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Eee Keyboard Details Released 166
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."
More "Eee" again (Score:2)
The C64 is back! (Score:2, Interesting)
How hard would it be to build a cheaper version to teach kids programming?
Re:The C64 is back! (Score:5, Funny)
How hard would it be to build a cheaper version to teach kids programming?
6? Maybe 7? I don't know, what scale are we using?
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A scale from 1 to 10 with 4 being the most difficult. 7 sounds about right - More difficult than installing programming tools on a regular computer or laptop and restricting the kid's permissions, but less difficult than naturally breeding a man-bear-pig.
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> but less difficult than naturally breeding a man-bear-pig
Difficult sure, but fun? You betcha!
Hey! (Score:2)
I AM a naturally-bred man-bear-pig, you insensitive clod! Reset your scale to a measurement more appropriate!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go feed my mother..
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Ironically, picturing such a scale peaks at 5, and devising it peaks at pi and a bit.
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There are several modern remakes of the C64, usually sold for gaming, some of which can have a keyboard modded on. Those are probably your cheapest bet and definitely your best bet if you actually want a C64. Second cheapest(at least in the developed world) would be your bog-sta
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Easy - just convince some company that isn't married to Microsoft like Asus is to build one that's compatible with any OS suitable for teaching kids with.
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Seconded, contrary to the Anonymous coward, I believe that Python is the best programming language for kids.
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Awww, somebody's favorite language isn't as popular.
I use COBAL you insensitive clod.
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I use COBAL you insensitive clod.
COBAL? Compania Bananera Atlantica Ltda?
The programming language is COBOL, COmmon Business Oriented Language, as you would've known if you really did use it instead of making one-liners on Slashdot, you young whippersnapper.
Now get off my lawn!
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I tried to learn COBOL. Ow.
I found ADA and LISP less painful.
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i'd go for the cleaner syntax of ruby instead.
Hahahahaha.
-deep breath-
Hahahahahahahahaha
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Your TV doesn't need UWB, they have a separate box that receives UWB and turns it into HDMI for you to plug into your TV.
Shadowrun (Score:5, Funny)
Does this remind anyone of the Shadowrunner decks?
Maybe if I get this, Vuzix Wrap Eyewear [engadget.com], a neon green mohawk, and leather jacket I can start calling myself a "Decker" ;)
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Decker was the first word I thought when I saw it.
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Don't know about that. But you could certainly start calling yourself "celibate", at that point.
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Yep. Looking forward to nabbing one and taking it apart :)
[John]
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more like a Commodore 64
Wow, it's my TRS-80 Color Computer 2! (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
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It doesn't really require an HDTV, but... (Score:3, Informative)
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 [sewelldirect.com] that I don't think is included.
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I don't think that's the market. This seems targeted purely at enthusiasts and early adopters. This computer fills a very limited role.
$10 cable (Score:2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882339047 [newegg.com]
And it's only that high because I'm too lazy to look at other sources.
...might not work with the Eee (Score:2)
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I had one of those too! (I even pestered my parents for the cassette deck for saving programs!)
This sounds like a good idea for a "living room" computer, using Mythbuntu or something similar...
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"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9
This has all happened before and it will all happen again." Battlestar Galactica.
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What would you use this for? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Parsing... parsing... ah! You said "touch type tutor." Not "touchy petutor."
I was wondering what the heck that was.
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Educational gaming machine go!
Let your kid browse the internet in the living room while you read - thus glancing up regularly and supervising to make sure nobody has goatse'd them.
Show your friends the latest stupid thing you found on Youtube.
Attached USB + Controller [slashdot.org] + Stella [wikipedia.org] = Living room Atari 2600 which can be easily attached and put away when you're done (less easily accomplished in these days of LCD TVs without coax).
Cheap television + keyboard computer = information kiosk. Tired of your friends gett
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Well, yeah. Pretty much. Have you ever hooked your computer up to one of these new-fangled high-definition LCD televisions? If you set the resolution right (few people do), it's as sharp as any other LCD monitor. Only HUGE. I've had a big 1080p panel hooked up to my gaming computer for years and it's awesome. And it's great for regular tasks, too.
10 meters for non-video transmission to a TV? (Score:3, Informative)
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).
