A spokesman for Microsoft said PC owners were not contacting it about any problems the update caused.

Hmm, perhaps that’s because they can’t get on the internet to contact you! After all, no one is dumb enough to try to call Microsoft Support anymore. Luckily CheckPoint has issued an update for ZoneAlarm already so Microsoft need not worry about cleaning up its mess. Note that PC users with the free version of ZoneAlarm may have to download and install the latest build manually. So what’s the deal Microsoft? Bill retires and the whole place goes to, umm, poop?

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In a sign that proves just how much the general public dislikes Windows Vista, Dell has announced that they have postponed their kill date for Windows XP from today until June 26th. Interested consumers can still purchase an XP-laden Dell system until 7 AM Eastern time on the 26th, after which point Vista will be your only Microsoft OS option. The extension only applies to three versions of Dell’s Inspiron 530, as well as the XPS 630. If you’ve been thinking about a grabbing a Dell, and hate Windows Vista, we suggest you head on over to the company’s site quickly, as time is most certainly running out.

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Considering all that Mozilla has done for us - displaced Internet Explorer by giving us what is arguably the best and most versatile web browsing experience, for free - the least we can do is help them out when they ask us for help. What is it they want us to do? Download the latest version of the Firefox browser. Yup, that’s it! Mozilla is trying to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloads in a 24-hour period. The official release of Firefox 3 will become available for public download at 10:00 am PST / 1:00pm EST and judging by the tremendous loyalty that Firefox users typically display and the crazy amount of buzz, the record should be theirs. We’ve been using version 3 for a while now and we have to say, it’s good stuff. Mozilla claims that Firefox 3 brings with it over 15,000 improvements; no small upgrade! Most notably in our eyes, the latest release candidate is worlds faster than Firefox 2 and gobbles much less resources. It will take about a week for the Guinness World Record judges to review Mozilla’s download logs so we should find out whether or not Mozilla successfully broke the record around this time next week. As of the time this post was written, just under 1,690,000 have pledged that they will download Firefox 3 today.

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Dell’s upcoming Mini Inspiron is a nod to the relevance of the Eee space as Dell has apparently realized that they need be playing in kiddie pool. Its first entry, a sub-$500 UMPC, is presumably Windows-powered and looks to be a solid entry into the space, barring the candy coated shell. Specs are a bit scarce at the moment but we can all recognize Dell knows how to build a computer so this will likely be workable. For the time being, all we can tell you is what’s on the outside. Three USB ports, an ethernet port, VGA out and a card reader. Exact size is unknown as well but Dell press shots show that it’s just a bit wider than a standard pencil. Translation: that’s one tiny keyboard! For the teeny PC market this will surely make a splash however, and it’ll match your lip stick.

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The greatest thing to happen to Microsoft Outlook since - well, since ever, has just been made available to the public. We’ve mentioned Xobni’s Outlook plug-in a few times here on BGR but if you missed it for whatever reason, Insight is essentially a plug-in that adds lightning-fast searches, social functionality and a variety of other features to Outlook. Rejoice! Xobni just announced that its Insight plug-in is now available to the public. The public beta was announced yesterday and media buzz is already swimming in full force, including a great feature in the New York Times. Oh Microsoft, you’ve missed the boat yet again it would seem. Microsoft has been trying to acquire Xobni for quite some time and as has become commonplace for the software giant, it couldn’t seal the deal. All hopes of snagging Xobni on the cheap are pretty much out the window now. If Microsoft does decide to continue pursuing Xobni, it’ll have to offer quite a premium at this point. We don’t see Xobni slowing down any time soon.

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We can’t remember the last time a company had to spend so much time proving that it was real. We recently posted about a telephone interview with Psystar president Rudy Pedraza, a man becoming webfamous for all the wrong reasons. In the interview, Pedraza insisted that Psystar was the real McCoy despite a flurry of internet chatter and a host of evidence to the contrary. The Psystar site stated clearly that boxes were shipping as of over a week ago so in theory, people should be coming forward with some support for the witch-hunted open computer manufacturer any day now. At this point however, we’ve yet to come across a single testimonial from any customers. In the meantime, the video above was posted by Psystar this past week and it depicts each of its three Open Computer models. They certainly look real, but we want to see them in the wild.

[Via MacRumors]

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Steve Ballmer is full of quotables these days. Never one to shy away from saying something he might regret later, the Microsoft CEO went on record this morning, saying that Microsoft would be open to keeping the operating system on sale past the planned June kill date. If Microsoft truly listened to customer demand, the company would have stopped selling Vista months ago, and re-elevated XP to flagship status. Then again, a little concession isn’t bad. No word on just what qualifies as "sufficient" customer demand. In Vista’s defense, Ballmer goes on to say that "most people who buy PCs today buy them with Vista. That’s the statistical truth," Sure, but when was the last time you walked into your local Big Box retailer to find XP as an option? Yeah, we thought so.

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Holding your breath for news about the American launch of the new and improved 9" Asus Eee PC? Get ready to exhale. Sources inside the company have revealed that the diminutive little monster will be hitting American store shelves on the 12th of May. The price will be a not-insignificant $549, which is a little bit more than the rumored $500 price point, but still not enough to scare away many potential buyers. That money will be put to good use, however, with the Windows XP version getting a 12 GB solid state drive, and the Linux-based version shipping with a whopping 20 GB SSD. It’s still a significant premium over the current generation’s $399 price tag, but still not too shabby, especially considering the 1GB of OEM memory and more spacious 9 inches of screen real-estate.

