Alright, raise your hand if the deluge of minor new Eee PC models like yesterday's random launch of a 16GB 900 has you totally befuddled. Yeah, that's what we thought -- and apparently what ASUS UK thinks, too, because a new chart listing all the various Eee configurations is up on its site. One problem though: it's also confusing as hell. Just the first two rows are an insane mish-mash of model numbers and pre-loaded operating systems, and we're loving the unlabeled row at the bottom that marks all the Linux machines as "XP Compatible." Thanks, ASUS. All that said, however, it does look like the 901 still the Eee to buy -- so maybe it's time to start trimming this ridiculous list down, guys.

Okay, third time's the charm -- here it is, a pre-production picture of the Skooba Checkthrough TSA-approved bag, direct from Skooba's CEO, Michael Hess. Michael got in touch after our last post to say that the Checkthrough will indeed be a multi-pocketed bag and have several unique and patented features, including a special 3-1-1 liquids compartment and a see-through window for rapid ID of contents. There's also a number of minor changes coming to the design, but no matter what, you should be able to get through security without having to take your laptop out of your bag. That's much more like it -- although now we actually kind of miss that gigantic nasty "Checkthrough" logo after all.

After weeks upon weeks of painstaking delays (okay, so maybe that's a stretch... maybe), MSI has finally started shipping the Wind to US customers. As you very well know, these buggers have been showing up everywhere across the pond, but we've just received word that Fry's, NewEgg, Amazon, ZipZoomFly, MWave and Buy.com are all sending units out as we speak for those that pre-ordered. Chime in below if you've just recently received a shipping notification (or, heaven forbid, if you're still waiting). Full release after the jump.

ASUS's newest, Atom-based 900 series Eee PCs may be fast approaching availability, but it looks like the company is still doing its best to get as many plain old Celeron-based Eee PC 900s out the door as possible, with it now offering up a $100 rebate on the already low-priced laptop. That brings the price down to $449, which is certainly a decent enough bargain compared to the $599 the updated Eee PC 901 will supposedly be going for -- Amazon price mix-ups notwithstanding. From the looks of it, both Amazon and ZaReason are offering in the rebate (good 'til July 31th) at the moment, but we'd expect the offer to start showing up at other retailers before too long as well.

Montevina-based laptops are slowly but surely starting to trickle out, and Samsung's the latest to joint the party with a new Aura machine and the entirely new Eclipse line. The new R510 Aura sports a 15.4-inch screen, 2.53GHz T9400 Core 2 Duo on Montevina's 1066MHz bus with integrated X4500 graphics, 4GB of RAM, a dual-layer burner and a 320GB drive in a five-pound package, while the new Eclipse R710 17-inch desktop replacement sports a 2.53GHz P9500 Core 2 Duo and 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics in a new case design with colorful accents. Rounding out the Eclipse line are the 12.1-inch Q210 and 13.3-inch Q310 (pictured), which are being billed as ultraportables. Both feature NVIDIA 256MB GeForce 9200M GS, 4GB of RAM, 320GB drives, and dual-layer burners in the new Eclipse case design, but the Q210 makes do with a 2.26GHz P8400 Core 2 Duo, while the larger Q310 gets a 2.4GHz chip. No pricing information is available yet, but scroll past the break for pictures of the other machines.

Read - Eclipse Q210 and Q310
Read - Eclipse R710
Read - Aura R510

The TSA got a lot of frequent travelers fairly excited a couple months ago when it announced that it was soliciting bag manufacturers for "checkpoint-friendly" designs that would allow laptop owners to leave their machines safely tucked away as they passed through security, but we didn't know what any of these bags would look like until now. As you'd expect, Skooba's first design, the Checkthrough, is pretty minimalist, in keeping with the requirements that approved bags not have any straps or zippers and not feature any space for items that could interfere with the X-ray image. That also means it's pretty useless if you only want to schlep one bag around, so it looks like we're stuck with the Bucket Dance for now -- hey TSA, would pockets on the sides be such a threat to our nation's security? Just a thought.

PS.- We're hoping against hope that nasty "Checkthrough" logo isn't actually printed on the bag, but given some of the TSA experiences we've had, we'd half expect it to be there as a cue for screeners let the bag pass through.

