ASUS EeeKeyboard gets really, really official
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 1st 2010 9:53PM
posted May 1st 2010 9:53PM
[Thanks, Sal]
posted May 1st 2010 9:53PM
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I still don't get it.
@chrisaroz - Mavis is rolling in her grave! The whole point of learning to type was so that you didn't have to look at the keyboard.
@chrisaroz crapgadget nominee.
asus being asus.
don't get me wrong, i love asus products from their form factor to style to design. but they have got to get their act together about releasing products. most of their great concepts become vaporware, and viable products take ages to come out, to the point that they've become obsolete. case in point: eeekeyboard. would have been cool a year ago, but now it's underpowered and underwhelming. another example, ul30jt, i've been waiting for it to come out since january.
@chrisaroz Could you use this in conjunction with a desktop? I mean as a standalone computer it seems silly but as a super keyboard it could be win.
@RLBurkes Strangely enough I've been wondering the sane thing. It'd sure give my G15 a run for it's money.....
@RLBurkes A $500 keyboard? Look, Cybernet has been making and selling computers in a keyboard for years in the back of PCWorld magazines, and no one has ever raved about them. It's a stupid idea. Asus sticks a little screen on one and people get excited? WTH? It's a ridiculous idea! Keyboards are $15!! Spend $500 on a small form-factor desktop that you can upgrade in 2 years and you'll be way ahead of the game.
@chrisaroz In the way I'm imagining it the screen is a key part. Price is high now but at $199 this could be sweet. Pair it with your favorite desktop OS and have a touch panel control/mini screen for widgets and i smell win. I spend around $100 for my keyboard so i they got the price and market or this worked out it could be rad.
@Eraser exactly. i have been waiting for UL30JC since january. i dont care for anything else unless its better than that (for example, a 1600x900 or 1440 res screen on a core i5ulv with 5850 or 5650 or with optimus gt330m or fermi mobile)
and drop the unibar button ffs!
@chrisaroz
And I'm really really don't want this - even for free
@RLBurkes
Silly? Why? Does the whole net-top form-factor sound silly to you? :) I mean it's just a net-top...inside a keyboard. What's so bad about it? And having a additional screen for widgets and stuff is good either. It's similar to iMac, but instead of putting all the guts inside the monitor, they put everything inside the keyboard..
@Zeak
What's not to get?
It's an All-in-One computer with the components stuffed in the keyboard instead of the monitor. Whatever computer you buy is going to have both a monitor and a keyboard so it's simply a matter of choice which one you want to put the components in.
With that said, the keyboard seems to have a lot of advantages.
-The keyboard is a much cheaper component than the monitor so it brings down the price of the system.
-Many people already have decent monitors so giving them another one is redundant, a keyboard on the other hand is almost a disposable part for most people.
-The keyboard is a lot more portable than the monitor.
This system makes perfect sense for people who have a laptop that they lug between work and home, but in both locations have that laptop sitting on a desk and plugged into an external monitor (ie. my wife).
@Eraser the ul30jt is delayed because intel decided not to yet release the chip it was supposed to use...which is why there are no other laptops with that chip out either...hardly ASUS' fault there.
The eeekeyboard did take way too long but that's one product out of the bajillion that asus makes...not really a pattern of anything.
whatever happened to the external video card for laptops that asus showcased like 3 years ago? how about the bamboo laptops they show off every year? i mean, they're great products, just i never seem to be able to buy them...
Finally
@Zane
It took its time. I just went to Asus' site and clicked Products -> Eee and there's no mention of it there though hehe
Not that I'll be getting one, it doesn't run OSX ;)
I would definitely look into getting one except for the $600 price tag.
Diary of a wimpy keyboard!
Definitely considering getting one.
@Devin
As am I. I think it's neat.
@stridermt2k I'm thinking of installing a dedicated XBMC on it and building a touch ready skin for it. Uprank if your interested and I'll make time for the project (hopefully)
@AdamSpruijt
sure, why not :D
+1
@Devin Just saw a video on Youtube, it doesn't seem to have legs to increase the height of the keyboard and they said that it needs to be plugged in for power. I think this is like Apples new mouse, you better try it out first so you see that it fits you.
@AdamSpruijt If you put xbmc, you'll be bound to your tv. Unless they put some wireless Video stream of sorts
Should have been android ASUS
@JeremyBenthem Why? So we can run some widgets on our TV? lol
@sys3175
it would have been cheaper, better battery life, more apps than just product specific widgets, and anyone who wanted this specifically for windows should have been looking into netbooks or culv laptops anyway
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EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!
Even captain pollution doesn't have that many highlights
@CaptainPlanet
Get your comics knowledge straight!
That touchscreen would've been perfect to showcase Windows SideShow.
how many links con you put on a post...
I think it's a good concept...i just don't think it's really useful if you have a smartphone.
@Stevenk It is a computer, not a phone.
Who the hell come up this idea!!! Not interested at all!!!!!!!! I would get a netbook or iPad rather than this crap sorry
@henrytai72 Does an iPad have wireless video and audio streaming to a TV? Actually for that matter.. name an equally priced netbook which does.
@sys3175
1) Name me 1 tv or monitor with that technology built in. Even if you can, I wouldn't buy it especially for that function.
2) If you don't have it built in you need a reciever wich you connect to the tv/monitor with.... a cable...
3) It's not a standarized way of outputting video: you need intel harsware and windows-only intel software.
Conclusion: I couldn't care less about that 'wireless video and audio'.
@MaTdg The TV has HDMI that is all that it needs. This has a receiver. You're a moron.
@DonnyChi91 I know it has a reciever and that's half my point: you have to fiddle with a second device that has a cable anyway and it's not a standarized way of transmitting video/audio.
Why not buy a laptop/netbook with HDMI out, connect that to a tv and use a bluetooth keyboard/mouse for input? You can use the laptop on its own without extra devices and you can use the keyboard for any other bluetooth keyboard compatible devices.
You are a moron if you buy into this crap if you ask me.
@MaTdg By that logic, do you also question the people using HTPC's?
@Schmich I don't get your point: A HTPC is closer to my example of a laptop/netbook near a tv controlled with wireless mouse/keyboard than this device.
Really, I would have rather had windows on it, does anyone know if there is such a thing? and reason would be to replace my aging p4
@Murkurie
iirc, it runs windows on the external video out (vga or something), and android on the built-in screen
@Sirius It uses UWB video output up to 720p through a supplied HDMI to UWB adapter. If you have never seen this before it is quite amazing technology.. wireless somewhat hd video and audio streaming. The battery in the keyboard being good for up to 4 hours..
That would definately be one keyboard I wouldn't want to spill anything on.
@hollis
Yep, well I guess this is my goodbye to my wet keyboards fetish.
When are they going to make keyboards that have e-ink keys? Or do we have to wait on Apple to add it to the MacBook Pro line or some keyboard and then everyone will think it's a good idea. I can't wait till iPhone has OLED or eink / epaper buttons because then after a few months I can get an Android phone which has an e-paper button .
@JS
The iPhone has 4 buttons already:
1. the center button
2. the power button
3. volume up
4. volume down
3 & 4 are like one button in current iPhones .. but if that stolen iPhone was any indication it looks like we might have 3 & 4 being separate in the next gen iPhone.
In addition to those buttons it also has a switch (for the ringer).
@JS Like the optimus maximus but with tiny e-ink screens (and hopefully not a huge pricetag). Buttons change characters or symbols according to your language or program (hotkeys for mediaplayers for example)
Great idea, I could use such a keyboard :)
Y'r wlcm fr th mmrs ngdgt