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As usual, when it comes to getting new computing machines, our friends from Japan are again ahead of all of us. Our Japanese buddies will have the chance to be the first one to get hold, feel and test the spanking new and ruggedly handsome NEC tablet PC, which is appropriately branded as the ShieldPro FC-N22A. From its name alone, you can immediately deduce that this machine was built for the purpose of sustaining the most severe environmental conditions. True enough, the ShieldPro tablet PC can withstand temperature range of -4 F to 122 F, can sustain falling up to about 35-inches without breaking apart, is dust proof and complies to IP55 requirement for being water proof.

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Resigned OLPC project founder Nicholas Negroponte says that the OLPC project might shy away from open-source soon enough, given that this platform has made their much-talked about project hard to pick up. He further adds that insistence on open-source software has actually scared some people away. And while I don’t think Linux is so bad that it scares people away, I agree with Negroponte when he says that using open-source software hampered the usability of their small computers.

Take for instance the lack of support for the latest version of Flash animation; this kills all possibilities of letting the children visit fully-Flash enabled web sites that are easy on the eye and offer to educate children using animated graphics, among other things. So the logical thing to do would be to trash Linux and just opt for Windows XP like Asus seems destined to do? Not yet, because they’re still toying with the idea of having a dual-boot option which lets users run either Windows XP or Linux on the same machine. Think of it as a downgraded boot camp software for Mac OS X. But don’t expect it to be released any time soon. They’re having a hard time making good on the current version already.

Read [Computerworld]

With resolving more Eee PC battery issues in mind, Asus has announced that they will be offering a “free upgrade” to customers who either purchased the Asus Eee PC 900 or received it for review with 4400mAh batteries instead of the advertised 5800 mAh ones. This is in relation to all the negative publicity that they have been getting lately because of the aforementioned battery issues, which they have rightly adjusted and countered with a good move. I wish all manufacturers were like that, open to the opinions of customers and ready to stoop down low for the sake of being understood. We admire you Asus, and keep up the good work! Now when’s my 80GB OS X powered Eee PC coming?

Via [jkk mobile]

Now that the upcoming Asus Eee PC 900’s release date is drawing near, Asus is facing a bit of a predicament. For you see, Asus is experiencing a battery shortage right now, and if this problem persists till next month, there could be a lot of lost revenue for Asus here. But Asus Chief Executive Jerry Shen was confident enough to say that “ninety percent of the battery problems should be resolved by June but it could still affect April and May Eee PC sales.” And rightly so, because as you can imagine, less battery units produced means less Eee PC’s to manufacture. And as a company who’s right at the top of their game, Asus can’t afford such a blunder. The 7-inch Eee PC wouldn’t have made it to the 1-millionth mark if there were big problems on battery production, don’t you agree? But of course, as no one of us here is a clairvoyant or has any ability to see the future, there’s no telling just how this situation might turn out.

Read [Reuters]

Maybe it was the pressure of wanting to release their product as early as possible, but the makers of the OLPC XO-1 laptop sure have a lot of explaining to do regarding the recent news about widespread keyboard failure on their computers. Apparently, a lot of users are finding that most of the keys on their keyboard have been acting a bit funny lately, with some having keys getting activated by presses on nearby keys, as well as a few that keep getting stuck after being hit one. Which is definitely bad news, especially for the intended target market of non-techies and first time computer users. 

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The MSI Wind, which was originally unveiled during CeBIT just left us wanting more in the line of details. While we already had some information, some of it has just been confirmed by MSI.

The Wind will offer either an 8.9-inch or 10-inch display with both sizes having a 1024 x 600 resolution, an 80GB hard drive and weigh in at just 2.2-pounds. The notebook will be available this June in the European market and retail somewhere between 299 - 699 Euros (around $471-$1100 US). The Wind will also be running Windows XP, which may explain the higher price range.

While MSI has confirmed that pricing, lets hope they can narrow it down a little more as to just what we can expect at the low and/or high end.

Via [Small-Laptops.com]

Our good friend Microsoft and HCL Infosystems from India have decided to join forces in an attempt to deliver the world’s cheapest laptops running Windows XP. True, such a thing already exists in many versions, and one is the ultra-portable and ultra-cute Asus EeePC, which can run not only Windows XP, but Linux as well. Still Microsoft has decided to venture into this as of yet unexploited market, perhaps in hopes of conquering another niche.

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Samsung is set to launch an update of its Aura series laptops with new models that will be offered at even more affordable prices than its predecessor. For starters, Samsung will be releasing the R410, which is a direct update of the original R20 laptop.

The Samsung R410 will sport a 14.1-inch display and will weigh 5.29-pounds. It will have a glossy black finish to maintain Samsung’s tradition of bringing sleek and stylish computing machines. The Samsung R410 will come packed with Intel’s 45nm Penryn processor, an ATI Radeon Xpress 1250M graphics chipset, an integrated DVD writer, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and Super G Wi-Fi. In addition the R410 will also feature an integrated 1.3 webcam, memory card reader, three USB ports and a full size ExpressCard slot.

Expected to be available sometime in May, the R410 will have an SRP of around $945. Certainly not bad a price to pay for a laptop with such high-powered features.

Via [Trusted Reviews]

MSI first unveiled the Wind during CeBIT and its now looking like a release will be happening a little sooner than later. They are expected to launch during Q2 2008, and be priced between $470 and $1,099 depending on configuration. The notebooks are going to offer an 8.9- or 10-inch displays along with options for a traditional hard drive or an SSD drive. Overall they seem to be similar specs as some of the other ultra-portables that have been hitting the market lately. Hopefully some more firm details will come out, giving us a little better idea of what to expect when the Wind arrives.

Via [DigiTimes]

I’m sure you remember the recent move of Asus that shocked environmentalists and green peace movement supporters from around the world a few weeks ago. In case you don’t, I’m here to remind you. Actually, they unveiled plans for nature inspired laptops that are supposedly to be made out of bamboo. You read that right, bamboo laptops.

Another laptop maker, Fujitsu, meanwhile has recently displayed its own version of an “organic” computer at the Salone Internazionale Del Mobile furniture exhibition in Milan. But they were kind enough to Asus in that they did not take the route of the bamboo for this new product. Fujitsu made their own from cedar.

There are no details on specs, or if this will ever be available on the world market yet, but judging from the legacy of both wooden materials, I think bamboo takes the cake in this bout. But don’t worry Fujitsu, I’m sure you can prove to us how worthy you are somehow. Just make sure you’ll do it before Asus finishes trimming their bamboo plants though.

Via [Crave]