Touch-screen kit for Aspire One and Eee PC 900/901 hits eBay, no soldering required

You know you've made it when your little-laptops-that-could sit atop a market-share big enough to support third-party device-hackery like this. It's "easy," it's "fun," it's a solder-less DIY touch-screen kit made specifically for the Acer Aspire One and Eee PC 900/901 netbooks. The 4-wire, resistive panel display with Mac, Linux, and Windows drivers sure looks easy enough to install. But we'll wait for the reviews to see just how well the $96 panel (a cool 25% of the netbook's price) performs under day-to-day use, thankyouverymuch. We've got our Windows 7 pre-beta ready just in case.

[Thanks, Joe L.]

[webon @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:13AM]

awesomeness!

[kissmynads @ Nov 3rd 2008 12:14PM]

Anyone know if the Fujitsu Stylistic LT 500 tablet laptop has a good touch screen? Is it good for internet and stuff?

[Flashpoint @ Nov 3rd 2008 12:24PM]

Apple should make a netbook, call it the ibookmini, and have a touchscreen OS just like the one on the ipod and iphone (with Skype, rather than "phone") and they should charge $800 for it.

[Ryoga Vee @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:14AM]

Touching interfaces is a fad.
First Palm, then Nintendo DS, then iPhone.
Next year the craze will be looking at things, after that, telepathy!

[huh @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:22AM]

Actually I totally agree with you, though you're a bit optimistic in your timeline. However it will still be more natural to write on a surface in many cases. Probably there will be some kind of meta control using "telepathy," immediate control using line of sight, and hands-on using touch.. the scary thing is after that there will be a "singularity" where these facilities will be recombined in more efficient ways that have nothing to do with with their evolutionary path, so someone using a computer may look like they are having a fit... or maybe just mediating as the computer moves to lenses then quantum interactions (butterflies in the wind).

[John @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:25AM]

Your terminology is incorrect. Fads don't last 15+ years. It's called a paradigm shift, and yes, it will probably change again, just not in the next year.

[Ryoga Vee @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:32AM]

* Sarcasem *

[matt|H @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:10AM]

Sarcasm*

[BratPAQ @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:18AM]

http://www.livescience.com/health/050317_brain_interface.html

its not actually telepathy like telepathy , it uses brain sensors to detect what you would like to do.

[Matt @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:40AM]

In terms of looking at something, they've actually done that in the past. For at least ten years now, they've had software (with minor flaws of course) that can determine where the viewer is looking, and then would use voice commands to complement.

Telepathy could be interesting.

[Woofdog @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:43PM]

When telepathy control was tried in the past, they found the mind wander's far too much to keep up the concentration levels required for the sensors to detect what you want to do. Like how using a mouse while shaking it around is pretty difficult!

[huh @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:17AM]

Interesting, but I owned a notebook with touchscreen (Fujitsu B-Series) in the past, and it's not nearly as nice as a real convertible tablet.

I'm amazed there hasn't been a follow up or competition to Gigabyte's M192. It's totally natural to want a notebook that has the features of a (paper) notebook, that you can diagram and write on when appropriate, as well as being able to use the keyboard. A bit more engineering and we could have a breakthrough product that would make netbooks look like the cramped mini-notebooks they are.

[Hush @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:59AM]

I totally agree 100%. And not just because our names are one letter apart. :D.

Where is the mini tablet pc's. I can see my self trying to touch the screen on a EEPC only to have it tip over every time.

I've been eyeing that Gigabyte lately. It's about 700$. Still it looks sweet.

[Precurse @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:58AM]

I was pumped for the Gigabyte before it's release.. However, the $900-1000 pricetag changes my mind considerably. Why would I spend another $600 for a swivel and 4cell battery?

[huh @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:03AM]

Precurse, I agree, that's why there has to be a next-generation M192, and more competition that is specifically an inexpensive convertible. I think it is reasonable for there to be a premium, but as a mass market commodity, a solid state $800 near-perfect device, with a 1280x768 12" screen, crisp well sized keyboard, built in camera and 5 hour battery life should be attainable as a plateau of contemporary mobile computing.

[David @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:18AM]

After looking at the photos at the eBay store, you can definitely kiss your warranty goodbye after this mod ... shame ...

[Will H. @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:43AM]

I have a feeling this is just a very low res capacative touch sticker you stick on top and plug into your usb or something, I wouldn't buy it. You get what you pay for, and nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

[David @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:13AM]

Actually, if you look at the photos in the auction it's not. You actually have to expose the mobo to get to the necessary stuff. As I said in my comment - kiss your warranty goodbye.

[matt @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:03AM]

Yeah I do agree you get what you pay for, but $96 for a 9" 4-wire resistive touchscreen and controller is certainly not cheap.

