Here’s one good reason why you should upgrade your netbook’s Windows XP to Windows 7. Netbook News was able to compare the battery performance of two Eee PC 1008HA, one running Windows XP and the other running Windows 7.

And guess what? The Windows 7-powered Eee PC 1008 lasted for 7 hours 7 minutes and 30 seconds. While the one running Windows XP was able to last only for 5 hours, 3 minuteds and 18 seconds.

Both netbooks were at maximum power with the following settings – full brightness, Wireless LAN and Bluetooth both ON and under the super performance mode.

The new Eee PC 1008HA with Windows 7 sells for $464 while the old model sells for $379.

So did you get the Eee PC 1008HA? If you did, you’re probably enjoying its thin form factor by now. But wait, you might be interested to know that words on the street say that some 1008HA are reportedly having problems with cracked screens.

In fact, even Asus has admitted this problem and is now addressing the issue which it aims to resolve for the second batch of Eee PC 1008HA shipping sometime in the third quarter of 2009. Asus also admitted that the defect was identified even before the Eee PC 1008HA were released to consumers.

And the cause? Accoding to Asus it was not a mis-manufacturing but because of the panel it ordered from a secondary supplier due to the shortage in panel supply.

Unfortunately, Asus did not issue any statement as to what it plans to do with the Eee PC 1008HA with cracking display that have already reached the consumers.

Via Digitimes

Here goes Asus’ official announcement at the ongoing Computex 2009. Making their official launch are the Eee PC Seashell Family with initial members Eee PC 1101HA, 1005HA, and 1008HA, Eee Videophone, and EeeTop PC T20/22.

Of these products, we’ve already covered the Eee PC Seashells ealier than the Computex event itself.  We all know that the Eee PC 1101HA, 1005HA and 1008HA will all come with 160GB HDD plus 10GB Online Storage, WiFi and Bluetooth, 1.3MP webcam with digital microphone, Super Hybrid Engine, multi-touch touchpad. On battery life, these three Eee PCs differ slightly with the 1005HA getting 10.5 hours, 1008HA with 6 hours and 1101HA with a long 11 hours of usage time.  Likewise for the screensize, both 1008HA and 1005HA sport 10.1-inches.

The next importan product which Asus launched during the Computex is the EeeTop PC ET20/22 All-in-One PC. The EeeTop PC ET20/22 features EeeCam, Eee Memo, FotoFun, embedded speakers with augmented SRS Premium Sound, Eee Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, Blu-ray Disc playback capabilities, HDMI connectivity.

The last of the Asus product is the Eee Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T which is made for videoconfering and Skypeing.

Via Asustek

If Newegg was still uncertain on whether to start accepting pre-orders for the upcoming Eee PC 1008HA, it looks like there’s no stopping ZipZoomFly from doing so. The site has put up a pre-order page for the Eee PC 1008HA with an expected shipment on May 26, 2009.  And the price? – $409.99. 

ZipZoomFly’s price for the 1008HA is still cheaper compared to the supposed Newegg price of around $429. This could probably be the reason why Newegg decided to de-activated the pre-order page for the 1008HA a moment after it went up.

Anyway, in case you are planning to get the Eee PC 1008HA, here’s what you should expect from it:

• Intel Atom N280 Processor 1.66 Ghz
• 10 inch 1024 x 600 resolution screen
• 1 GB RAM (upgradable to 2GB)
• 1.3 Megapixel camera
• 802.11b/g/n
• 160GB HD
• 2.43 pounds
• 6 Cell Battery

If you are currently an Eee PC 1000HE owner who is thinking of ditching your machine in favor of this slimmer 1008HA, well you might want to think about for a couple of times as there are really no difference in their specs, but only with their form factor.

Via Netbook Reviews

Chris of Netbook Reviews tipped us that he saw a product listing of the upcoming Eee PC 1008HA at Newegg.com.  The product listing showed that the Eee PC 1008HA was supposed to retail for $429 at the online retailer. Also the Newegg was supposed to start shipping the Eee PC 1008HA on May 18. This was despite the fact that no US release date has been announced by Asus yet.

Interestingly, a moment after, Chris also found out the the link has been deactivated. The product page is still up, but a note was added that says, “This product is no longer available.”

Could this be a case of miscommunication on the part of Newegg and Asus? Is Asus planning to announce a new price for the Eee PC 1008HA?  We’re inclined to believe that we will all find out soon.

Here it is folks. The closest we could get to an official release.  The Asus Global site has just put up the official product page for their upcoming Eee PC 1008HA Sea Shell netbook. It’s already scheduled for release in the UK this week.  And we really don’t see it coming any later than the soonest to the U.S. market. So if you think that the Eee PC 1000HE left you clamoring for a rather extra-ordinary design then the 1008HA is the right Eee PC for you.

If you remember the official PR for the 1008HA, it said that this Eee PC sports not your ordinary Eee PC form factor.

With a design inspired by a seashell, the Eee PC  Seashell is enveloped in an opalescent glossy exterior—created through In-Mold Roller technology—that is not only a head-turner wherever it goes, but also serves as a protective shell providing scratch resistance for day-to-day durability. Like the light sprinkling of fine sand on the exterior of a seashell, the lid is graced with tiny reflective specks which glisten in the light, adding the crowning touches to an already exquisite design.

Alright folks, time to head over to the Asus Global site for the full official specs as well as some great photos of the Eee PC 1008HA Sea Shell.

Hopefully, I could attend the official product launch of this Eee PC in the Philippine next week so I could give you some nice high-res photos.

Via Netbook Choice

If we’ve convinced you to buy the Eee PC 1000HE with our detailed review of this thing we call as the best Eee PC released by Asus yet, we’re really glad you did. But if you haven’t bought yet, Asus is about to offer the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell sometime soon. And if the rave about the 1008HA’s slim and sexy form factor entices some more, I4U’s comparison might convinced what Eee PC to get.

The thing is, we couldn’t help but agree with their reasons for opting to get the Eee PC 1008HA instead of the Eee PC 1000HE.

The only feature that the Eee PC 1000HE beats the Eee PC 1008HA is the battery life of around 9.5 hours for the former and 6.5 hours for the 1008HA.

Other than battery life, everything else about their specs are practically the same. 

The biggest advantage of the Eee PC 1008HA is of course its slim form factor which is also makes it lighter then the Eee PC 1000HE. The 1000HE weighs around 3.5 lbs while the 1008HA weighs 2.4 lbs. And if we’re taking about portability, the 1008 HA is certainly more portable.

Eee PC 1008HA or 1000HE?

The Asus Eee PC 1008HA was officially announced a month ago as the newest ultra-thin 10-inch netbook from Asus, and is scheduled for a still unspecified release date during this month. It has just recently passed certification at the FCC, so it most certainly is free to be released in the U.S. market any day now. The FCC didn’t provide any detailed photos of the device (much less any teardown shots), but this one photo of the netbook’s underside showing the FCC certification sticker was available among the Test Reports and other documents. If you’re in the U.S. and are in the market for a new ultra-thin netbook, remember to put this one on your list.

FCC via Electronic Pulp

Besides conceptual things like the dual-touchscreen notebook we showed you a while back, Asus is expected to showcase a few other netbook-related things such as a 512GB SSD-equipped Eee PC S121, the awesome Eee keyboard, and a so-called Eee PC 1008HA Shell. This new netbook is supposedly another ultra-thin model for the company’s Eee PC line, and will feature new industrial design and longer battery life than its predecessor. More on these as we get the info.

Via Digitimes