It seems that we've been waiting for a long time for this one.
We've been hopeful that the Asus Eee Keyboard would be released while we still considered it an innovative piece of kit. It's seemed like a very long wait since we first saw it at CES during January 2009, but Asus executives are now assuring the media that the Eee Keyboard will be ready for consumers starting October.
The Asus Eee Keyboard is a computer-in-a-keyboard device that looks to create its own market much like its predecessor, the Eee PC. Although probably not ideal for playing the latest PC games or rendering CGI graphics, this cool device offers portability, touchscreen technology, and a full set of keys. The Asus Eee Keyboard could be used as a controllable media center for the living room or entertainment area with its wireless HDMI output.
For a deeper look into the (prototype) hardware, check out our previous coverage.
A lot will depend on the price but the wireless HDMI output is pretty awesome.
They will probably also try to make this keyboard with the newer Atom (?N450?) processor. There's already a big demand for this processor, and it hasn't even gone into production yet!
So I expect prices to be steep the first months of it's release.
Does it have a wireless receiver too?
No, Wireless HDMI operates on the 60Ghz Band like the Geigen Wireless HDMI point to point.
Why? It's basically a netbook without the crappy screen.
Memory is soldered onto the mobo, the SSD looks like a proprietary size and connector, and no card reader slots. You couldn't do anything to it except plug in a USB stick. If you really want to upgrade it you should stick with a real netbook.
If I was getting one I would be more worried about the battery size and if I could possibly stick a larger one in. 13.91Wh (1880mAh@7.4v) is going to last barely 30min with 23-25w being drawn. You can't even get through a movie without needing your keyboard tethered to a cord.
It's a great idea for an HTPC, but it needs some real graphics muscle like Pinetrail or Ion. Adding a Silicon Image chip for decoding seems like a band-aid fix, and probably uses more power than Ion. And until it has at least 2.5 hours of battery life while streaming some HD content over my home network, I couldn't consider it a viable option. I'd rather just convert my wife's desktop into an HTPC, get a wireless keyboard/trackball, and not be tangled up in power cables hanging off my keyboard all the time.
The link didn't post. This was from back in July.
Sounds.
Interesting.