Asus has kicked off this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a sneak preview of the upcoming Eee keyboard-cum-PC, which features an integrated display.
Asus_Eee_Keyboard_03 Asus' Eee keyboard was spied at CES
Images courtesy of Gizmodo
Described as a fully functional PC with inset Qwerty key arrangement, the keyboard …
Blimey. Delete the 5" LCD screen and the internal battery, and home computer design will have finally come full circle from the 8-bit Spectrum/Electron/etc. era!
Wow - Asus are really doing some great inovating!
#
First the EEE-PC, now this.
When I started to read the article I thought "Wow, if there was some wireless way to connect this to my TV I would love to have one in my home", then I read about the "Ultra-Wideband Wireless HDMI port".
When can I buy one?
And will it come with some neat way to charge it such as standing it end-up in a slot in a charger using inductive coupling? Then it can stand next to my TV, or on a table near the sofa ready to be grabbed when required.
Aside from the Compaq luggable, our first home computer was a TRS-80 offspring called the MC-10. Like the TRS-80 series, the Commodore 64/128s and a whole raft of contemporary systems, these were effectively keyboards with integrated computers and 'themed' peripherals.
Technically the Tandy 102 is even closer, since it also had an integrated display, but it didn't do TV out in any way...
Of course, you can't really compare the MC-10's 6803 with the Asus' Atom processor...
I'm sure there are comments in the queue already which will allude to an era of personal computing in the 1980s that those of us of a certain age remember - VIC-20, C64, BBC and a bunch of other machines which were computers inside a keyboard. With full-HD screens plugging this in to the TV to use is even viable. Shame there's no keypad though. It'll be interesting to see what the final specs on this machine are. I could see computers in this format having a certain attraction again in home or small business use.
If you've got an HD TV or monitor to plug it in to, you're most likely going to have a power source to plug it in to.
If you want to take it somewhere you haven't got a power source: you'd probably be better off getting a regular EEE Pc.
Otherwise: I think it's damn cool. I can imagine it being a nice machine for browsing the web on whatever sized screen you have to hand. I just pulled the (broken) screen off an old laptop to make something for just that - and it proved very useful :-)
Dai you said shame it doesn't have a keypad but it does, the screen located where the keypad should be is touch sensitive and therefore could be used as the missing keypad, would probably want the key imaged to be translusent or something so that you can see what you are entering it onto but presumably it will (or could) be there if you want it)
its arguably better than a media centre machine, what with a nice large capacity external drive, this thing could sit well under the telly doublig up as the media remote/web surfter
make it control the dvd player and sky box and its a winner!
classic format, nice styling and not only that, the gaming power is about the same as a c64 too :)
The obvious uses might be as a portable PC, media server or network controller - take your entire digital video library round a mates house and stream it to his home cinema system for a beer an pizza night? ... don't know how much solid state internal storage this has got though. And I'm certain that once they're "in the wild" people will find various innovative uses for one of these.
Just hope there will be a UK keyboard variant (noticed the @ symbol above the 2 - sad I know) :)
This looks more like a flexible keyboard than an embedded netbook. I can't imagine wanting to use an upright itouch-sized screen as a display except in emergencies.
The touch screen could prove useful for music programmes, which often enough need a special keyboard to reach the function keys- one reason less for musicians to be impoverished.
If the Asus quality weren't up to it, Logitech will bring out their version soon enough.
Remember when the eee 701 first came out, there were several people saying "what would you want it for", but that sparked a whole stream of alternatives and innovation.
I can see this doing the same... possibly sparking an acronym of ASCKC - Average Sized Cheap Keyboard Computer
Or maybe, if it's running KDE:
"Keyboard Integrated Cheap Komputer - Advanced Remote Screen Environment"
Just for starters:
Media streamer
Web surfer
Email client
NAS
Laptop for people with big fingers and good eyes
I just hope they include the wireless-HDMI adapter as standard.
Folks with neck injuries, who can only look to the right, as they've spent sooo long typing while crooking their necks to the side at the display.
(If you in Britain can find a health centre...)
Oh, yes, to a previous poster - I built a UK101 - or more accurately, the US version I picked up in NYC, name of which I forget. And a Sinclair MK14. And rebuilt some 6502-based effort running Forth - Jupiter, was it? Sod my guts, I REALLY should retire....or get out more...
Can we have a Zimmer frame Icon? Only way to portray a Boring Old Fart. Tombstone icon'll have to do for now.
