Asus held a launch event for several of its newest computers in Germany today. And Sascha Pallenberg from Eee PC News.de was there to check things out. He got some one on one time with an Eee PC S101, which I believe he fell deeply and madly in love with. And he also got to hang out with an Eee Top desktop computer, which is an all-in-one PC that sort of looks like an iMac. But unlike the iMac, it’s powered by an Intel Atom chip, runs Windows XP out of the box, and has a touchscreen. And it turns out it also has an Easy Mode interface much like the GUI Asus slaps on its Linux based laptops.
While the Eee Top isn’t exactly a netbook, it definitely bears a family resemblance to the Eee PC line of laptop computers. Like the netbooks from Asus, the Eee Top packs a lot of computer into a small space. And as you can see in the video after the break, it’s designed to be easy to use by people who aren’t used to computers, thanks to a unique program launcher application that makes it easy to find and start applications designed for communication, work, and other tasks.
For some reason I just don’t see the appeal of touchscreen PCs. Seems like more work than just using a mouse or trackpad … For pocket computers it saves space if you can eliminate the keyboard, but on a PC it just adds cost and doesn’t seem to have any benefit outside of very specific applications.
I had the same thoughts today while reading about HP’s TouchSmart desktop PC and upcomming full size laptop with giant finger icons covering the screen. I think these are maybe a marketing thing because of the popularity of the iPhone.
But lots of netbook fans like to add touchscreens just because they can and for whatever special purpose, like maybe ebook reading, etc.
I’ll second that. I don’t see the need. However, I think a Desktop made like the Nintendo DS would be worth a look. Touch screen keyboard.