Asus Eee Top All-In-One Touch Screen PC Tested

MojoKid writes "Asus recently announced a new addition to their Eee PC family of low cost desktops and notebook products. The Eee Top ET1602 builds upon the popular line of Asus Eee-branded products by introducing an all-in-one desktop form factor, complete with a 15.6" touch screen. Like the Eee PC netbooks that preceded it, the Eee Top ET1602 is built on an Intel low-power Atom platform, with the 945 GSE chipset. Other features include an integrated webcam and 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4W speakers with SRS Premium Sound enhancement, and a flash memory card reader. The touch screen interface demonstrated in the linked video shows it has some novel features and functionality built into its interface. The product is essentially a lower cost competitive offering to HP's TouchSmart line."

One mans opinion... A tad to expensive, but nice.

[hyperz69]

If this had been just 100 less at 499 I could see it flying off the shelves. This is the market segments that people hunger form. Low power, easy to use, cheap computers!

I really wish they had gone Linux though instead of XP. Also wish they would have gone ION / Dual Core Atom instead of the dated 945 and Single Core Atom platform.

Just like early netbooks though, while not a full winner this is a big step in the correct direction. I look forward to the next generation.

P.S. *Sorry I posted Anon before, somehow I was not logged in ;\*

Re:Why would anybody want a touch screen?

[twmcneil]

Who said anything about a desktop? I think this machine should go in the kitchen. Just stick it to a cabinet door and behold! A $600.00 recipe book with p0rn.

Actually, I like the idea but it's bit expensive after you add some more memory to make the Atom suck less.

wow

[Anonymous Coward]

4W speakers with SRS Premium Sound enhancement

Anyone else find that funny? It's like bragging that your car has a 80hp 4-banger, with twin turbos.

Re:essentially a lower cost (599) competitiv

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Most likely because Ion wasn't available when they started work on design/preproduction, the 945 is really cheap, and an extra 10 or 20 watts makes a fairly minimal difference in a desktop scenario(sure, better for your power bill and the environment; but people don't really factor that into their buying decision, unlike battery life, which counts).

Great alternative

[ps60k]

At about $599, the Eee Top ET1602 is relatively expensive considering its performance

True, but this is ridiculously affordable for small/medium businesses looking to incorporate touch technology. Similar touchcomputers purposed for business use can easily run north of $2000 a pop.

I help run an average sized family restaurant, and we use an old ink-and-paper ticketing system in the kitchen. I have been toying around with the idea of replacing it with a homebuilt touch-based interface, hanging a couple touchmonitors where the ticket rail sits. This move would help me eliminate paper, ink, and printer maintenance costs, not to mention giving my technically-inclined kitchen staff a new toy to play with.

So far, the costs of the touchmonitors alone have been prohibitively expensive, but a product like this one could allow me to realize my idea. Being able to acquire a touchcomputer (not just touchmonitor) at a fraction of the cost definitely catches the eye of any business thinking about implementing touch-technology.

This thing is very promising. It's almost perfect for my application. I don't need speed or any bells and whistles, I just need something touch-enabled, networkable, and self-contained. This is awesome. I will definitely be watching this thing closely.

Re:Great alternative

[thechao]

Make sure the touch screen works through pressure and not some electric effect. If it's in the kitchen you'll soon find you need to put some sort of saran wrap on the computer because the back-splatter from grease will coat the damn thing. Also, make sure the covering is easy to remove and replace, as this will need to be done fairly regularly, depending on your menu. We had a similar problem for a small company w.r.t. children and food.