That did occur to me. The screen is the right size and with the comment about it being able to be configured for specific uses as well as a standard display it probably is one of the options. But I'm not sure how long it'd last with regular use like that, even with a palm/ipaq-type screen protector on it. Still, just a minor quibble - if I really wanted to use a keypad on a regular basis with it I could just buy a plug-in, as some people do already with laptops.
Regarding the keyboard, I see the report linked-to refers to the keys being individually mounted - so not a 'flexible'-type pad. They remind me of some other piece of 80s kit with low-profile plastic (not rubberised) keys - without the backlighting, obviously - but I can't think of which one offhand.
i remember novatech used to do an screen-integrated pc and i always thought they would be cool for just browers and emailers, but this looks just weird to me!
will it have dual gpu capabilities so it can run a full screen and that little keypad monitor?
who's it aimed at?!
(look the king, he has no clothes!)
shsh, stupid boy!
cheers,
bill
p.s. stuff and nonsense: http://www.eupeople.net/forum
Lots of ports on the back but does it have an IR port so it could be used a remote control for the collection of boxes under the TV? I suppose the other alternative is to glue to the half dozen or so remotes onto the base and flip it over to use them. At least that way they'll be harder to loose down the back of the sofa.
So it can connect to a HDTV (assuming you have a wireless one, and I've not seen any of those around yet anyway), but I thought Atoms weren't all that good at HD decoding? Are they thinking of squeezing some sort of graphics coprocessor in there also?
When are they going to integrate the projector? Screw the monitor / TV hookup and just blast the image on a screen in front of you. It could be a simple roll out affair or a seat back or the bloke's face (do not look into laser with remaining eye) across the table. One day portable computing will really arrive.
while it's possible this could lead to a new generation of geeks like those of us who had c64s, I'm not really sure if there's much of a market for this. A box below the tv and a bluetooth keyboard would presumably be more useful.
That said, I like the look of it and it only remains to be seen if it is as good to type with as the MacBook-style apple keyboard.
As in, I would love to have a secondary screen with just basic "widgets" like I have on my desktop but are never looked at because its hidden under everything. A basic screen with recent email, schedule, calendar, clock. I have an iphone and it gets plenty use even while I'm using my computer....
...the Apricot Xi, which had an LCD screen in the keyboard suitable for displaying captions above six function keys.
I borrowed one of these from someone once, and thought it was a nice way to save paper/plastic on function key strips (once you'd reserved part of the screen for the bit the LCD didn't cover, of course. Unfortunate trade-off but probably cut costs reasonably effectively at the time).
Albeit, shaped like the keyboard rather than the screen, which is usually the largest thing on a laptop. Seems like it would have been better to just build an EEE with some of the TV features built in. But then you wouldn't use it as a media centre because you'd always be out and about with it so it couldn't record any tv. Seems like a mixed purpose device that isn't good at any of them. I can understand people wanting a single box device but a separate box and keyboard seems much more sensible (and has longer battery life).
Reminds me a lot of my old speccy +2. How long before someone creates a program to run the image of a tape playing in the little side screen while your tv flashes, gurgles, and bleeps at you...
They really should build it into a real keyboard like a model M*. Ugh, chicklet keys. Of course then it'd probably be heavier than quite a few notebooks (let alone netbooks) on the market. The model M would probably have room for the hard disk though 8-).
*Well, IBM and Lexmark don't make model Ms any more, but Unicomp does.
just right for small offices or thin client applications... enough grunt for word, outlook and internet explorer, but no noise, no desk clutter and minimal wires...
i just hope the pricing is along the ethos of the eeeee range... if so, i can see myself replacing a few mid sized optiplexes :)
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Asus Eee keyboard opens CES
Asus has kicked off this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a sneak preview of the upcoming Eee keyboard-cum-PC, which features an integrated display. Asus_Eee_Keyboard_03 Asus' Eee keyboard was spied at CES Images courtesy of Gizmodo Described as a fully functional PC with inset Qwerty key arrangement, the keyboard …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Eeeboard. #
Blimey. Delete the 5" LCD screen and the internal battery, and home computer design will have finally come full circle from the 8-bit Spectrum/Electron/etc. era!
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
GettinSadda
Wow - Asus are really doing some great inovating! #
First the EEE-PC, now this.
When I started to read the article I thought "Wow, if there was some wireless way to connect this to my TV I would love to have one in my home", then I read about the "Ultra-Wideband Wireless HDMI port".
