ASUS Eee Tablet: a notepad with impressive 2450 dpi touchscreen sensitivity (updated)
By Thomas Ricker 
posted May 31st 2010 3:31AM
posted May 31st 2010 3:31AM
Don't call it the Eee Pad, this is ASUS' Eee Tablet -- a digital notebook with a 2,450 dpi touchscreen and lickity quick 0.1 second page turns on a backlight-less TFT-LCD offering 64-levels of grey. As such, ASUS is calling its Eee Tablet one of the world's most accurate and sensitive note taking devices available. The other being paper and pencil of course. While the Eee Tablet will serve up texts and ebooks for reading just fine, ASUS is really pushing the note taking feature with built-in notepad templates and the ability to store, sort, tag, and annotate your notes on the fly. It comes packing a MicroSD slot and 2 megapixel camera for snapping lecture slides which students or professionals can then annotate and then sync back to a PC over USB. Battery life? 10 hours -- so yeah, it's not E-Ink... but then again it's not E-Ink.
Update: Uh, ok, we've received clarification here at Computex. Apparently, when ASUS says "a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen" they actually mean a 2,450 dpi input sensitivity. In other words, annotations probably will feel like writing on paper, or an 8-inch 1024 x 768 pixel panel, anyway.
Update 2: We've just been told to expect the Eee Tablet to cost somewhere between $199 and $299 of the green stuff when it launches sometime in September.
Update 3: Lookie here -- we've got a hands-on preview up, video and all.
Update: Uh, ok, we've received clarification here at Computex. Apparently, when ASUS says "a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen" they actually mean a 2,450 dpi input sensitivity. In other words, annotations probably will feel like writing on paper, or an 8-inch 1024 x 768 pixel panel, anyway.
Update 2: We've just been told to expect the Eee Tablet to cost somewhere between $199 and $299 of the green stuff when it launches sometime in September.
Update 3: Lookie here -- we've got a hands-on preview up, video and all.
ASUS Provides Tomorrow's Technologies Today at Computex 2010
Innovative Eee Pad and Eee Tablet extend ASUS' leadership in Cloud Computing
Fremont, California (May 31, 2010) ASUS' leadership in innovation and design will once again be the focus at Computex 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan. ASUS will proudly showcase a wide range of products across five major categories: cloud computing, gaming, enthusiast-level PC components, multimedia and green computing. As a technological leader in cloud computing, ASUS offers a broad lineup of cloud-connected devices featuring on-the-fly data and multimedia sharing capabilities that consumers crave in today's market.
The Notepad Goes Digital with the Eee Tablet
Innovation meets cloud computing at Computex 2010 with the ASUS Eee Tablet. With a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen, the Eee Tablet is one of the world's most accurate and sensitive digital note taking devices, and gives the user the feel of writing on paper. Users can select one of the built-in notepad templates and have the option to store, sort and tag, organize or browse through them. Real time text annotations can also be made on-the-fly. The Eee Tablet makes reading easy, with text file page turns taking just 0.1 seconds-nine times faster than the page turns of normal e-readers. Reading documents or books remains easy on the users' eyes even after prolonged viewing periods.
The ASUS Eee Tablet features a built-in 2 megapixel camera that captures detailed images, letting the user grab screenshots of lecture slides and write notes on them instantly. It easily syncs up with a PC or notebook via USB or Micro SD to ensure that all notes, content, and calendars are constantly kept up-to-date. With up to 10-hours of battery life, the Eee Tablet has enough power for a variety of tasks. At the end of the day, users not only have an electronic notepad, but a media player and e-reader as well.
Innovative Eee Pad and Eee Tablet extend ASUS' leadership in Cloud Computing
Fremont, California (May 31, 2010) ASUS' leadership in innovation and design will once again be the focus at Computex 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan. ASUS will proudly showcase a wide range of products across five major categories: cloud computing, gaming, enthusiast-level PC components, multimedia and green computing. As a technological leader in cloud computing, ASUS offers a broad lineup of cloud-connected devices featuring on-the-fly data and multimedia sharing capabilities that consumers crave in today's market.