Update: Skooba's CEO let us know that this still isn't the checkthrough bag, just another illustration (sigh) and that the "the actual bag will be a full-featured, top-of the-line ballistic nylon business case, packed with cool and unique bells and whistles." Alright, so let's see it then.

You know it's getting bad when even Amazon can't tell all the flavors of the Eee PC apart -- a listing for an "Eee PC 900" with 16GB of flash and an Atom processor just went live on the etailer's site with a pre-order price of $399. Those are actually the specs and tasty price of the long-awaited Eee 901, so we're going to say that ASUS's endless stream of minor new Eee models has everyone confused, and that the 901 looks like it's ready to drop -- is this the Eee that'll finally make you take the plunge?

Update: NewEgg just went live with the 12GB XP-based 901 for $599.999999. Shipping today. Also, Amazon is now listing XP and Linux-based 901s for the same price although still as pre-orders. Our advice: stay away from the so-called Atom-based Eee PC 900 until Amazon clarifies the configuration.

[Via I4U, thanks Carl]

Alright, it's finally here -- Voodoo's configuration page for the Envy 133 just went live with pricing information, and we're being told that orders are being accepted over the phone. Depending on options and paint jobs, you're going to put a dent in your wallet anywhere from $2100 to $3400, but it's still not clear exactly when units will be shipping out. Anyone taking the plunge?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

The folks at EFiX don't exactly have the best record of sticking to promised release dates, but the company's CEO and lead engineer, Wilhelm von Vnukov, now tells us that the V2 edition of the OSX-installing device for desktop PCs will be available on Monday (July 7th), "I think," with the V1 version set to follow three to four weeks later (still no word on the promised device for laptops). According to the website, the only difference between the two is the addition for support of "several motherboards" on the V2, as well as "experimental support for some prototype motherboards." What's more, the company has also now confirmed that the price for the initial batch will be €80 (or about $125), although availability seems to be confined to Taiwan and Bulgaria at the moment, with a number of other countries (including the United States) listed as being "in negotiation." The company is also promising that the price will be substantially lower once the device enters mass production, although it's unsurprisingly not making any promises as to when that might happen.

You knew this was bound to happen. Like any good piece of gadgetry, there's always someone who can't wait to get their grubby hands all over it... and rip it to shreds to see how it works. Today we present the disemboweling of two of the latest challengers to the Eee's netbook throne: the MSI Wind, and the Acer Aspire One. The Aspire One at least gets the courtesy of a proper unboxing before the medical proceedings begin; the Wind just gets cracked open like a cold PBR at your cousin's barbecue. Don't take our word for it, however -- truck on over to the read links and see the messes with your very own eyes.

Read - Breaking Wind
Read - Acer Aspire One Unboxed and Disassembled

It has taken long enough, but Gigabyte finally saw fit to make official its intriguing M912V. If you'll recall, this critter popped up and caught eyes at Computex, as it's essentially a netbook with a swivel screen -- think Tablet PC, but miniature. Specs wise, you're looking at an 8.9-inch WXGA (1,280 x 768) LED-backlit panel, Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor, a 2.5-inch HDD (120/160/250GB), 1.3-megapixel camera, twin 1.5-watt speakers, 1GB of RAM and your choice of Windows XP, Vista or Linux. Furthermore, you'll find Bluetooth, WiFi, an ExpressCard slot, a wide of array of ports and even an option for HSDPA expansion. It should be noted that there's no internal optical drive (nor a price or release date just yet), but at least Gigabyte's offering up a netbook with some inkling of innovation, right?

[Via PCLaunches]

According to reports, Acer's tiny Aspire One laptop is now available in three breathtaking variations: the A110L, A150L, and A150X. The A110L sports an Atom N270 CPU, Intel's 946GSE chipset, 512MB or 1GB of RAM, 8GB of NAND flash storage, an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 display, 802.11b/g, and three USB ports. The other two models come equipped with the same specs, save for a 120GB hard drive in place of the flash storage, and are offered with Linpus Linux, or Windows XP. Excited? Retailers in Germany already claim to have the A110L in stock now, selling for €329 (or about $518).

[Via Fudzilla]