Asus Eee T91: It’s a Netbook and A Tablet PC

Asus's new Eee T91 is the first netbook that can swivel its screen and become a Web-enabled tablet computer...but it costs $499.

Asus has never had any difficulty expanding out its like of Eee netbook and nettop computers, offering a dizzying array of models and options that, if nothing else, have probably helped competitor Acer decide it’s perfectly fine to confuse consumers with its own dizzying array of Aspire netbook models. However, the Asus Eee T91 does something no other netbook on the market can do: users can open up and swivel the unit’s 8.9-inch display and convert the unit into a touch-screen, Web-enabled tablet PC.

Under the hood, the Eee T91 is a basic netbook—and by “basic” we mean a bit underpowered and under-specced, even for the netbook market. The system sports a 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z250 processor, 1 GB of RAM (expandable to 2 GB), a 16 GB SSD drive, with expandable storage via SDHC cards. The Eee T91 also sports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless connectivity, a VGA Webcam, VGA output, and two USB 2.0 ports. Asus claims the lithium polymer battery can keep the unit running for up to 5 hours, and (of course) the unit also comes with a stylus for using the touchscreen in tablet mode.

The Eee T91 runs Windows XP, but Asus has layered on its own customized interface that puts five common applications right in front of users for convenience in tablet mode. Users can also use a button to flip the display between portrait and landscape mode, although not all programs will be happy with the switch.

The Asus Eee T91 is available now through Amazon.com for $499.99. Buyers also get 20 GB of Eee online storage for 18 months.