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I know it's Slashdot and we don't read the articles, but at least read the first sentence of the summary:
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Or, more plausibly, one's interest in having a DVD/blu-ray/big HDD loaded with rips drive is limited when walking around the house; but significant when next to the TV...
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Unlike the "cool" option of actually transmitting low power ATSC on an (unused) channel
I'm not sure that the FCC would like this very much.
XP? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
SSL, not SSH. And the SSL vulnerability in XP in supposedly worked-around by running a firewall (for the purpose of this discussion, the POS that ships with XP is supposed to be a firewall).
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Thanks, yes I realized that right after I hit "submit". If I try to ssh into a paypal server I might end up with a whole other set of problems... :)
I didn't see that here [slashdot.org], guess I'll go RTFA.
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If you figure out how to do it, Please post. It would finally be a secure connection to pay pal I can trust. Now if I could just trust pay pal.
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Is easy. (Score:2)
Well.. is obvious that will continue pushing XP, since you can't fit Windows 7 in a netbook with 2GB of RAM. Once netbooks get powerfull and cheap enough to have 4GB and a +2GHz CPU, then will stop pushing XP, let it die, and push very hard Windows 7.
I have a eepc 701, and I am very happy with my eebuntu. I have tried Windows 7 in my desktop computer trough vmware, and W7 is garbage. Also, my eepc has 4 GB of disk. I don't see how Windows 7 would install on my netbook at all, since seems Windows 7 OS takes
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The Microsoft way: Damn if you do, damned if you don't.
(It's why I use Linux. You aren't damned either way.)
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Pretty much my thought.
Shiny new computer, latest hardware, almost decade old software (and by now two generations behind what MS has on offer).
Sad, truly sad, from all sides. ASUS for not installing some up-to-date software on it, MS for not being able to write an operating system that runs on anything less than top-of-the-line state of the art hardware.
Yup (Score:2)
No one escapes the commodore amiga/64/128 form factor all in one.
No one.
too many outputs (Score:4, Insightful)
Been there, done that (Score:3, Informative)
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 med
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The only problem with the Mac Mini is that it's pricey. You can get a similarly-small ION-based dual-Atom box for $330 (including 2GB of memory, disk, and DVD drive), just over half the price of the Mac Mini.
Or, if you're even cheaper, you can build a full-size Pentium Dual-Core box for around $250, which has the added advantage of multiple SATA ports and plenty of room for extra disks (presumably you want your media box to be able to store media). Of course, it won't fit nicely under your TV.
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Good choice going with SSD (Score:3, Insightful)
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.
it's got a fan! (Score:3, Interesting)
LoB
800 x 480? (Score:3, Funny)
Dude, if this keeps up, screens will soon have the height and width ratios of freakin' banner ads.
Just saying.
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Where's my Delorian???? (Score:2, Interesting)
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!
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I really despise people who are too lazy to take 3 seconds to C&P a link... grrrr
Major obvious flaw (Score:3, Interesting)
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?
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You dirty left-handed people!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GEI7HKE_D4&feature=player_embedded#at=186 [youtube.com]
Re:Major obvious flaw (Score:4, Insightful)
OH FFS It's an Amiga! (Score:3, Interesting)
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... :-)
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Why would you want a 1gig video card in what's essentially a monitor-less netbook? You certainly don't need it for the video storage, and it's not like this has enough horsepower to run an video intensive games. Seem like it would just drive the cost up needlessly.
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You certainly don't need it for the video storage, and it's not like this has enough horsepower to run an video intensive games. Seem like it would just drive the cost up needlessly.
Yeah, you are right. We would should probably have a core i7 in there, and wire it up to the hdtv, and that would be an amiga like thing.
Just what I want (Score:2)
I always wanted an IBM PCjr. keyboard with a touchscreen and a way to hook it up to your TV.
I mean, I know the 80's retro look is in, but do they have to bring back all the crappy stuff from the 80's too?
Why not Linux? (Score:3, Interesting)
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!
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Moblin (Score:3, Insightful)
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 wi
Re:Why not Linux? (Score:4, Informative)
Well, there was that trade show where the CEO was singing the praises of the eeepc with linux in the morning, had lunch with some MS people, and then apologisedto the audience and press for selling pre-installed linux machines instead of XP. Whatever happened in that meeting was enough for a CEO to publicly embarrass himself so you can bet that it's a policy handed directly from the top to not have linux on these things for as long as whatever promises, threats or inducements hold.
