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Eee Keyboard Details Released
Details on the new Eee keyboard, previously held secret during the FCC filing, have now been made available. You can now take a look at the innards and a full spec sheet detailing exactly what is being promised. "Beneath the 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touch panel (with stylus) we'll be getting Windows XP Home running on an Intel Atom N270, 945GSE / ICH7-M chipset with Broadcom AV-VD905 video decoder, 1GB of DDR2 memory, either 16GB or 32GB of flash storage, 4-hour battery, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and VGA outputs, integrated stereo speakers and mic, 3x USB, headphone and mic jacks, and external WiFi / UWB antenna. The Eee Keyboard's on-board Ultra-Wideband (UWB) throws 720p content to your TV within a 5-meter range (10-meters for non-video transmissions) via a UWB receiver packing 2x USB ports, another mini-USB port, audio out, and HDMI."
How hard would it be to build a cheaper version to teach kids programming?
Yep. Asus brought Linux into the mainstream with the Eee 70x series 'netbooks' (as much as I hate that term, 'tiny laptop' is better) and promptly stabbed it in the back.
Does this remind anyone of the Shadowrunner decks?
Maybe if I get this, Vuzix Wrap Eyewear, a neon green mohawk, and leather jacket I can start calling myself a "Decker" ;)
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
My very first computer was a TRS-80 Color Computer 2. It was basically a computer in a keyboard that I connected to the TV. Now, decades later, I will soon be able to buy a computer built into a keyboard that will display on my TV.
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)
Of course, if this can handle "HD" YouTube, Netflix streaming, and other online sources, it might actually be worth looking into as an alternative to building my own low-power box for the TV. At least worth keeping an eye open, I suppose.
Not quite. There is a tiny niche product called a laptop that not only combines keyboard and computer in one, but the display too. Really poor design.
I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
Sorry, my creativity is running a little dry here. Why would I want this? Is the idea to keep this by the couch and use it as my living room computer, and run video off it to my TV wirelessly with UWB?
My very first computer was a TRS-80 Color Computer 2. It was basically a computer in a keyboard that I connected to the TV.
Presumably an SDTV, over RF or composite cable.
Now, decades later, I will soon be able to buy a computer built into a keyboard that will display on my TV.
Perhaps your TV is an HDTV and will work with one of the video outputs (VGA, HDMI) on the computer. But a lot of the U.S. market still uses SDTV, and in order to connect the VGA output to an SDTV, you need a special $40 cable that I don't think is included.
So, if it's not sending a video signal, I presume that I'm getting audio only? And this would be useful how...
Okay, I just RTFA. Unlike the "cool" option of actually transmitting low power ATSC on an (unused) channel, which would make this potentially useful, it requires a hardwired dongle (UWB receiver) at any TV you want to connect. So the "any TV" just turned into "any TV you decide you want to buy a dongle for and manually wire up to receive the proprietary signal." An, of course, that's where the 10m comes in, since the UWB receiver has USB ports on it (for those who are cool enough to have one of these, and so antiquated that the have a wired printer).
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Just the other day there was a story about how MS was refusing to patch a vulnerability in XP's ssh implementation (ISTR it was particularly bad for paypal users). Plus we've all heard the crowing about 7 being good to go on netbooks (though as someone who's been testing the RC for work, I do find that one a bit hard to believe -- it's still bloaty and takes more resources than the average netbook can provide). Yet MS is going to continue to push XP for the EEE? I'm confused... Is this their acknowledgement that win7 is not fit for netbooks? Then shouldn't they be patching the problems in XP, if they're going to keep pushing it?
Caveat Utilitor
I think the target is something like the iMac and Mac Mini markets. As for keyboard-integrated computers, what about laptops, which are practically the only computers sold today? And, while we're on the subject, I've lately been wondering why so many good laptop technologies have never made it onto desktop machines. I, for one, would love to have a small battery in my desktop box for when the power went out (I've lived some places that had really crummy power connections) and something like a laptop battery would be smaller, cheaper, and better-integrated with a standard desktop OS than a UPS. And most of the components don't really need a full-sized case. Full-sized hard drives and power supplies, by my understanding, are legitimately better than mini hard drives and external power bricks... and video cards, for people that care about graphics. I really don't, which saves me some space... so why can't I buy, right off the shelf, a small-form-factor desktop PC with quality desktop components where they matter and tiny ones where they don't? With a laptop-style battery, great ACPI support out of the box, and practically noiseless (unless I'm running a compile job)?
In this application, the UWB interface basically replaces two wires. It goes from the computer to a breakout box with 1 HDMI and a few USB ports. Essentially, one HDMI cable and one USB cable going to a USB hub.