When can I buy one?
And will it come with some neat way to charge it such as standing it end-up in a slot in a charger using inductive coupling? Then it can stand next to my TV, or on a table near the sofa ready to be grabbed when required.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Rob Haswell
So what do we use this for? #
I'm struggling to think of how this might fill a need. Any ideas people?
Paris, because at least she knows there's no point without putting on a big display.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Edwin
Cool! #
The PC has come full circle!
Aside from the Compaq luggable, our first home computer was a TRS-80 offspring called the MC-10. Like the TRS-80 series, the Commodore 64/128s and a whole raft of contemporary systems, these were effectively keyboards with integrated computers and 'themed' peripherals.
Technically the Tandy 102 is even closer, since it also had an integrated display, but it didn't do TV out in any way...
Of course, you can't really compare the MC-10's 6803 with the Asus' Atom processor...
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Dai Kiwi
"And everything old shall be new again..." #
I'm sure there are comments in the queue already which will allude to an era of personal computing in the 1980s that those of us of a certain age remember - VIC-20, C64, BBC and a bunch of other machines which were computers inside a keyboard. With full-HD screens plugging this in to the TV to use is even viable. Shame there's no keypad though. It'll be interesting to see what the final specs on this machine are. I could see computers in this format having a certain attraction again in home or small business use.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
arran
will it run #
with the PS3?
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Greg
Media streamer? #
I can imagine this being good for grabbing files across a network and shoving them onto the telly. Other than that...
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Matthew Coulson
Wow! #
If that's solid state and fanless, I want one.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Tom Hudson
Only 90 minutes? #
So what if the battery only lasts 90 minutes?
If you've got an HD TV or monitor to plug it in to, you're most likely going to have a power source to plug it in to.
If you want to take it somewhere you haven't got a power source: you'd probably be better off getting a regular EEE Pc.
Otherwise: I think it's damn cool. I can imagine it being a nice machine for browsing the web on whatever sized screen you have to hand. I just pulled the (broken) screen off an old laptop to make something for just that - and it proved very useful :-)
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
Anonymous Coward
@ Matthew Coulson #
"If that's solid state and fanless, I want one"
VIC20 - only £0.99 apparently ! :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Commodore-VC20-Early-CBM-VIC20-Rare_W0QQitemZ220340492676QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_VintageComputing_RL?hash=item220340492676&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1300|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318
Very unfriendly URL :(
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
Anonymous Coward
And the best thing #
is that the eeeKeyboard +2 will come with an integrated tape deck!
Awesome gadget, the PC could be coming to your living room- and with a great deal of ease if UWB HDMI can be retrofitted to your existing TV!
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
Anonymous Coward
The keyboard doesn't look so hot though... #
...reminds me of the 'chiclet' keys on an old Tandy CoCo.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
Natalie Gritpants
Nice as a NAS? #
If the ports are up to hanging a bunch of USB drives and Linux works with the display it might make a nice NAS with it's own UPS.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
Steve
80s Style Computing #
Cool a modern Amiga lol
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
Chris W
Re: And everything old shall be new again... #
>those of us of a certain age remember - VIC-20, C64, BBC
Those of us of a more advanced age will remember hours sniffing lead fumes from assembling the even earlier 6502 based UK101.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
The Mole
Re: Dai - num pad #
Dai you said shame it doesn't have a keypad but it does, the screen located where the keypad should be is touch sensitive and therefore could be used as the missing keypad, would probably want the key imaged to be translusent or something so that you can see what you are entering it onto but presumably it will (or could) be there if you want it)
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 12:37 GMT
Bo Pedersen
Mock it we may #
but the C64 sold over a million
its arguably better than a media centre machine, what with a nice large capacity external drive, this thing could sit well under the telly doublig up as the media remote/web surfter
make it control the dvd player and sky box and its a winner!
classic format, nice styling and not only that, the gaming power is about the same as a c64 too :)
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 12:37 GMT
Tom Sadler
Asus Eeeboard - been here before? #
Anybody else thinking Commodore 64-with-knobs-on?
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 12:37 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Kinda groovy... #
The obvious uses might be as a portable PC, media server or network controller - take your entire digital video library round a mates house and stream it to his home cinema system for a beer an pizza night? ... don't know how much solid state internal storage this has got though. And I'm certain that once they're "in the wild" people will find various innovative uses for one of these.
