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This 10-inch Netbook is loaded, and it sells for a mere $239.99 (with coupon).

(Credit: Mwave)

I'll cop to posting a lot of Netbook deals these days, but that's only because the deals just keep getting better. Witness Mwave's latest: a refurbished Asus Eee PC 1005HAB 10-inch Netbook for $239.99 shipped.

(Don't be alarmed when you see $249.99 on the product page. You need to apply coupon code FALLSVG09 to get the lower price.)

This midnight-blue Eee PC sports a 10-inch screen (which I consider the minimum for computing comfort) and the usual core-spec suspects: a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows XP Home.

The Eee also features a Webcam, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a multitouch touch pad, so it's actually a bit ahead of the curve, spec-wise. Only the three-cell battery disappoints, though Asus promises better than 4 hours of runtime.

Because this is a refurb, the warranty tops out at 90 days. (Also, take note of Mwave's return policy: the Eee can't be returned for a refund, only exchanged for a replacement if it's defective.)

Consequently, you might actually be better off with last week's $279.99 Acer Aspire One, which is new and has an 11.6-inch screen.

Still, not everybody who wants a Netbook wants a Netbook that big, and $40 saved is $40 saved. (How profound am I this morning!) I just think it's remarkable how much further your Netbook dollar goes than it did just six months ago.

Is this the 12-inch Asus Eee PC 1201n?

(Credit: pcpop.com)

Several eagle-eyed bloggers noticed a new Eee PC from Asus popping up on a Chinese online retailer's storefront. The purported new model is called the Eee PC 1201n, and a rough translation of the product page indicates it will include Nvidia's Ion graphics.

That long-hyped new GPU should help with HD video streaming and media playback, an area your average Netbook struggles with. Other than that, the Intel N270 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 1,366x768 display seem fairly standard for a 12-inch Netbook.

Obviously there's no price or US availability info yet, but we've seen similar configurations coming from other PC makers for around $399.

This image, which appears to be a conceptual drawing, shows an Asus e-reader with a backbone.

(Credit: Times Online)

We're getting more details about that upcoming Asus Eee-book reader we told you about last month.

The company is looking at two versions: budget and premium, a spokesman for Asus in the U.K. told the Times of London.

But most intriguing is that at least one version of the reader, the higher-end one, would have a hinged spine, opening like a traditional book and closing into tablet form. This design would let users view the text of their book on one screen (turning its pages using the touch screen), while browsing a Web page on the other.

One screen could also act as a virtual keypad, according to the Times report, which would move the device into laptop territory.

The Asus e-reader would have a full color screen, and it may also feature speakers, a Webcam, and a mic for Skype, enabling cheap phone calls over the Internet, the Times reports.

As for price, we don't have hard numbers for you yet, but Asus is known for low-cost products like the ultraportable Eee PC, and speculation has the budget e-reader going for around $163 (Sony's Reader Pocket Edition, in comparison, runs from $200 to $300; Amazon's Kindle 2 also goes for around $300).

Expect to meet the Eee-readers by the end of the year if all goes according to plan.

These allegedly leaked roadmap documents from Asus purport to show the company's Netbook plans for the rest of 2009. The systems and specs indicated aren't terribly surprising, and are in line with what we expect to see from various Netbook makers around the Windows 7 launch.

The most noteworthy is a system called the Eee PC 1201N, which according to the chart below, has a 12-inch display, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium, and Nvidia's long-promised Ion graphics chip, for $499.

Also listed for sometime in October are two new versions of the popular Eee PC 1005, with Windows 7 Starter and N270 ($349) and N280 ($399) processors.

All three of these new Netbooks have larger 250GB hard drives, a step up from the current 160GB standard. It's also worth noting that Asus, at least according to this roadmap, is staying out of the very bottom of the barrel $299 price territory inhabited by Acer, Dell and others.

Keep in mind this is a leaked roadmap, originally found on the forums of eeeuser.com (and subsequently noted by netbooknews.de and engadget), so like all leaked documents, your mileage may vary.

(Credit: eeeuser.com )

A mere $189.99 buys you a Windows XP-powered Netbook.

(Credit: Asus)

New rules for Netbooks: Don't pay more than $300 for a model with a 10-inch screen, and don't pay more than $200 for an 8.9-incher.

Mwave has a pretty sweet deal on one of the latter: A refurbished red Asus Eee PC 900HDB for $189.99 shipped.

What are the specs? They are solid, starting with a 900MHz Intel Celeron M 353 processor (which may not be faster than the more common Atom CPU--I've read varying opinions), the Eee offers 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP Home, and the aforementioned 8.9-inch screen.

And it's red! It's pretty rare to find a cheap Netbook that's anything but black (or occasionally white). This one's downright purty.

It's also a refurbished unit, meaning the warranty is a fairly typical 90 days. I'm going to state once again for the record that I don't consider that a negative, especially considering the $60 or so you're saving on a new unit.