The Notepad Goes Digital with the Eee Tablet
Innovation meets cloud computing at Computex 2010 with the ASUS Eee Tablet. With a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen, the Eee Tablet is one of the world's most accurate and sensitive digital note taking devices, and gives the user the feel of writing on paper. Users can select one of the built-in notepad templates and have the option to store, sort and tag, organize or browse through them. Real time text annotations can also be made on-the-fly. The Eee Tablet makes reading easy, with text file page turns taking just 0.1 seconds-nine times faster than the page turns of normal e-readers. Reading documents or books remains easy on the users' eyes even after prolonged viewing periods.
The ASUS Eee Tablet features a built-in 2 megapixel camera that captures detailed images, letting the user grab screenshots of lecture slides and write notes on them instantly. It easily syncs up with a PC or notebook via USB or Micro SD to ensure that all notes, content, and calendars are constantly kept up-to-date. With up to 10-hours of battery life, the Eee Tablet has enough power for a variety of tasks. At the end of the day, users not only have an electronic notepad, but a media player and e-reader as well.
looks hot!
Hot is unfair for this thing
@zorro This is one of the most impressive gadgets I've seen in a long time. Way to go ASUS.
@zorro Looks good, but there's some confusion on the spec.
If you read it, what it really says is 'the drawing accuracy of the digitiser is 2450 dpi' not 'screen resolution it 2450 dpi' which would be ridiculous (but awesome if true).
@zorro Hot, but I don't see myself using one as a student.
Like he said, nothing beats a good ol' pen(cil) and paper for note taking.
@Outsider actually a good flame could beat your pen(cil) and paper... With this you could save your notes on your computer, on a cloud network, etc...
@Skwidwerd More useful tablets like the ExoPC and the Eee tablet should be made, not like the iPad which is just a status symbol but doesn't do much.
@zorro
Would be great if the tablets use something like InkSeine that Microsoft Research has been working on.
Youtube vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW1PGq4_7eI
Microsoft Research Page: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/inkseine/
@Billy i want one now!
@Billy
this thing is more useful than the ipad? You're a fucking moron. This thing takes notes, plays music and is an e-reader. THAT'S IT.
It doesn't play movies (unless you enjoy black & white movies), stream music, play games or anything else. As a music player, you would have to be pretty desperate to use this as a music player. As an e-reader it has every disadvantage of the ipad, being LCD. And doesn't even have a backlight so forget about using it without good lighting. Seriously, you Apple haters are just ridiculous. Your mindless kneejerk anti-Apple reactions ooze stupidity.
@zorro
Would definitely come in handy for students - I would have loved something like this back at university. Just make sure it can read all those Office files (and save them to pdf/ whatever after notes are taken). This could be a hit, especially since with the price they're planning.
@tonicboy
far more useful for people do a lot of drawing stuff like me
@zorro
Not yet.
It MIGHT look hot if it will come with the right OS and the right UI .
For all we know it may end up running win DOS 3.1
@tonicboy
If you learned to draw pressure sensitivity is everything and the ipad cannot offer that, regardless of how fly the youtube sketchbook pro vids look, this thing seems to be pressure senstive.
For making ngineering notes this is the best, I've tried with paper notebooks and a wacom bamboo but this looks like my dream come true device.
For me this is like the ultimate solution to declutter my desktop: It tags notes, it is precise.
I want!
@tonicboy
Thanks to prove that ipad is only for entertainment, not for using in school.
You should read the article and find out this device's target market before commenting. An ipad is not good for that market segment.
@Outsider
*Sigh* this is a good product but only serves to remind me what the Courier could have been...
@Billy
Funny, my iPad does a lot more than this eee pad does. That's not the point, though - this will be cheaper, and will be good for drawing. It's more like an e-book reader that you can sketch on.
