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 14 - 10:15am EDT   Verizon today took further steps to promote its image as an open carrier by announcing it would join the LiMo Foundation, an industry group dedicated to developing and promoting Linux on cellphones. The US cell provider takes the last seat on the Foundation's board of directors alongside handset makers such as Motorola and Samsung as well as NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone, and claims to be a "champion" of openness in the process. [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 13 - 12:20pm EDT   The first Mobile Internet Device based on Intel's new Atom architecture has been put up for pre-order today and reveals the feature set of the device itself and others to come. A listing by electronics shop Tegatech Australia reveals that the GigaByte M528 will be based on Intel's base 800MHz Atom chip and is being targeted at mobile data users: the QWERTY keyboard slider design will have both Wi-Fi and a 3G cellular module, and will have similarly have both back and front video cameras for snapping photos and making video calls. [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 8 - 11:45am EDT   Offering its own take on low-cost desktops, MSI has released the Titan, its early answer to ASUS' E-DT system. At 9.4 by 7.3 inches, the system is larger than some of its planned rivals but also includes a 250GB hard drive in its frame; size is kept down by using a 2GHz Via C7-M mobile processor at the Titan's heart and by using a notebook-sized DVD burner and hard disk. These also keep it quiet and greener than full desktops, MSI says. The system is also software-indepedent: rather than ship with Linux or Windows, the Titan comes as-is for users comfortable installing their own choice of operating system. [full story]

April 24 - 4:05pm EDT   Nokia today revealed to Ars Technica that it will soon add support for new apps and also a new version of Linux to its Nseries tablets, such as the N810. Following the company's acquisition earlier this year of Trolltech, the Finnish device maker now says the Linux-based Maemo operating system on the Nseries will support apps written for the Qt framework; this will permit not just apps written for Qt on other versions of Linux but also cross-platform apps. Eventually, a single program should work with both Symbian phones (such as Nokia's N95) and Maemo devices, the company explains. [full story]

April 21 - 5:05pm EDT   Market research company ABI Research says in a new report that a Linux-based mobile operating system will find its way into in almost one out of every five mid- to high-end cellular phones by 2013. The study cites efforts by the LiMo Foundation, Google's marketing of its Android OS, as well as Nokia's Maemo and Trolltech purchases as some of the reasons the open-source OS system will grow. ABI's findings also conclude that despite the added cost of hardware necessary to support open-source operating systems, the move will offer better value because of the greater number of supported applications. [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 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 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]

April 7 - 3:05pm EDT   Everex in conjunction with gOS on Monday introduced a limited-edition MyMiniPC that runs on gOS Space 2.9, a Linux-based operating system made for MySpace users with brand new MySpace Apps. Basically a special edition of the Everex gPC mini, the computer is unique thanks to the OS and a new icon dock made up of the newest MySpace Apps and Web 2.0 entertainment media sites. The mission of MyMiniPC is to offer quicker, more efficient and user-friendly access to MySpace and its numerous offerings, all the while bringing Linux more mainstream. [full story]

March 29 - 11:20am EDT   ASUS' long-promised Eee PC desktop has finally been pictured, according to shots sent into Hot Hardware. Referred to by ASUS as the E-DT, the system is designed to do for Linux desktops what the Eee PC accomplished for notebooks: the new design is both low-cost, foregoing an optical drive, but also fashionable with a side imprint and even a stand that appears to float the desktop off the ground. Systems should also be available in multiple colors, starting with at least black and white models. [full story]

March 27 - 12:00am EDT   HP recently unveiled additional specifications for the UMPC 2133, the company's ultraportable designed to compete with the Asus EeePC, and placed a tentative ship date of April 7th on the device. According to Engadget, the UMPC 2133 will feature a choice of a 1.2GHz and 1.6GHz VIA C7-M processor, as well as a VIA Chrome 9 graphics chipset. Choices of Windows Vista Home Basic and Business, as well as SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop are available. Pricing for the computer starts at $550. [full story]

March 26 - 2:45pm EDT   ASUS' upcoming Eee PC 900 will have multi-touch features in its trackpad when it arrives on US shores, according to a new FCC filing. A user guide posted as part of the US agency's testing process reveals a trackpad with controls similar to (but simpler than) those found on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Unlike most notebooks, the 900 will allow both for two-finger scrolling as well as a "pinch" gesture to zoom into photos and some documents. [full story]