If the whole mass is implemented as a "UWB interface device" linux support would be a real surprise. I'd probably be just like wireless in the bad old days, only worse. However, they could also, in principle, have encapsulated the whole UWB bit behind standard looking interfaces. If all the host computer sees is a USB port and an HDMI port, with the UWB silently replacing the usual wires, then software support should be more or less automatic(although, there probably will be some little pairing interface to be figured out).
sorry to feed the troll...but i'd like to hear an alternative?
The computer should just be a small non-descript box in the entertainment center rack. The keyboard/touchpad should operate without cables, on commodity AA rechargeable batteries. I know this thing has some wireless capabilities but the ports on there are pretty useless to me. Put the expensive stuff in the rack, and let me have a cheap disposable keyboard/pointer on the table where it's likely to have beer or coffee spilled on it from guests.
I don't know about you, but my HTPC's wireless keyboard gets beat around and dropped quite a bit. I wouldn't want to subject an HDD to that.
My personal feelings... I question the usefulness of this over a dedicated Ion box with a wireless keyboard.
I suck on the bare USB cable for text input.
There is even a linux driver for me in recent kernels.
Would it have been better if they had just not bothered with Linux at all?
Seriously, all you people do is whine.
holy cow, they still need a fan on those things? Can't wait to hear these things rattling around after a couple of years when the bearings start going out. They should release an ARM version IMO.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
Dude, if this keeps up, screens will soon have the height and width ratios of freakin' banner ads.
Just saying.
I'm not really a web designer, I just play one on the Internet.
I'm back in the 80's!!!
http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/radio-shack-trs-80-model-100-mobile-computer.jpg
http://www.phys.uwosh.edu/mike/calcs/pc1.html
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Sharp-PC1500-IMG_0306.JPG
All they need with that thing is a thermal printer and someone with frizzy hair!
~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
This is built for people who are right handed. That vast majority of people that matter to me are left-handed.
Any chance there will be a version sold at the Leftorium?
I like the idea of the keyboard only form factor PC like 80's boxes wired to TVs, but do you think they could do the Amiga like thing and put in a 1GB kick butt graphics card into it... :-)
This is my sig.
Completely untrue. Sure, some of us are whiny, but a good percentage are also bitter and vengeful.
I was excited until I read Windows XP Home.
Look, I know a bunch of people run Windows. But on an Atom CPU, 1GB memory, 16GB (smallest) flash drive, I just don't see Windows being that great. I'm sure Windows will run, but how well?
Ah well, I suppose I can easily wipe this and put Fedora on it ... I just wish Eee put a Linux option on more of their gear, installed out-of-the-box. Even if I wipe whatever Linux they give me and put another distro on it, I'd love to send a message by buying the Linux option.
To compare, I'm running an older Dell subnotebook with 1GB memory, booting Fedora 11 from an 8GB consumer flash drive. Works great, very fast!
Would it have been better if they had just not bothered with Linux at all?
Seriously, all you people do is whine.
I am posting anonumously to preserve my spent mod points in this article. Why is this a troll? It is a valid question. Asus tried with Linux and the hand of MS smacked them across the face for it and they relented. Do they not deserve some praise or at the very least some sort of acknowledgement that they even tried to begin with? I am sure Asus would be happy to continue to sell the Linux versions because there is a customer base with demand and very little cost to Asus to meet that demand. You all make it sound like Asus did this because they were playing a sick joke on everyone.
Windows is the easy option BUT MS puts all sorts of restrictions on it, it is the reason Intel is pushing Moblin, so that powerfull netbooks can be made without the cost of Vista/7
The incentive is that 90% (statistic pulled out of my ass) of the customers just want something they are familiar with.
A shop isn't going to stock 1 linux netbook for 9 windows netbooks, unsure of wether it will ever sell it. It is just simpler to ship 100% windows boxes knowing that large group of Linux fans will simply wipe windows because they are used to it.
We can only hope that MS shoots itself in the foot with its insane restrictions on netbooks forcing manufacturers that want to push the envolope to either pay the premium for Vista/7 or be out performed by companies that do dare to go linux.
Google linux netbooks, those companies are out there. The few and the brave. Buy from them, it is a called voting with your dollars.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Mac mini, bluetooth keyboard and mouse. It is small, doesn't look ugly under your TV, has a super quiet fan, and you can get plenty of video adapters for whatever TV you have. It also has a DVD drive, so you can toss your DVD player. You can even get an EyeTV USB-stick add-on for DVR capability and export capability to your iPod/PMP. If you really want, you can even run a long USB extension cable to your couch so you can plug in a joystick and play video games. Likewise, you can also set it up as a home media server and/or remote access gateway when you're out and about.
Basically, you can do just about anything with one box.
Hey don't leave out those of us that are violent and psychotic!