You should probably think before you make comments that make you look insane.
@zorro Well, it looks good, although if you're looking for an erader only I think their dr 950 does the job already. http://j.mp/dr950-from-asus
@Outsider
As a student, I respectfully disagree.
I can't stand paper. Kludgy stuff.
Tablet PC + OneNote is a godsend for me. I just write or draw it in, and it's there, like pen and paper. But I'm not limited to the size of a sheet of paper. It's also easier to edit, easier to duplicate, and easier to sort. I can even search my digital ink handwriting without converting it to plain text first-it's recognized in the background and indexed.
The Eee Tablet recognizes the importance of an active electro-magnetic resonance pen (Wacom being the leading provider) in a tablet, thankfully. However, the grayscale screen is a drawback, albeit one that may likely be necessary for long battery life.
Being priced at $200-300, while about right where it should be, still leaves it competing with old HP TC1100, Toshiba Portege M200, and Motion M1400 Tablet PCs on eBay. The portability and battery life will have to really set the Eee Tablet apart for it to be worthwhile over even those old Tablet PCs.
Video please
EAT IT WACOM. This will def get me back to art and design. I've been waiting for this since the early 90's.
@(Unverified)
i really very much wish that wacom would provide the pen input sensor technology for this - unbeatable...
@(Unverified)
+1
Agreed but to add a few more thoughts:
When it has a colour screen. is pressure sensitive and bluetooth/WiFi capable connection to my primary computer , so I can hold it like a real drawing tablet - I will be interested.
I think it is a start at what has been hoped for since
@MizuInOz
is this not pressure sensitive? I cant find out either way?
If it is not I'm going to cry myself to sleep tonight.
@(Unverified)
If the old reliables; pen, paper, canvas, etc. didn't keep you interested in "art and design", you're probably better off saving your money.
And what is up with these colorless pads posing as sketch books???
64-levels of grey = yawn... & a pointless step in my creative pipeline.
Nice but does the display support enough shades of gray?
Sweet cuz pogo stick and iPhone not too good :-)
This was 1250 dpi 2 minutes ago !
@fiduce it got the engadget upgrade(tm) :)
@fiduce I dont suppose you read the developing foot note
I peed...
@Chaosdivine
sounds like you should've worn an iPad
@weirdo557
LOL!
@Chaosdivine It's a lamp!
@Son Goku
;)
@Son Goku
Your eyes are tricking you.....that is no lamp!
lol
@Son Goku
Damn... that took a long time for me.... I was disgusted by that picture all the time... Now I found out it's me that's disgusting...
sigh...
@weirdo557 This is a priceless comment
okay but how much does it cost?
@Faceless Troll Your name says it all
-1
I still don't understand the point of all these tablet devices.
@derekdevine
who cares if you get it or not.
@derekdevine This is for ... drawing -_-
@derekdevine
I'm sorry, but I kinda agree, and don't know why you got rank-destroyed.
I love tablets, and am really intrigued by this one, but who is the market?
Its probably too little battery life for students unless they are religious about charging it. Its not color, so it's not going to be a popular consumer thing, the (pressure) resolution is great, but anyone who cares is going to go for a non-mobile graphics tablet which is presumably cheaper, or need color.
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see more note-oriented tablets, but unless this thing is $300, who really is going to care?
As a note Asus... Gorilla glass please
Hmm, can I control my PC with this?? If I can, Asus, you can have my money.
@spaz1
??? WHY ???
That's much too much ;-)
2450 dpi is more than lazer (or inkjet) printing !
Could you please ask your edler brother to check your math calculation twice ?
I am loving it!
1st to ask if it plays doom...
You know... for old time's sake.
But seriously... what is the dealio with that screen?
It is e-ink or lcd or something new or just wtf is going on?
And how much does it cost?
And when will it be here?
Damn it, engadget!
Quit teasing people!
@savagemike : Yes you can play post stamp doom in full hd !