Hands on with Asus' redesigned Eee Keyboard Despite promising to launch its Eee keyboard last month, Asus has demoed a revised version of the computer-in-a-keyboard, which is now due to ship early next year. Asus_keyboard_antenna_05 Asus has revised the Eee keyboard's features and launch date Among the changes Asus has made to the device are the replacement of its …
Ok, it's a keyboard. May I use it as such (+ trackpad?) for another computer? Any information about that from Asus?
I'm going to need a replacement for my old apple keyboard (a white keyboard may look nice when new...), and if I could replace my old Win box at the same time[1], I could in theory free up some shelf space.
Bye
Markus
[1] I know, virtual win machines exist for the mac - but I need windows only for low cost/hobby PIC development, and the current win box cost me below 100.- € including legal OS and has a real serial port.
.. of carrying around something with a bigger foot print than a netbook, a small screen, less privacy and seems more likely to be damaged than a netbook.
From a nostalgia point though, i love the all in one idea. Takes me backl to my Electron [ i know, no screen] then the keybaord was the computer.
Wasn't there a Wang or Apricot or something like that that had a built in screen int he keyboard..... ?
This post has been deleted by its author
Piloti> Wasn't there a Wang or Apricot or something like that that had a built in screen int he keyboard..... ?
Apricot PC (http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=499): "the keyboard was quite original with 8 "normal" and 6 flat programmable function keys along with a built-in LCD screen (40 characters / 2 lines) which displayed the function of the keys" (see also the Xen and Xi models).
I liked the idea that the function keys could be custom-labelled without the need for a loseable card strip or a second line on the screen - but this was, inevitably, rendered rather passe by high-resolution screens with WIMP GUIs. This seems to be the next iteration of that. It's cool, and it will be interesting to see what developments it inspires ... but right now I can't see it's got anything to offer over my netbook+desktop combo.
I thought I liked the idea of keyboard with LCD but I've been playing with a Palm Pilot Terminal Emulator and decided to slap that on my keyboard as per the Eee design -
Bloody awful ergonomics.
Having not been sure of what use it would be, I'm now not convinced it's that usable if it has a use. It seems neither as good as a small NetBook ( like Asus used to make ) nor a PDA-style offering with a small USB keyboard. Oddly enough, being right handed, it seems to work better with screen to the left; perhaps because that's where I put paper I'm copy-typing from as way past the cursor and numeric keypad is just too far away, and mainly one finger typing is right handed and gets in the way of viewing.
I won't use the "Fail" icon as perhaps it will be better in the flesh. I suspect not, and not likely to arrive at a price I'd pay. I would put money on it coming high in the "Pointless Gizmos of 2010" rankings.
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