Thanks to the oh-so-revealing pages of the FCC, we already knew that ASUS had yet another multitouch-enabled Eee PC in the works, but there's just nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing an official portal launched to celebrate the reality of being. The Eee PC T101MT is a swivel-screen netvertible that packs a 10.1-inch resistive multitouch display (1,024 x 600), Windows 7, up to 2GB of DDR2 memory, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 160GB or 320GB hard drive, 0.3 megapixel webcam and a 6.5 hour battery. You'll also get a VGA output, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, Ethernet audio in / out, an SD / SDHC / SDXC card reader (nice!) 500GB of internet-accessible ASUS WebStorage and your choice of white or black. Per usual, there's nary of a mention of a price or release date just yet, but you can check out what fun awaits you in the demonstration video just past the break.
If this functions like a Tablet PC with pen (stylus) input in addition touchscreen, it would be quite desirable for artists. It would have been nice if the resolution was at least 1024x768.
@Thinker artists prefer digitizers, but it's hard to find a good manufacturer for a digitizer based tablet because the rest of the market wants to be able to use their finger
Final post (hopefully) - I should have viewed the video before posting.
This is impressive. It reminds me of what the iPad should have been - a full operating system like Windows 7, a keyboard, a stylus, and some great apps; all wrapped into one neat package. I am seriously thinking of buying this PC.
Well, Wacom tablets use an entirely different system, consisting of some sort of an active field that the pen disrupts. Capacitive screens only work with skin contact, and resistive work with anything. Some newer systems are being released with screens possessing a Wacom type system as well as one of the other two, allowing precise pen and finger input together.
Of course, the obvious pairing would be wacom + capacitive because it solves the problem of having the system detect the pen presses on the resistive screen. Those are just my thoughts on this issue.
@Ninjin I hate to do this, but... punch cards are a gimmick, equations that are carved in stone are where it's at. Quite permanent if stored in the right conditions.
You think you're being funny but guess what? The keyboard is still there after all these years. Good keyboard shortcuts can quite effectively replace the mouse. You don't need a mouse to control the graphical cursor.
So even in a GUI you can dump the mouse, but not the keyboard.
@Thinker If this will land on the sub-500 Price, I'll definitely going to get this one, rather than the TM2 released earlier by HP: http://bit.ly/hp-touchsmart-tm2-comparisson
@Evan Amen, I can type faster than I can write, but it doesn't take much of an imagination to find out how useful a supplimental GOOD touchscreen/pen input is.
And you even end up finding instant obscure cool-factor stuff, like finding aircraft software online and turning your 1948 Luscombe's ancient avionics into a sweet glass touchpanel with a cheap mount. Then friggen car acts up and you get a cheap OBD2 sensor that can hook up to it, and you have a little diagnostic panel.
@Evan: considering this is a convertible, you have a keyboard when you need it. Having every option for as much functionality as possible is a good thing.
Computing * Netbooks = 0 Just make a good god damn ultralight laptop, and people will buy them by the dozens. For example, the UL30Vt is a good choice, but it will be better when ASUS updates it and adds Optimus tech.
@enstriel people buy netbooks anyway, you are talking like it is collapsing, when in reality it keeps growing. They keep getting better and better (maybe not at speedwe want, but still)
@enstriel Netbooks are great for many uses. I carried one for 6 months backpacking around South America. Fitted nicely in the front pocket of my daypack. No way in hell I would have taken even an ultralight laptop and I felt pity for the people I saw in cafes with full size laptops.
@enstriel Wrong: Trying to utilize it as a normal desktop/laptop * netbooks = 0.
Netbooks aren't made for the normal office use, heavy programs, gaming, storage of large files, etc... They are great portable devices with a long(er then regular laptops) batterylife for mobile surfing, chatting, listening to music,taking notes (with the touchscreen in tablet mode like this one),...
The laptop you mention is a 13.3inch device. For many people (including me) that isn't ultraportable no more but it isn't really a big comfortable screen to work on for 8 hours a day either. And yes, it's more powerfull then a netbook, but then again it's still not extremely powerfull. Last but not least: it costs almost double than the average netbook.
