@R3vXX It has vga, dmi, d-port, and hdmi outputs in the current version.
p.s. how the hell do i reply to a specific thread ? if i click on the date and then enter my comment there it doesn't tell me it was accepted but doesn't even give me and error. It just goes back to the submission form again.
@Wified The Link is just for playback (of pretty much any non-DRM content you can throw at it, streaming or not). There may be a device based on a similar platform in the future that can do also recording, but it's not part of the near-future plans right now, sorry.
@Corey Yes, you got the overall idea I think However the user interface is simple, but not yet that simple, unfortunately. But we're working on that.
More details: right now the UI can be navigated only with a mouse-like device (the trackball on the built-in keyboard for example, and we're experimenting also with cool stuff like Wii remotes or other gyro mice). Plus you need a keyboard to input search keywords.
However the plan is to streamline it all so that a simple D-pad remote (up-down-left-right-enter) can be used to interact with most of the UI functions -- likely with an on-screen soft keyboard to input text, it's not optimal but if you don't want a real keyboard i don't see any other way (well, actually i do see a few other software ways, but hey are all inferior to an actual keyboard).
When the above will happen is still not 100% sure, it depend on what other features get priority, but it's planned, so it will happen somewhere down the road. At which point we also may (or may not) also sell a version of the device that has just the (maybe gyro) remote in place of the keyboard. Stay tuned to find out :)
@Joe ---- But, really, how hard is it to configure Windows to auto-login and start a browser with the home page set to hulu.com? I guess what really got me was the idea that the LINK will give you access to whatever internet TV they decide to support , whereas a general purpose PC is going to be able to access pretty much the entire content universe, with a little effort in configuration. ----
Well, the Link is not just able to access Hulu and that's it. One of the main advantages is that it can pretty much access _any_ internet video content source that's out there (at least the flash based ones). It's not tied to any one of them in particular, like other devices that enable "hulu support" or "youtube support". It strive to give you access to as much content as humanly possible.
Plus, one of the major advantages (at least for the average user) is that it has built-in integration with the neuros.tv service. This service makes it easy to search for episodes of your favorite shows across the majority of video providers out there and play them. It also allow you to keep track of your favorite shows and get notified when there are new episodes out and give you access to them as internet video as soon as they get published (regardless of where they are published).
All of this out of the box and you can access it from your couch with the wireless keyboard/mouse combo, at basically the same price as the EEE B202 unless i am mistaken.
Though I have to admit i like the design of the B202 cases, it's pretty neat. I was actually looking to get one of them, but not for media, just as desktop thin client.
(disclaimer, I am one of the Neuros guys, in case it wasn't clear yet. Just wanted to clarify that)
One reason may be since the link has HDMI out, the EEBox doesn't. It has more USB ports too. I'm sure there are other hardware specs that be compared in a similar manner that some would prefer. Plus it has a keyboard that you can already use in a place that's not your desk.
And finally it comes already setup to make it easier for you to access the Internet TV content, you don't have to mess with installing anything, configuring anything, it's already good (of course you can customize as much as you want).
Now if you're a DYI kind of person that might not be extremely important you you, but for most people it definitely is.
Because a PC is usually noisy and bulky and your girlfriend will try to kill you if you only think about putting one near the TV ? Wii and PS3 are completely different type of devices, not really focused on making it easier to access internet TV, not to mention the Link is a completely open device, can't say the same of these consoles.
@Ian: it's aimed at developers for now. As the article say, it's not an end-user product from Neuros, but it's mainly for 2 categories of people: - the hackers that want to build their own set top box - the companies that want to create an end-user product based on it
Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I love my little computing companion but I often find myself missing a full sized keyboard. I have been looking at several of these portable and flexible keyboards, but I can't seem to make up my mind about which I should buy. I don't want the keyboard to be overly expensive, but I want it to be good quality. Also, how difficult is it to type on these keyboards? Thanks!"
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It has vga, dmi, d-port, and hdmi outputs in the current version.
p.s.
how the hell do i reply to a specific thread ? if i click on the date and then enter my comment there it doesn't tell me it was accepted but doesn't even give me and error. It just goes back to the submission form again.