Asus Eee PC T91 Touch-Screen Tablet

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

Steve Jobs hit the nail on the head when he said that back in 1998. He then proceeded to introduce the world to amazing devices – the iPod, the MacBooks, the iPhone.
Somewhere in the Asus headquarters, someone must have been taking note. Asus is gearing to launch its Eee PC T91 (which also comes in a bigger size as the T10H). The T91 is a state of the art netbook that is twistable, can turn into a tablet, has touch screen features, and  optionally, also comes with a TV tuner and a GPS!

That’t right, you can twist the screen around, fold it back and voila, your netbook is now a ultra-slim touch-screen tablet. Asus made a couple of interesting calls with the features it chose for this netbook. Let’s take a detailed look at the T91specs.
Intel Atom Z520 Processor - Instead of the netbook standard Atom N270 processor, the T91 comes with the Atom Z520 processor typically used in Mobile Internet Devices and known for its low power consumption.
Intel US15W chipset – More here.

1GB DDR2 memory
Windows OS – Comes installed with Windows XP, Windows 7 is optional.

Connectivity – 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11 b/g wireless (n not confirmed), Bluetooth. GPS is optional.

Storage – The T91 comes with a solid state drive with only 32GB of memory. It’s good to see the netbook uses SSD storage, and Asus compromises for the low storage by allowing users to use MMC, SD and SDHC memory cards for additional storage. It also comes with a multi-card reader slot to allow removable storage.
Glossy Screen – Comes with a 8.9’ glossy LED-backlit WSVGA screen (1,024 x 600). Asus should have opted for a matte screen with this netbook, since people will want to use the tablet feature outdoors and glossy screens are extremely unusable in sunlight.

Keyboard – The 9’ model has the standard Eee PC keyboard, while the 10’  has a the wider chiclet keyboard. Engadget has a series of photos here.
Touch-sensitive Display – The Touch-screen has been getting a lot of criticisms.  Windows XP is known for not being touch optimized, and to woo naysayers, Asus has announced that the T91 is equipped with a “touch-optimized software suite.” Given that this is the first generation version, I’d expect the software to have some glitches.
Reviewers had a chance to play with the Asus “Doorways” interface back in February, and Asus has been working on improving it for release. With the netbook being launched in the next two months, we should hear about the software improvements shortly.
You can access the touch-screen with your fingers or the attached stylus. But since the T91 comes with a glossy screen which is very susceptible to finger prints, you should probably stick to the stylus. The T91 doesn’t support multi-touch, unlike the Asus N20 netbook which does. I’m not sure why the T91 is missing out.
Battery – The T91 comes with a built in battery and Asus claims it runs for 5 hours. Used with all the lights on in Tablet mode, critics say that it probably lasts for only 3-4 hours. Critics are also unhappy and confused as to why Asus opted for a non-removable battery.
Weight – the 9’ weights a spectacularly low 2 pounds, with the battery! It’s also extremely thin with a depth of only 1.1 inches.
Webcam (unconfirmed resolution)
Color/Finish – The T91 currently comes in a sexy white finish, and will soon come in Black, Pink, Champagne and Navy.

Optional TV Tuner and GPS – Asus is really thinking for the future with these features. The TV tuner should enable the T91 to function as a great portable HTPC, and the GPS-tablet combination will make it the ultimate travel netbook. (Think walking tours in Sagrara Familia, Barcelona or, you know, the Alcatraz, California).
Another feature that deserves a shout out is the very well designed power button. The button is a sliding switch, so you don’t have to worry about accidently pushing the button when using the T91 as a tablet. There is also a touch-sensitive toggle button, allowing you switch off the touch feature – making it perfect for watching movies.
The T91 is scheduled to launch sometime late May or early June in England for around £449 or $700.  As much as I love this netbook and want to own it, I’d caution against buying it right when it comes out. Wait until there are more reviews available, and if there is news about a second generation model. Asus has been working on the T91 since October 2008 when rumors first surfaced, but it’s still a very new piece of technology and *may* need a lot of improvements.
More: Here’s a video that shows off the touch-screen interface –
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