Just hope there will be a UK keyboard variant (noticed the @ symbol above the 2 - sad I know) :)
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 12:51 GMT
Britt Johnston
user-defined keys #
This looks more like a flexible keyboard than an embedded netbook. I can't imagine wanting to use an upright itouch-sized screen as a display except in emergencies.
The touch screen could prove useful for music programmes, which often enough need a special keyboard to reach the function keys- one reason less for musicians to be impoverished.
If the Asus quality weren't up to it, Logitech will bring out their version soon enough.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 13:36 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Uses #
Remember when the eee 701 first came out, there were several people saying "what would you want it for", but that sparked a whole stream of alternatives and innovation.
I can see this doing the same... possibly sparking an acronym of ASCKC - Average Sized Cheap Keyboard Computer
Or maybe, if it's running KDE:
"Keyboard Integrated Cheap Komputer - Advanced Remote Screen Environment"
Just for starters:
Media streamer
Web surfer
Email client
NAS
Laptop for people with big fingers and good eyes
I just hope they include the wireless-HDMI adapter as standard.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 13:36 GMT
Andus McCoatover
Doctors, anyone? #
Yep, soon to be seen at your local health centre.
Folks with neck injuries, who can only look to the right, as they've spent sooo long typing while crooking their necks to the side at the display.
(If you in Britain can find a health centre...)
Oh, yes, to a previous poster - I built a UK101 - or more accurately, the US version I picked up in NYC, name of which I forget. And a Sinclair MK14. And rebuilt some 6502-based effort running Forth - Jupiter, was it? Sod my guts, I REALLY should retire....or get out more...
Can we have a Zimmer frame Icon? Only way to portray a Boring Old Fart. Tombstone icon'll have to do for now.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 13:36 GMT
xjy
Boggle #
boggle, boggle, boggle...
(Paris cos I bet she's good at boggling...)
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 13:36 GMT
Anonymous Coward
TV integration #
How long till we just get the Eee TV, with the major components not in the keyboard. Then the keyboard battery will last longer.
Or, what if I but a cheap computer, hook it up to my TV and buy a wireless keyboard and mouse?
This is a nice idea in theory, but using the computer and wireless keyboard option is already available AND the battery lasts longer.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 13:36 GMT
Dai Kiwi
@ The Mole - Re: Keypad #
That did occur to me. The screen is the right size and with the comment about it being able to be configured for specific uses as well as a standard display it probably is one of the options. But I'm not sure how long it'd last with regular use like that, even with a palm/ipaq-type screen protector on it. Still, just a minor quibble - if I really wanted to use a keypad on a regular basis with it I could just buy a plug-in, as some people do already with laptops.
Regarding the keyboard, I see the report linked-to refers to the keys being individually mounted - so not a 'flexible'-type pad. They remind me of some other piece of 80s kit with low-profile plastic (not rubberised) keys - without the backlighting, obviously - but I can't think of which one offhand.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 14:16 GMT
b
that's just weird.. #
i remember novatech used to do an screen-integrated pc and i always thought they would be cool for just browers and emailers, but this looks just weird to me!
will it have dual gpu capabilities so it can run a full screen and that little keypad monitor?
who's it aimed at?!
(look the king, he has no clothes!)
shsh, stupid boy!
cheers,
bill
p.s. stuff and nonsense: http://www.eupeople.net/forum
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 14:16 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Remote control? #
Lots of ports on the back but does it have an IR port so it could be used a remote control for the collection of boxes under the TV? I suppose the other alternative is to glue to the half dozen or so remotes onto the base and flip it over to use them. At least that way they'll be harder to loose down the back of the sofa.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 14:16 GMT
Toastan Buttar
Mattel Aquarius ? #
Now I know where all those old abandoned Mattel Aquarius enclosures ended up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel_Aquarius
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 14:51 GMT
Stuart Halliday
More accurately #
Actually it's much more like the Sharp PC1500 (cir. 1982), a hand-held computer with a LCD screen.
I've still got mine and it still works...!
I taught myself 8bit 6502C m/c and BASIC with this...
http://pocket.free.fr/images/sharp/pc-1500.jpg
http://www.pc1500.com/
The battery in the PC1500 lasts for weeks.... ;-)
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 15:12 GMT
simbr
HD? #
So it can connect to a HDTV (assuming you have a wireless one, and I've not seen any of those around yet anyway), but I thought Atoms weren't all that good at HD decoding? Are they thinking of squeezing some sort of graphics coprocessor in there also?
