ASUS' Eee handwriting pad evokes the Dreamcast, flannel shirts

Apparently ASUS thinks that people will want a tiny computer which they can delicately slip into their back pocket, but would also be interested in carrying around a slew of cabled peripherals. Hence the creation of this USB "handwriting pad" for the Eee -- not to be confused with a steam-rolled Dreamcast controller (VMU included, of course). Honestly, when the plastic takes up more space than the screen, things might not be as "handy" as you suspect. Guys, Sega and 1998 called, they want their design back.

[Via Pocket-lint]

[John @ Jun 11th 2008 10:48AM]

That's hot.

[j_g_puff @ Jun 11th 2008 11:58AM]

I bet it plays a mean game of Tetris too.

[james @ Jun 11th 2008 3:42PM]

what is this "Dreamcast" thing you speak of? i'm 10 and don't know what a dreamcast is.

[Skullgrl @ Jun 11th 2008 5:07PM]

@james

I sincerely hope that was sarcasm. I'm 15 and I know what one is.

Perhaps those 5 years make all the difference.

[Jack @ Jun 12th 2008 5:41AM]

just imagine sega trying to make the PS2, thats a dreamcast

[jac68 @ Jun 14th 2008 11:37AM]

is there any software so I can use my old palm zire as a handwrinting pad?

[iEye @ Jun 11th 2008 10:52AM]

No it is not hot...

the money would have been better spent integrating the $47 usb touch screen in production...

[OneLove @ Jun 11th 2008 10:57AM]

Asus needs to slow the fuck down with this "eee" branded shit.

[stefan @ Jun 11th 2008 2:04PM]

Language, young man!

[OneLove @ Jun 11th 2008 2:22PM]

sorry.

[Flashpoint @ Jun 11th 2008 10:58AM]

What is a "Dreamcast"?

[SirWalksAlot @ Jun 11th 2008 11:03AM]

What are you, 10?

[martin @ Jun 11th 2008 11:36AM]

id be ashamed about asking that question on a techonology blog, really do you know nothing of the world?

[Juaquin @ Jun 11th 2008 11:41AM]

Either bad sarcasm, or he's been living under a rock.

[Bunson @ Jun 11th 2008 12:10PM]

My jaw dropped when I read this.

[riggs @ Jun 11th 2008 1:00PM]

sonic would smack you.

[Matthew Hilario @ Jun 11th 2008 1:29PM]

its like xbox360 but plays doom selfboot burned.

[sinjinn @ Jun 11th 2008 2:37PM]

dreamcast is like a radio show but is broadcasted directly in to your brain while you sleep

[Jack Davis @ Jun 11th 2008 3:45PM]

Holy freaking god man!
Yes Sonic would slap him, and yes hes been living under a rock

But honestly... are you 10? WHO THE FUCK DOESNT KNOW WHAT DREAMCAST IS!?



edit: "(VMU included, of course)" had me rofl

[vdogg89 @ Jun 11th 2008 4:11PM]

a dreamcast is only the best gaming console ever. It still surpasses modern consoles such as xbox 360 and wii

[Justin @ Jun 11th 2008 11:03AM]

I agree with OneLove. And get back to the $300 laptop idea. All these expensive toys are starting to irritate me.

Like I want to spend $650 on an ultraportable when I can get a Vostro 1000 for $400.

Maybe we should get some helmets for the execs?

[JerseyBricklayer @ Jun 11th 2008 11:10AM]

I miss my dreamcast. I may buy one again just to play soulcaliber .

[Kryptinite @ Jun 11th 2008 11:16AM]

Totally getting a Dreamcast in July :)

[teasphere @ Jun 11th 2008 11:22AM]

As a long time PC guy and even Linux fan, I have to say this is where companies like Apple and true design really stand out. I never used to think design mattered as long as it worked or was hackable, etc. but as time goes on there is a lot to be said for just simple, clean, straight lines, and well thought out UI and flow. Maybe I've just hit that magical moment where time become more valuable than money and want stuff to just be straightforward and well designed out of the gate. Dunno, but I do know this is pretty much useless and a total waste. Gimme that original $199 eeePC with no extra junk and I'm buying it instantly. $600+ now is just silly.

[sully @ Jun 11th 2008 11:24AM]

Yeah, well

The jerk store called.

They're running out of YOU!

[John @ Jun 11th 2008 1:23PM]

BETTER GO CATCH THEM!

[Low Ranked @ Jun 11th 2008 4:38PM]

"Where did you get that suit?

At the... toilet store?"

[riggs @ Jun 11th 2008 11:25AM]

But can it play Shen Mue?

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 11th 2008 12:17PM]

I am still hoping for Shenmue 3 and/or Shenmue Online (come on, someone from Sega read this... it would be the perfect time to develop Shenmue 3 for next-gen systems!).

[Rob Bourne @ Jun 11th 2008 11:54AM]

Heh, I've still got a Dreamcast hooked up to my PC monitor!

/flex

[james @ Jun 11th 2008 3:44PM]

i still have one hooked to my TV ;) along with the PS2 and Wii

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 11th 2008 12:08PM]

Flannel shirts were more of an early 90s grunge thing anyway. Also there has been a great Dreamcast emulator out for a couple years that plays native games and .isos almost perfectly (strangely enough, much better support than any N64 emulator I have seen out there; maybe because the Dreamcast was based on a modified version of Windows CE).

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 11th 2008 12:13PM]

Oh I forgot, does anyone else remember the fond days when sites like booyaka.com were the hot thing. I even helped with the release of the very first Dreamcast game (alongside the german group Supplex). BTW piracy is wrong, but it was a fun time. I think the last game I ever downloaded for my Dreamcast was an unreleased but almost complete build of Half-Life 1. It looked and played surprisingly well and I think just got tanked because of bad timing.

[epobirs @ Jun 11th 2008 3:42PM]

No, the Dreamcast is simply an easier emulation target, despite being a more recent and powerful platform than the N64. Documentation for the chipset is more readily available and the architecture more in line with what the host platforms support in their hardware. The N64 was unconventional in several notable ways that make it a bit harder to emulate perfectly.

WinCE isn't a factor in the emulation task. It was used for ease of porting PC games in a small portion of the Dreamcast library and not part of the base unit itself.

[Scott @ Jun 11th 2008 1:20PM]

I still have my Dreamcast. Poor kids these days don't know what they are missing.

[Wwhat @ Jun 11th 2008 1:51PM]

Well trashed, and it had to be done.

[Andreas Demetriou @ Jun 11th 2008 2:30PM]

Kinda reminds you of a dreamcast controller???

http://indigoed.com

[sbrown @ Jun 11th 2008 3:35PM]

No shit dumbass. Maybe you can put that on your blog so no one can read it.

[Mic-B @ Jun 11th 2008 4:21PM]

Like, seriously... like, how could you possibly come to this page and write that? Honestly. It baffles me.

[Jim @ Jun 11th 2008 3:37PM]

useless

[epobirs @ Jun 11th 2008 3:45PM]

I suspect this was created with the Asian market and the calligraphic input needs of those languages in mind.

[Raymond @ Jun 11th 2008 7:51PM]

Again, this is for languages like Chinese.

There's a demand for this kind of hand writing input.

When there's a demand, they make the product.

However this design is quite old fashion, PenPower has newer and better styles.

[Richard Lai @ Jun 12th 2008 12:47AM]

This is not a new device (appearance-wise anyway) - I've got an identical pad in my cupboard! It's a very old PenPower device that I used for Windows 98, came free with my old Acer desktop.

[Y00. @ Jun 12th 2008 1:47AM]

I got a dreamcast in Xmas of 2005.