Chinese device maker EKING is apparently working on a new mobile computer that appears to be a sort of touchscreen tablet with a 5 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. What makes it different from all the other touchscreen tablets out there is the fact that you can slide the screen to reveal a QWERTY keyboard.
While the device looks an awful lot like a a smartphone, it actually runs Windows 7 (despite the fact that the rendered images show it running Windows XP).
The EKING mobile computer will reportedly have a multitouch LCD, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3G capabilities.
No word on how much it will cost, when it will be released, or if it will be available outside of China.
via Pocketables
To add a thing to my first comment:
I am not talking about netbooks… I’m thinking the melding of phone type design and netbook power.
Also; I would love to see someone bring out a tablet with a slide out physical keyboard that rotates into a touch screen keypad. Why? Because firstly it would remove the keypad from the main screen area. it would allow the touch screen key pad part to be changeable. For instance; it could be a game controller with game specific buttons. And then moments later be arranged as a photo editor specialized touch pad. Lastly…if the touchpad/keypad part was a pressure type touch screen(so that tools such as a pen or the like could be used) while the main view screen would be the now common conductive touch type. It would be the best of all worlds.
I think this has the potential of leading other PC tablet manufacturers to provide a physical keyboard in their offerings as well. I for one, prefer a physical keyboard to a touch screen keypad. I like the idea of having something with a large capacity battery and powerful hardware running a common PC OS while combining touch screen and a physical keyboard.
It seems awfully small for a Win7 computer. The icons seem like it would be difficult to see and use. Perhaps it would better if they used some other os that does not take up much space and is easier to see?