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 15:18 GMT
Eddy Ito
So close yet so far so good #
When are they going to integrate the projector? Screw the monitor / TV hookup and just blast the image on a screen in front of you. It could be a simple roll out affair or a seat back or the bloke's face (do not look into laser with remaining eye) across the table. One day portable computing will really arrive.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 15:33 GMT
John
a new c64 generation? #
while it's possible this could lead to a new generation of geeks like those of us who had c64s, I'm not really sure if there's much of a market for this. A box below the tv and a bluetooth keyboard would presumably be more useful.
That said, I like the look of it and it only remains to be seen if it is as good to type with as the MacBook-style apple keyboard.
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 16:21 GMT
Ewok
I think it would be useful.... #
As in, I would love to have a secondary screen with just basic "widgets" like I have on my desktop but are never looked at because its hidden under everything. A basic screen with recent email, schedule, calendar, clock. I have an iphone and it gets plenty use even while I'm using my computer....
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 16:21 GMT
William Towle
Full circle: My offertory for comparison #
...the Apricot Xi, which had an LCD screen in the keyboard suitable for displaying captions above six function keys.
I borrowed one of these from someone once, and thought it was a nice way to save paper/plastic on function key strips (once you'd reserved part of the screen for the bit the LCD didn't cover, of course. Unfortunate trade-off but probably cut costs reasonably effectively at the time).
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 17:07 GMT
IR
No one else has said it #
It's a laptop without a main screen!
Albeit, shaped like the keyboard rather than the screen, which is usually the largest thing on a laptop. Seems like it would have been better to just build an EEE with some of the TV features built in. But then you wouldn't use it as a media centre because you'd always be out and about with it so it couldn't record any tv. Seems like a mixed purpose device that isn't good at any of them. I can understand people wanting a single box device but a separate box and keyboard seems much more sensible (and has longer battery life).
Reminds me a lot of my old speccy +2. How long before someone creates a program to run the image of a tape playing in the little side screen while your tv flashes, gurgles, and bleeps at you...
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 17:21 GMT
Anonymous Coward
@IR #
I think you'll find I pretty much said it at 13:29
Posted Thursday 8th January 2009 00:02 GMT
Henry Wertz
EEE model M? #
They really should build it into a real keyboard like a model M*. Ugh, chicklet keys. Of course then it'd probably be heavier than quite a few notebooks (let alone netbooks) on the market. The model M would probably have room for the hard disk though 8-).
*Well, IBM and Lexmark don't make model Ms any more, but Unicomp does.
Posted Thursday 8th January 2009 11:01 GMT
Dave
The missing bit #
To get the tone back to a suitable level, where's the gorgeous model to hold the unit?
I guess none of them wanted to be in a photograph with a caption advertising a 5" display.
Posted Thursday 8th January 2009 11:01 GMT
Chris W
@Andus McCoatover #
>Can we have a Zimmer frame Icon?
Don't be hard on us. We need a pioneer icon, something like a Davy Crocket racoon hat.
The American version was called a Ohio Scientific Superboard.
Posted Thursday 8th January 2009 17:54 GMT
Chris James
Memories #
Reminds me a bit of my old Sinclair QL!
Posted Monday 12th January 2009 08:55 GMT
Matt
perfect :) #
just right for small offices or thin client applications... enough grunt for word, outlook and internet explorer, but no noise, no desk clutter and minimal wires...
i just hope the pricing is along the ethos of the eeeee range... if so, i can see myself replacing a few mid sized optiplexes :)
Posted Thursday 15th January 2009 15:47 GMT
Andrew Garrard
Chuffing daft idea #
It's like having a small machine behind your screen and a wireless keyboard. Except:
1) It'll cook your legs and/or sound like a hair drier.
2) It'll suck all the wireless bandwidth in the area (I'll keep mine for networking, ta).
3) Its battery will go flat much faster.
4) It'll weigh much more.
5) It increases the likelihood of someone snooping your screen.
6) You don't get to choose your preferred style of keyboard.
7) It's size-limited when it comes to adding hardware.
If people really care so much about having a cable running from a computer to
their screen that they want to use wireless video, best of luck to them. I'd rather
stream everything that's *not* the high bandwidth uncompressed video signal.
Seconded about the projector, though.
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 13:11 GMT
simbr
sidescreen #
@lego
I saw a recent review (in PCPro IIRC) of a monitor with a small adjustable secondary "mini-me" panel peeking over it's shoulder for that purpose.
This topic is closed for new posts.