EeePC Keyboard Gets Priced, Launching February

By Jane McEntegart
published

For real this time? Let's hope so!

The EeePC Keyboard was one of the more notable announcements at CES last year. It made a splash in 2009 and then just seemed to linger in product launch limbo. Now it's 2010 and the device is making news again. This time, Asus says we'll see the keyboard in February. What's more, we've got a price for it too!

Just to jog memories – because this thing has been around f-o-r-e-v-e-r – the Eee Keyboard is basically a nettop in keyboard form. The idea is that you hook it up to an external display via either VGA or HDMI. It's got a 5-inch touchscreen display in place of the number pad and it packs Intel's Atom N270, 1GB of RAM, a 16GB SSD (with the option to upgrade to 32GB), and a built-in battery that's said to last up to four hours.

PC Magazine reports the Eee Keyboard will be available in February for between $499 and $599 depending on configurations.

Who wants one?

More on CES 2010

Jane McEntegart
31 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Silmarunya
    Way overpriced for what it offers imo. After all, my mobile phone can do most of the things this will do easily, and the few things it can't can be done much better by the PC that's in front of me...
    Miniature pc-like devices are nice, but not when it's supposed to be used... in front of a proper PC!
    Reply
  • blackbyron
    "nettop", what does that mean? Or the word is mispelled?
    Reply
  • thackstonns
    blackbyron"nettop", what does that mean? Or the word is mispelled?
    A nettop is a netbook but in desktop form. Basically a byom.(bring your own monitor)
    Reply
  • Socnom
    meh. at that price, better to combine the cost of your eeePC with that and get an entry level gaming/entertainment laptop.
    Reply
  • Computer_Lots
    Didn't Apple and IBM both do this with the old tan boxes in the 80's with 5 1/2 inch floppies. They were pretty much keyboards with the computing guts underneath and an external screen. Now, why did we abandon this design.... Oh, yeah, because if you break a key on the keyboard, you have to replace your computer. Keyboards are $5 and the computer costs 100's. It just doesn't make sense.

    If you need portability, then get a laptop.
    Reply
  • Computer_Lots
    Oh yeah, and what's the battery for? If there's no screen, how do you use it when it's not plugged in?
    Reply
  • insider3
    Starbucks: "We now provide monitors for your EeePC Keyboards"
    Reply
  • pbrigido
    I wanted one last year, but then I tried to think of what I would use it for and couldn't come up with anything. If the price was at least $100 lower and had Nvidia's Ion inside so it could play back HD video, I would be enticed.
    Reply
  • _r_d_
    Sounds like the reemergence of the Commodore 64
    Reply
  • commodore 64 any1?
    Reply