I will, however, direct you to the return policy (at the bottom of the product page) for the Asus. It states that this is a nonrefundable item. You can return it within 30 days, but only for a replacement.

Hello, gorgeous! Love the Eee PC's deep red shell.

(Credit: Asus)

While this would make a fine portable PC for children and students, I think business users would find it a welcome travel companion as well. It's a svelte 2.5 pounds and its four-cell battery should be good for at least a couple hours' work.

Agree? Disagree? What's everyone thinking about Netbooks these days: Getting better all the time, or still too underpowered (or uncomfortable) to be practical? Share your thoughts in the comments.

A 10-inch Netbook for $249.99? Act fast: they won't last the day.

(Credit: Woot)

Update: Sorry, sports fans, but it's already sold out. Check back later for another deal. Hint: free stuff!

Remember the $279.99 HP Netbook from a couple weeks ago? Here's an even better deal: Woot Sellout has the Asus Eee PC 1000H for just $249.99. Shipping will run you a very reasonable $5.

Because this is a Woot deal, it expires when the clock strikes midnight--and may well sell out before then.

As Netbooks go, this one's pretty loaded. In addition to the 10-inch screen, you get 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Windows XP.

Other perks include a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, Bluetooth, and a keyboard that's only a fraction smaller than a standard laptop's. The 1000H weighs 3 pounds and measures 1.5 inches thick.

Because it's a refurb, the warranty ends after 90 days.

That's the only area where the Asus doesn't exceed the aforementioned HP, which had a smaller hard drive and 802.11g. Of course, it's also $30 less.

Interestingly, Woot was offering the Eee PC with your choice of a six- or four-cell battery, but the former are already sold out. If you want this Netbook, act fast. Really, really fast.

(Credit: Asus)

We first got a glimpse of the Asus Eee PC T91 back in January at CES, and at the time, the idea of combining a Netbook with a convertible touch-screen display seemed like a pretty good one. Seven months later, the final product has arrived, and it's a largely successful experiment, even if the system hits a couple of first-generation snags.

We liked the custom interface, which offers big finger-friendly icons for launching apps, and a full-screen version of Yahoo's widget engine. It wasn't as responsive (or accurate) as an iPhone or Palm Pre, but certainly on par with other tablet laptops we've seen. We also liked that despite the new hardware and software, Asus kept the price at a Netbook-like $499.

On the other hand, the use of a lower-end version of Intel's Atom CPU left us feeling a little...sluggish...at times, and the 8.9-inch screen will seem a bit cramped if you're used to 10-inch (or larger) Netbooks.

Read the full review of the Asus Eee PC T91.

You read right: This refurbished Eee PC Netbook is just $129.95 plus shipping.

(Credit: Asus)

Holy dirt-cheap Netbooks, Batman! Geeks.com has a refurbished Asus Eee PC 900 for $129.95. (Make sure to apply coupon code 900M at checkout to get that price.) Shipping will run you about $10.

As you might expect, this is not exactly a powerhouse PC. The 900 comes with a 900MHz Celeron processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state drive (SSD).

Translation: forget Windows. This baby runs Linux, which is absolutely fine for stuff like e-mail, Web, and other basics--but no doubt a deal breaker for some users.

The limited storage poses some problems as well, though you can always expand it by popping in an inexpensive SD card or USB drive. This is a machine best suited to those who work primarily on the Web.

And for that it's aces. I assumed that such a heavily discounted system would have a supertiny screen, but the 900 actually has an 8.9-inch LCD. And Asus Netbooks typically have comfy keyboards, so you should have no trouble getting some work done.

Because it's a refurb, the warranty expires after 90 days. I have no problem with that; the thing barely has any moving parts anyway.

So, if you're looking for a cloud-friendly Netbook at an impulse-buy price, this is the best deal I've seen. I'd say the sellout risk is high, so grab one while you can.

(Credit: Disney)

Disney and Asus have teamed up to do something others have been doing wrong for a long time: they've developed an affordable and functional portable kids' PC, according to USA Today. It comes in the form of a Netbook with an Intel Atom processor; a small, 8.9-inch screen; parental control options; and desktops with customizable themes that revolve around the likes of Cars, Toy Story, WALL-E, and Hannah Montana.

The Netpal Netbooks will have an unknown clock speed (our guess would be 1.6GHz-2GHz) and will have a 16GB SSD or 160GB HD based on parental preference. They'll come preloaded with Windows XP. But they'll have another IO layer over XP so the kids can't break too much. We'd guess a locked-down Windows theme of some sort.

This means the computers can run actual commercial software, as well as access the Internet via Wi-Fi. Consumers can get one decked out in Mickey Mouse's "Magic Blue" or Ariel's flowery "Princess Pink" for $350 at Amazon or Toys R Us. I'd wager, given that Asus' Eee PCs based on the Atom are decent platforms for OS X "HackBooks," that the Princess Pink will be a popular choice for girl hackers.

There are girl hackers, right? Really hot ones, like in Transformers?