[noname @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:58AM]

I will definitely wait for next year netbook models with touchscreen
1. it will be naturaly integrated
2. the system with support of touching will be at least at some "stable beta"
3. i guess (and hope) that the such netbooks will have also some technical changes, like rotation of the display and using as tablet - it is not of much use to keep hands in air, touch the display, but only softly, as the whole netbook would fall back on display, if you touch too hard (plus holding in one hand and touching is quite impossible).

But anyway - touching display is the best improvement in last 10 years, and i guess it (may be) the major (if not only) reason why to upgrade to new windows from XP (but as i know Microsoft, they may put it in the extra Ultimate version with plenty of drawbacks)

[John @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:09AM]

Maybe you'll have learn proper grammar by then.

[huh @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:18AM]

You are totally right. The fact is we are being held back by our current operating systems, which are fetish-like in focusing on the operating system as an end rather than a means to an end (trying to build excitement around "Vista Ultimate" should disqualify MS as a serious company). Microsoft sidelining this functionality totally neuters it for them, it has to be a mainstream feature or it's just a niche, and a huge lost opportunity. I would expect some free app or Linux based environment to be perfection more than Microsoft's ponderous, corporate efforts.

[jonthegimp @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:13AM]

Waiting for the review? Could we expect a review from you folks? That would be convenient.

[Marko @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:21AM]

I am waiting for a slightly smaller one (say 8.5") to upgrade my 701 ;)

[janx @ Nov 5th 2008 2:13AM]

there are allready sets for old eee's just search ebay = $30 for set

[thatisandwas @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:40AM]

I have an aspire one and love it. I definitely don't find it cramped either. I did own a EEE surf 2g, that was cramped. But the aspire really is the perfect balance. I can type on it very comfortably and i have average sized fingers i guess. I don't know if i would buy a touchscreen kit though. I've considered it in the past but figure i will wait for them to make it a real feature on the new netbooks next year, at which point i will sell my aspire one and get the new touch version. I love touch screens. Love my DSlite. Love my G1. Love em! So i can certainly see a touchscreen netbook in my future. Another funny thing, after you get used to using an aspire one, holding a "regular sized" laptop is like holding a behemoth of a machine. I would NEVER go back to a regular laptop. I love the portability of netbooks. And with Ubuntu 8.10, you just can't go wrong.

[diver @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:45AM]

http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=233&t=809257&m=f&last=8608574

had the usage report already, if u can read chinese, u can try the link

[Dirk @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:55AM]

Interestingly it also supports MAC. How does OS X perform on the Aspire?

[Evan @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:06AM]

I can think of other uses for a cheap transparent touchscreen. This is great for modders.

[chickenator @ Nov 3rd 2008 12:15PM]

wow driver support : win / mac / linux.
izzit hackint0sh friendly?

[BigD145 @ Nov 3rd 2008 12:23PM]

Aren't unbranded kits around $50-75?

[matt @ Nov 3rd 2008 12:28PM]

These have been around pretty much since the EEE was launched, why is this one deserving of any attention?

[Sun Tzu @ Nov 3rd 2008 1:37PM]

Finding a touchscreen for the eee with drivers for windows has been difficult, this one actually has drivers for linux and OS X. Hello modder Christmas.

[Jason @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:11PM]

no soldering ?!!!?#$%! where is the fun in that.

[UKausB @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:38PM]

Just a fad in my eyes - touching makes sense on a SMALL phone in lack of KB and mouse - but when does one really need or want it on the screen? Leaving the mouse or KB, on to the screen, back to the mouse?
Not really, ty very much...

[Ari Moshe @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:49PM]

Check dealextreme.com for a cheaper equivalent. In fact, its been on that site for a while.

[tediberus @ Nov 4th 2008 7:47AM]

the Gigabyte M912 is being sold here in the phillipines.... retailing at $600 for the 2months already i think ... if i didn't already have a notebook i'd definitely get the gigabyte

[Jordan @ Nov 17th 2008 8:34AM]

I just got it installed. Very cool little addition. Took roughly 3 hours due to the fact that I was very hesitant about cracking the housing and severing existing connections.
I like it alot so far. The only real complaint, and this might be with every/most touchscreen mods, is that the screen now looks a smidge grainier than before. Responsiveness is good. No bulges in the casing. Only serious drawback seems to be that the camera no longer functions despite having run the cable from the camera to the included usb hub. I checked both ends of the connection TWICE. All looks good from the inside, but alas no more camera. It's a crappy webcam anyhow, but I'd like the option. Especially seeing as how it was the most difficult thing to get to for the install (requires removing the lcd panel.

[minh @ Dec 5th 2008 5:05PM]

I also have the same problem with the webcam not working. Ppl one the Acer One User forums says that it works... I don't know if there is a fix for the problem or if there are multiple webcam designs