Asus Eee Top All-In-One Touch Screen PC Tested
MojoKid writes "Asus recently announced a new addition to their Eee PC family of low cost desktops and notebook products.
The Eee Top ET1602 builds upon the popular line of Asus Eee-branded products by introducing an all-in-one desktop form factor, complete with a 15.6" touch screen. Like the Eee PC netbooks that preceded it, the Eee Top ET1602 is built on an Intel low-power Atom platform, with the 945 GSE chipset. Other features include an integrated webcam and 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4W speakers with SRS Premium Sound enhancement, and a flash memory card reader. The
touch screen interface demonstrated in the linked video shows it has some novel features and functionality built into its interface. The product is essentially a lower cost competitive offering to HP's TouchSmart line."
If this had been just 100 less at 499 I could see it flying off the shelves. This is the market segments that people hunger form. Low power, easy to use, cheap computers!
;\*
I really wish they had gone Linux though instead of XP. Also wish they would have gone ION / Dual Core Atom instead of the dated 945 and Single Core Atom platform.
Just like early netbooks though, while not a full winner this is a big step in the correct direction. I look forward to the next generation.
P.S. *Sorry I posted Anon before, somehow I was not logged in
Who said anything about a desktop? I think this machine should go in the kitchen. Just stick it to a cabinet door and behold! A $600.00 recipe book with p0rn.
Actually, I like the idea but it's bit expensive after you add some more memory to make the Atom suck less.
"The ferrets, they're every where I tell you!"
Anyone else find that funny? It's like bragging that your car has a 80hp 4-banger, with twin turbos.
Most likely because Ion wasn't available when they started work on design/preproduction, the 945 is really cheap, and an extra 10 or 20 watts makes a fairly minimal difference in a desktop scenario(sure, better for your power bill and the environment; but people don't really factor that into their buying decision, unlike battery life, which counts).
At about $599, the Eee Top ET1602 is relatively expensive considering its performance
True, but this is ridiculously affordable for small/medium businesses looking to incorporate touch technology. Similar touchcomputers purposed for business use can easily run north of $2000 a pop.
I help run an average sized family restaurant, and we use an old ink-and-paper ticketing system in the kitchen. I have been toying around with the idea of replacing it with a homebuilt touch-based interface, hanging a couple touchmonitors where the ticket rail sits. This move would help me eliminate paper, ink, and printer maintenance costs, not to mention giving my technically-inclined kitchen staff a new toy to play with.
So far, the costs of the touchmonitors alone have been prohibitively expensive, but a product like this one could allow me to realize my idea. Being able to acquire a touchcomputer (not just touchmonitor) at a fraction of the cost definitely catches the eye of any business thinking about implementing touch-technology.
This thing is very promising. It's almost perfect for my application. I don't need speed or any bells and whistles, I just need something touch-enabled, networkable, and self-contained. This is awesome. I will definitely be watching this thing closely.