@MaTdg Netbooks are good for gaming, just different kinds of games. :D
World of Goo, Braid, Peggle, Quake, Sid Meier's Pirates, NES emulator games etc, its no problem for that stuff, especially at the low resolution of its small displays.
@Saad This webpage is a bit confusing. I know google translate can suck at times....but it says that the screen is 12.1 inchs while engadget and the asus site says 10.1. Just wondering if you knew anything about this....
You Fool ClarkyAC!! You must have read the same news elsewhere which stated it had a capacitive touch screen, and chose to believe them instead of engadget... Shame on You...
@FauxNews Resistive is actually the most desirable for any kind of precision, which is what you need with a desktop OS. If it has a digitizer for the pen, this thing is gonna own.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
posted February 14th 2010 4:03PM
Touch interface is such a gimmick for actual computing. Cell phones, ipods...sure, but you will never replace my mouse on an actual pc.
@Evan
Your mouse is just a gimmick.
Can't replace a good keyboard on a real pc.
@Evan
If this functions like a Tablet PC with pen (stylus) input in addition touchscreen, it would be quite desirable for artists. It would have been nice if the resolution was at least 1024x768.
I see it has a stylus - that's great!
@Thinker
artists prefer digitizers, but it's hard to find a good manufacturer for a digitizer based tablet because the rest of the market wants to be able to use their finger
@savagemike Your keyboard is just a gimmick. Can't replace a good punchcard on a real mainframe.
Final post (hopefully) - I should have viewed the video before posting.
This is impressive. It reminds me of what the iPad should have been - a full operating system like Windows 7, a keyboard, a stylus, and some great apps; all wrapped into one neat package. I am seriously thinking of buying this PC.
@Evan
That touch UI is the dumbest one yet. I take back what I said about the Ipads UI, this is TOTALLY stupid.
@JeremyBenthem
Well, Wacom tablets use an entirely different system, consisting of some sort of an active field that the pen disrupts. Capacitive screens only work with skin contact, and resistive work with anything. Some newer systems are being released with screens possessing a Wacom type system as well as one of the other two, allowing precise pen and finger input together.
Of course, the obvious pairing would be wacom + capacitive because it solves the problem of having the system detect the pen presses on the resistive screen. Those are just my thoughts on this issue.
@Ninjin
Punch cards are for weaklings. On/Off switches are the ultimate input format!
@JeremyBenthem
This is true... artists prefer digitizers.
But no one wants to run Photoshop on a netbook.
@Ninjin I hate to do this, but... punch cards are a gimmick, equations that are carved in stone are where it's at. Quite permanent if stored in the right conditions.
@savagemike
...looks down.
You think you're being funny but guess what? The keyboard is still there after all these years. Good keyboard shortcuts can quite effectively replace the mouse. You don't need a mouse to control the graphical cursor.
So even in a GUI you can dump the mouse, but not the keyboard.
@Thinker If this will land on the sub-500 Price, I'll definitely going to get this one, rather than the TM2 released earlier by HP: http://bit.ly/hp-touchsmart-tm2-comparisson
I hate those PR CGI Vids where you dont get an impression of how responsive the Display really is.
Interesting product though.
I don't know about this. A few weeks ago, somebody told me that netbooks aren't doing anything better than alternative devices.
you cant take notes with a mouse
Keyboard?
I already type faster than I can hand write text, you think I can hand write text in sloppy digital formats faster than I can type? Hells no.
@Evan
It's hard to type graphs, charts, sketches - even formulas for that matter.
@Evan Amen, I can type faster than I can write, but it doesn't take much of an imagination to find out how useful a supplimental GOOD touchscreen/pen input is.
And you even end up finding instant obscure cool-factor stuff, like finding aircraft software online and turning your 1948 Luscombe's ancient avionics into a sweet glass touchpanel with a cheap mount. Then friggen car acts up and you get a cheap OBD2 sensor that can hook up to it, and you have a little diagnostic panel.