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It seems like a new VoIP service pops up every few minutes in this day and age. In some ways that is a good thing as it drives advancement. In other ways, it’s just annoying. Why? Member to member calls are always free but when there are thousands of services to choose from, it’s unlikely that all or even most of your contacts are on the same page when it comes to picking and sticking with a VoIP provider. With each service comes different software to download, protocol variations and different accounts to drop money into. That’s what makes C2Call interesting. C2Call is the first service of its kind in that it is 100% browser based. No software to download, no system / OS compatibility issues and no bloatware. If you have a browser that supports JavaScript such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari then you’re good to go; Windows, Mac OS and Linux are all covered. The service is currently in public beta but our tests have gone very well. Registration is free and operation is fast and simple. C2Call uses a Java widget that loads right on the homepage once you log in, and it displays your contact list. To make a call, just click on the appropriate phone icon next to each contact. One of the greatest features of the service is that you can use it with people who aren’t even registered. Simply send a call invitation from within the C2Call widget and the recipient will get a link in the invitation email and he / she can begin talking to you immediately, no registration required. Future plans include calls to landlines etc, but as-is there are infinite applications where the simplicity and functionality of C2Call will prove advantageous. Check it.

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This could be nothing more than a simple error on Best Buy’s website, but if the specs for the new Windows-XP-equipped Eee PC are indeed correct, it looks like Asus might have some explaining to do. According to BestBuy.com, the newest flavor of Eee PC doesn’t include the original model’s SD memory card reader. Considering the measly 4GB’s of onboard storage, the SD slot allowed for storage upgrades that many Eee-users deemed crucial. Asus also appears to have reduced the warranty from 2 years to 1 year, again without explanation. Sounds a little suspicious to us, but until we get our hands on a production model, we’ll be left searching for answers. Sometimes life can be so cruel.

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That is, of course, if Bill Gates is to be believed. The founder and former CEO of the software giant indicated today that we should see a version of Windows 7 by June, 2009. The news was revealed as part of Gates’ presentation to Microsoft investors today, where he said that Windows XP would be phased out in June 2010, "or one year after the general availability of Windows 7". This might be as close as we get to Microsoft admitting that Vista isn’t quite so…impressive, but the 2009 Windows 7 timetable is pretty significant for a company that usually takes its sweet time with product revisions.

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If you were asked on the spot to describe and sketch the perfect mobile device that accommodates all of your needs, wants and beyond, it would probably look absolutely nothing like MIU’s new HDPC. In terms of functionality however, MIU probably came pretty close to hitting the nail on the head. Its latest offering, dubbed HDPC (Hybrid Dual Portable Computer) is giant and ugly as sin but regardless of which handset you currently carry, the HDPC makes it looks like a barbie doll. Combining the functionality of a PC, PMP, mobile phone, GPS navigation device, electronic dictionary, eBook reader, IPTV, portable gaming device, digital camera and more, it would probably be much quicker for us to tell you what this beast doesn’t do. Instead, we’ll just try to cover some highlights:

• Dual-OS: Windows XP and Windows CE 5.0 core or Linux Qplus
• QWERTY keypad and joystick-mouse
• 4-inch 800 x 480 resolution Samsung touchscreen display
• 1.3-inch 30 GB or 60GB hard drive, or 4 GB SSD hard drive
• Up to a 1GHz VIA C7M ULV processor and up to 4 GB DDR2 RAM
• Cellular (presumably CDMA) / 802.11b/g / bluetooth 2.0
• 3 or 5 megapixel camera with flash, secondary camera for video conferencing
• 7 hours of battery life at high power (XP-booted?) and 90 hours at low power
• 2 USB ports, A/V in & out, E-ant Port, mini SD slot, micro SD slot

Sure the HDPC needs its own zip code, but look at those specs! The device is expected to drop around July in the Korean market only, and will fetch around $500 for the base model. No word on the fully-loaded price or whether or not the HDPC will ever make it out of Korea, but stuff a quad-band GSM antenna in there with tri-band UMTS and we’re on the next flight to Incheon.

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The mobile market is flooded with IM clients these days and as time goes on, they continue to become more feature-rich and usable. Typing messages in rapid succession on any handset is a chore, but there are some options that make it more enjoyable than others. With all of the different solutions out there however, it can be difficult to know which application is best-suited for your needs and is compatible with your IM network(s) of choice. As such, OctroTalk might be the prefect place to start. Is it compatible with your smartphone? Symbian, check. Windows Mobile Smartphone and Pocket PC editions, check. Palm OS, check. OctroTalk even has a Windows XP version to carry a unified instant messaging experience over to your desktop or laptop. Is it compatible with your IM network of choice? Google Talk / Jabber, MSN, AIM, ICQ and Yahoo are currently supported and there will likely be more networks to come. We’re not just talking about multi-platform instant messaging here though, the OctroTalk client supports VoIP over GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, Wifi and even a bluetooth data connection! The app also supports P2P file transfers, encrypted connections to Google Talk and plenty more. A few additional highlights:

• Always on connected to Google Talk / Jabber with MSN, AIM, ICQ and Yahoo transports
• Complete VOIP product. Access to PSTN.
• Supports Low Bandwidth Codec (even works with EDGE/GPRS/CDMA).
• Streamlined UI. Optimized for one-handed operation. Today Screen / Home Screen integration.
• Extremely fast P2P file transfer. Quick picture messaging.
• Low CPU usage. Only VOIP product that works on Treo 700w (300 MHz processor).
• Message Archiving in your Gmail Account.
• Access your computer remotely.
• Support for group chat / conferencing. OctroTalk lets you create / join Jabber conference rooms.

Oh, and did we mention that OctroTalk is 100% free? For the time being at least, Octro makes their solution available as a free beta although they do plan to implement a fee structure at some point. Expect a host of functionality to remain free though, with select features available for addition at a premium. For the time being, we’re not sure that we can think of any other mobile IM option this feature-rich; freeware or payware.

[Thanks Jim]

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