May 16 - 9:00am EDT   ASUS's version of the Eee PC built on the Atom processor will have a few functional changes beyond just the faster chip, according to new reports. Known as the Eee PC 901, the update will add Bluetooth to pair up with cellphones and wireless controllers while also improving the perceived quality: metal is being added to the hinge, keyboard area, and the borders of the trackpad. The notebook will also be the first to drop the ASUS logo and market the Eee PC under its own brand. [full story]

May 13 - 2:45pm EDT   MSI today has firmed up specs for its Wind mini-notebook, including its launch timeframe. The 10-inch system will closely follow ASUS' practices with the Eee PC and ship in both a low-cost Linux version (based on Novell's distribution) as well as a more expensive Windows XP edition. The basic Wind will ship with just 512MB of RAM and a three-cell battery good for 2.5 hours of battery life; in exchange for the higher price and demands of the Windows portable, the premium model will come with 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth, and a six-cell battery that runs for 5.5 hours. [full story]

May 12 - 12:15pm EDT   As promised, ASUS' Eee PC 900 micro notebook today went on sale in the US. The 8.9-inch computer's specifications remain the same and take the Eee slightly further upscale with a sharper 1024x600 resolution, a basic multi-touch trackpad, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Versions hold either 12GB of flash storage on Windows XP models or else 20GB on versions with the less expensive Linux operating system, though either can accept SD and SDHC cards. Launch models continue to use a 900MHz Celeron M processor rather than the Intel Atom planned for later editions. [full story]

May 9 - 3:05pm EDT   Online store eXpansys today put up pre-orders for the Wind, MSI's rival to the ASUS Eee PC. Elaborating on early specs published last month for the system, the store confirms that the launch edition of the 10-inch notebook will run on a comparatively quick 1.6GHz Atom and features that aren't often present in smaller notebooks, such as a physically larger 80GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel webcam built into the lid, and Bluetooth. [full story]

May 2 - 9:10am EDT   Intel's existing Atom processor shortage could continue until as late as September, according to estimates made by ASUS chief Jerry Shen. While confirming that his company will announce an Atom-based version of its Eee PC 900 on schedule for June, Shen warns that Intel's shortfall will require that ASUS keep the existing Celeron M version on sale until the late summer timeframe to ensure healthy stock. [full story]

April 29 - 9:00am EDT   Intel has encountered a supply shortage that will prevent it from fulfilling more than half of the orders for its Atom mobile processors in the next month, according to a report in the Taiwan newspaper Apply Daily. Less than 40 percent of the semiconductor firm's requests are purportedly being met and, as a result, are expected to delay or hurt the rollouts of micro notebooks from a number of new entrants to the field, including from Acer and Dell. [full story]

April 28 - 10:45am EDT   ASUS is enjoying enough success with its Eee PC line that it's considering marketing the micro systems under a separate brand, according to claims circulating in its home country of Taiwan. The company's plans to launch the E-DT desktop and monitor as well as an Eee TV reportedly has the company looking to drop the ASUS name from the systems to create a whole lineup. Moving to a separate name would let the company expand the Eee name to include more expensive systems without affecting the normal ASUS line. [full story]

April 24 - 9:25am EDT   Microsoft would be willing to keep Windows XP available for everyday computers past its June 30th cutoff date but doesn't see a demand for it, company CEO Steve Ballmer said at a Belgian media conference today. The executive acknowledges that enough feedback would have his company extend XP's on-sale period, but argues that "most consumers" are choosing to buy PCs with the newer Windows Vista operating system installed and that few retailers stock computers preloaded with its 2001 ancestor. [full story]

April 19 - 3:00pm EDT   ASUS today broke out of its normal schedule to firm up the US launch schedule for the Eee PC 900. The 8.9-inch update to the design will ship on May 12th and will come in the same trim levels as its international counterparts. Every updated Eee will come with 1GB of memory, an unspecified Intel processor (initially believed to be the Celeron M), and a 1.3-megapixel camera. The company will ship both a Windows XP version with 12GB of storage and a version using the original Linux OS with 20GB of storage. Variants should also be available in black or white. [full story]

April 18 - 11:15am EDT   LG Display promises to break open the micro notebook business with a series of new LCDs, according to observations by purported industry insiders. Seeking to up-end the market, the company hopes to develop a 10.1-inch LCD with a 16:9 ratio similar to many HDTVs. At 1024x576, the screen would have a lower vertical resolution than the 600 pixels of sharper ultra-small displays but would cut down on the vertical size of budget notebooks and more properly fit movie ratios. The screen is due in October. [full story]

April 16 - 9:10am EDT   ASUS has officially released the Eee PC 900, the larger, 8.9-inch version of its popular micro notebook. The larger-screened system not only ups the screen resolution from 800x480 to 1024x600 but represents ASUS' fastest and most feature-laden version. Onboard memory is doubled to 1GB of RAM, while storage is also significantly increased: while all editions ship with 4GB of flash storage soldered inside the system, a Windows XP model adds 8GB more (for a total of 12GB) while a Linux version uses its less expensive OS to allow for 16GB more, or 20GB. A sharper 1.3-megapixel webcam is also part of the 900 series. [full story]

April 9 - 4:30pm EDT   Microsoft may have no choice but to break up Windows into many different versions if it wants to avoid serious long-term problems with its code, according to analysis by Gartner analysts. Neil MacDonald and Michael Silver of the research group note that the operating system is being asked to cover too many aspects of computing, creating a "monolithic" code base that is both too demanding on some classes of hardware and consumes too much space. The company's decision to extend Windows XP for budget systems is a sign that Vista has stretched too far, Gartner's experts note. [full story]

April 9 - 10:40am EDT   Dell will be next to join the ranks of companies building micro notebooks, according to a claim made by one of its assemblers. An official from Taiwan-based Compal says that his company will produce between 200,000 and 300,000 "low-cost" notebooks a month for Dell starting sometime in 2008, with as many as one to two million readied by the end of the year. The unnamed executive doesn't provide details of the systems but notes that Compal could boost production if demand proves high. [full story]

April 8 - 11:25am EDT   ASUS is still set to ship the second-generation Eee PC without Intel's Atom processor at first, says a reported tip from retailers in the PC builder's home territory of Taiwan. The company's first new batch of micro notebooks is slated to launch with Celeron M processors similar to those in the existing Eee PC due to competitive reasons: with most Atom-based systems set to ship at the same time in June, ASUS' only true method of beating rival Acer and HP offerings was to ship using older technology, according to the claim. [full story]

April 8 - 12:10am EDT   Slightly ahead of a formal release, HP has revealed the Mini-Note, one of the few Western attempts at entering the field for micro notebooks. The previously leaked system aims to improve the formula started by the Eee PC by offering a genuinely comfortable keyboard: despite having just an 8.9-inch screen, the Mini-Note's keyboard is just 8 percent smaller than that of a full-sized notebook. The design is also more upscale than counterparts from ASUS or Everex and is built out of aluminum with a spill-resistant key layout. [full story]