It's a pity because while people complain about the distro (xandros) it was actually set up with a very good interface for people that are not very familiar with computers.
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You are talking about a system of about 10 years ago on hardware of about 2-3 years ago. It should run, and it should run pretty well and at least be fast. I'd not be too worried about that: this netbook is still way more powerful that even top-line PC's from when Win XP was released.
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Re:Why not Linux? (Score:4, Funny)
So write the code yourself OSS boy. Mr. XP
Hi, Mr Troll.
Thanks, but I already have. [freedos.org] Need anything else?
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Oh, I just PMSL. I even read Mr Hall's original comment the first time round and didn't notice the name and I just spotted this comment. How wonderful.
Doe it have enough power to be useful? (Score:2)
It's a netbook that has to be plugged in. Atom NT270 + Intel 945G Maybe the broadcom chip helps things along, but the specs seem a bit underwhelming. Does it struggle to maintain framerate at 720p?
in combination with a wearable display (Score:2)
When you have toy like this [vuzix.com] or somesuch, then you do not need a regular screen. A screenless laptop plus wearable display seems to me a nice solution for mobile computing. Of course the laptop should have a battery life of 8h then. Which should actually be easy, because I would expect those display goggles to use less power than a regular screen.
As a side note: for tall people like me this would be kind of ideal for computing in an airplane. Unless I'm in an exit row or bulk head seat there is no way I can
uh, why? (Score:2)
And I want a 20 pounds keyboard running an 8 year old windos version for what, exactly? So I can watch YouTube on a tiny, cheap screen instead of a good display?
I dig an OLED keyboard with software-reprogrammable keys. Cool thing - switching to a foreign language or Dvorak in software.
But a screen in the keyboard just eludes me. Why would I want to look at the keyboard - again, after spending a few years learning to touch-type?
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This might, possibly, make a decent Home Theater PC/media center type thing. It's got a relatively small form factor (although, of course, there *are* smaller PCs). It's got HDMI out (I didn't really check what kind of video chip this has installed, but if it's got HDMI out, one would hope that it has a video chip that can handle decoding 1080p video). The little screen means, that, potentially, a media center software vendor can have a User Interface which runs on the small screen, so that your TV just con
Oh, we are back to ZX spectrum (Score:2)
So we are back in those times where the computer was the keyboard, or the keyboard was the computer? And we can look at it on the TV. I miss my 12'' Junosty brand russian B&W set I used with my ZX Spectrum and Commodore later on.
There was a break-in a few years ago in a Hungarian computer lab, and the geniuses thought they were in that era by the way. So they stole all the computers ... well, that is what they thought while taking all the keyboards instead..
This reminds me of.... (Score:2)
The Atari 800XL/130XE
The Atari ST
The Amiga 500
The Commodore 64/128
The Spectrum
etc....etc....
I actually kinda miss that sort of compact form factor for computers with everything integrated under the keyboard. It really does make good sense for a machine designed to be unexpandable. If this takes off I'm going to kick myself for not trying to market my similar hack with a mini-ITX board (no LCD however).
If it's cheap enough, I'd buy one. My kids would love it.
Commodore 64 (Score:2)
Re:Don't bother (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Don't bother (Score:4, Insightful)
Would it have been better if they had just not bothered with Linux at all?
Seriously, all you people do is whine.
Re:Don't bother (Score:5, Funny)
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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 m
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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.
You make a good point, the AC to whom you replied to did not. To answer your question: 12-year-olds posting silly nonsense usually get marked troll.
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I like Eeebuntu [eeebuntu.org].
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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 c
Re:Mechanica Stress and Spilt Milk? (Score:5, Insightful)
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and ``wow, what a wonderful keyboard'' never comes to my mind when I think of ASUS (Eee in particular).
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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 batt
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Except for the battery, you're looking for the EEE Box.
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sorry to feed the troll...but i'd like to hear an alternative?
Re:ITS 2009 (Score:5, Funny)
I suck on the bare USB cable for text input.
There is even a linux driver for me in recent kernels.
Type A or B ? (Score:2)
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I think this is what you meant! [engadget.com]
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