@Evan: considering this is a convertible, you have a keyboard when you need it. Having every option for as much functionality as possible is a good thing.
Computing * Netbooks = 0
Just make a good god damn ultralight laptop, and people will buy them by the dozens. For example, the UL30Vt is a good choice, but it will be better when ASUS updates it and adds Optimus tech.
@enstriel people buy netbooks anyway, you are talking like it is collapsing, when in reality it keeps growing. They keep getting better and better (maybe not at speedwe want, but still)
@enstriel
Netbooks are great for many uses.
I carried one for 6 months backpacking around South America. Fitted nicely in the front pocket of my daypack. No way in hell I would have taken even an ultralight laptop and I felt pity for the people I saw in cafes with full size laptops.
@enstriel Wrong:
Trying to utilize it as a normal desktop/laptop * netbooks = 0.
Netbooks aren't made for the normal office use, heavy programs, gaming, storage of large files, etc...
They are great portable devices with a long(er then regular laptops) batterylife for mobile surfing, chatting, listening to music,taking notes (with the touchscreen in tablet mode like this one),...
The laptop you mention is a 13.3inch device. For many people (including me) that isn't ultraportable no more but it isn't really a big comfortable screen to work on for 8 hours a day either. And yes, it's more powerfull then a netbook, but then again it's still not extremely powerfull. Last but not least: it costs almost double than the average netbook.
@MaTdg Netbooks are good for gaming, just different kinds of games. :D
World of Goo, Braid, Peggle, Quake, Sid Meier's Pirates, NES emulator games etc, its no problem for that stuff, especially at the low resolution of its small displays.
I wonder if the 'vga output' is a typo.
I think my wristwatch might have better than vga output.
@savagemike
This commonly means it has an external 15pin VGA port on it. Not that its screen is only VGA or that the VGA port can only do 640x480.
@savagemike
I believe VGA is capable of near full HD resolutions, that being it supports some form of 1080 (not sure if its i or p).
@savagemike
your wristwatch can display 1080p (1920x1080p)
@Brad Green
It supports full 720p, 1080p, though not the best connection as it doesn't support sound, plus there are newer better connection standards available
@savagemike I do 1920x1200 through VGA on my 1000he.
if this works, then it's really great product, I feel sorry for iPad
CPU?
@MikeZ
its a netbook, so...
@MikeZ
CPU: Intel Atom N450 1.6GHz
Price: $650
More Info: http://www.amazon.de/T101MT-Netbook-Intel-1-6GHz-schwarz/dp/B0037QG5M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=ce-de&qid=1265904010&sr=8-1
@MikeZ
1.6GHz Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail processor
1GB OR 2GB RAM
160GB OR 320GB Hard Drive
@Saad Thanks!
I was afraid they'd pull an ExoPC and only use a museum piece as a CPU.
@Saad
This webpage is a bit confusing. I know google translate can suck at times....but it says that the screen is 12.1 inchs while engadget and the asus site says 10.1. Just wondering if you knew anything about this....
@Saad
€499 = $499
Europeans are allways being ripped off because of bla bla taxes and bla bla whatever
@FCells
You have no one but your government to blame for that. :)
It can recognize my hand when writing with a stylus? Now that's a useful device!
@Arkv2
Meh, a video like this has been up in YouTube since November of last year.
Sigh, resistive?
@FauxNews
Capacitive
@ClarkyAC No, resistive.
@ClarkyAC
You Fool ClarkyAC!! You must have read the same news elsewhere which stated it had a capacitive touch screen, and chose to believe them instead of engadget... Shame on You...
@ClarkyAC
10.1" LED Backlight/ Resistive Multi-Touch Panel(1024x600)
Thats from Asus' sites
@FauxNews Resistive is actually the most desirable for any kind of precision, which is what you need with a desktop OS. If it has a digitizer for the pen, this thing is gonna own.
That is the tablet how it should be for me...or how the iPad had should been...i will buy this thing (i am 98.7% sure)