Getting Excited About the ASUS Eee Keyboard

Written by: Simon Hill • Edited by: M.S. Smith
Updated Nov 5, 2009 • Related Guides: Playstation 3 | ASUS

The ASUS Eee Keyboard is an innovative new product which is about to hit the market. Read this article to find out why you should be excited.

What is the ASUS Eee Keyboard?

The ASUS Eee Keyboard heralds yet more innovation and stylish design from the successful company best known for their budget laptop and PC ranges. This time their target is the increasingly popular Home Theater PC market (HTPC). This clever device is basically a wireless PC inside a full QWERTY keyboard with a 5 inch touchscreen. Think of it as a fancy remote control which sits on your coffee table and allows you to access all of your entertainment and the web as well.

Specifications

click to enlarge

The ASUS Eee Keyboard has a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16 to 32 GB of SSD storage. It supports Wi-Fi at 802.11 b, g or n together with Bluetooth 2.1 and Wireless HDMI. It also has 1 HDMI port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 VGA port and audio in and out. The touchscreen supports a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. The whole package is wrapped in a lightweight stylish body and it doesn’t look much bigger than a normal keyboard. It is also likely to run Windows 7 operating system. These specs are not fully confirmed though.

Convenience and Style

ASUS have really thought this one out. As more and more products offer us access to the web and wireless connectivity with our entertainment media in all its many formats, few of them combine an unobtrusive aesthetic with terrific functionality and ease of use. You can watch HD movies, listen to music or browse the web on your large HDTV using this device. You can type easily thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard, which is essential for messaging and browsing. Compared to the virtual keyboard on something like the PlayStation 3, this is going to be a breeze to use.

Many HTPC devices are deliberately disguised because people don’t want a hulking PC sitting in their main room. For the same reason some people may be put off by having a keyboard on their coffee table. ASUS have made it look as attractive as possible with a brushed metallic finish, but it is still a keyboard. Personally I feel the added convenience of having a full keyboard in terms of usability is well worth it, but then again I’m happy to have a hulking PC in my main room.

Release

The ASUS Eee Keyboard is set for release this month (October) but it has already been delayed once before. The exact price has yet to be announced but if ASUS can make it competitive then the device is sure to be a big success.