Engadget found a nice little display of Eee PC accessories at CeBIT. And while some of the accessories aren't too exciting, like the Eee-branded headphones, there are a few items I'd like to get my hands on. Here's the complete lineup:- Ai Guru U1 VoIP USB phone
- 3.5G USB HSDPA card with support for GSM900, 1800, 1900 and WCDMA2100, 1900, and 850 networks
- An 802.11g WiFi access point
- A slim USB DVD-RW drive
- A USB DVB-T TV tuner
You know what would make the Eee PC more useful for road warriors? An HSDPA modem that would provide always-available internet access even if you're nowhere near a WiFi hotspot. And it looks like Asus could be preparing to announce some sort of 3G product soon.
UMPC Portal is reporting that Asus CEO Jerry Shen will be speaking on March 4th with some other industry bigwigs including Michael Wilkens, vice president of T-Mobile about the Eee PC and the Mobile Internet. While they're not really saying much in advance of the announcement, I'd be surprised if they didn't at least announce a USB 3G modem. But Asus has already announced plans to release the next generation Eee PC models 3G modems built right into the unit. So while I'm kind of hoping for the former (which might be available sooner), this might just be an announcement of a product that we can expect to see much later in the year.
Of course, if you just can't wait, you could always try cramming one in the Eee PC yourself, or signing up for a French promotion.
[via CLUMPC]
French wireless carrier bundles Eee with HSDPA modem
0 comments Posted by bradlinder at Tuesday, January 22, 2008Like the idea of having a portable PC like the Eee, but wish it came with an always-available internet connection? French wireless carrier SFR is offering a 4G Eee with a bundled HSDPA modem for €299 or about $435 US.
The modem has to be connected to one of the Eee PC's 3 USB slots. While there is plenty of room inside the Eee case for a 3G modem, Asus has been shipping Eee PCs with a variety of internal configurations, which makes a USB modem the obvious choice. Plus it means that SFR doesn't have to muck around with the internal workings of the Eee PC. All they have to do is ensure that the modem works with the operating system and ship you the hardware.
Customers who sign a service contract will also get a €100 rebate.
The whole thing is a limited time deal, with only 1000 units available, and the offer ends on Wednesday. But hopefully we'll start to see more wireless service providers in Europe (and dare we hope, the US?) offer similar bundles soon.
[via The Register and EeeUser]
Like most people, I'm pretty impressed with how much Asus has managed to cram into the tiny Eee PC case. But if there are two features that could really make the Eee PC a more powerful mobile computing tool they'd be a touchscreen and internal 3G modem.
Well, jkkmobile took care of the touch screen a few weeks ago. And now it looks like he's back with a hack to add an HSDPA modem.
This hack isn't for the feint of heart. While Asus has finally confirmed that you won't violate your warranty (if you live in the US anyway), just by opening up your case to add RAM or other components, the HSDPA hack requires actually scraping away some of the Eee PC's plastic casing.
You'll need about $300 in parts, which drives up the cost of an Eee PC considerably. But how can you put a price on an always available internet connection?
[via Gizmodo]
