Ah, the ASUS Eee Keyboard. Delayed so long there was a fair chance humans might have evolved not to have fingers by the time it hits the shelves, we’re still unable to actually go out and buy the nettop-in-a-keyboard-with-a-touchscreen but at least we can look at ASUS’ latest promo for the device.
Video demo after the cut
In the video demo, the main focus is the multitouch touchscreen and all the different ways it can be used. Rather than solely positioning the Eee Keyboard as a machine for your lounge, ASUS also want you to know that you can take it into the office and do proper work on it, too.
Last month, ASUS CEO Jonney Shih told us that the Eee Keyboard would arrive sometime this month, though with this particular product we’ve learnt to take everything with a sizeable pinch of salt. Still, there could nonetheless be a market – however niche – for a media PC baked into a keyboard, we’ll just wait until the first reviews to find out.
We’ve seen various talk, leaks and pre-announcement hints about ASUS‘ latest range of Eee Top models, but the company has finally made official their latest all-in-ones. The line-up now consists of five models with 20-inch displays, together with a 15.6-inch variant, with varying levels of multitouch, GPU and Intel or AMD processors.
The ASUS Eee Top ET2010PNT and ET2010PN each us a 1.66GHz Intel Atom D510 processor, with NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics, 2GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. The ET2010PNT has a 20-inch multitouch display running at 1400 x 900 and a 500GB hard-drive, while the ET2010PN drops the multitouch and gets a 320GB drive. Each has gigabit ethernet, WiFi b/g/n and a DVD burner.
Next, the ASUS Eee Top ET2010P has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom D410 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard-drive, along with a DVD burner, 1400 x 900 non-touchscreen 20-inch display and Intel NM10 graphics. Connectivity includes gigabit ethernet and WiFi b/g/n, along with six USB ports and a DVD burner.
The last two 20-inch models, the ASUS Eee Top ET2010AGT and ET2010AG each have AMD Athlon X2 dual-core 250u 1.6GHz processors and ATI Radeon HD 5470 512MB graphics. The ET2010AGT has a multitouch display, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard-drive, while the ET2010AG has a standard display, 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard-drive. Each also gets a DVD burner and HDMI connectivity.
As for the 15.6-inch model, the Eee Top ET1610PT (first tipped back in February), that has an Intel Atom 1.6GHz D410 CPU, Intel GMA 3150 graphics and 1GB of RAM, together with a 160GB hard-drive, gigabit ethernet, WiFi b/g/n and Windows XP Home.
No word on pricing or availability for any of the models, but we previously heard that the ET2010AGT would drop in May 2010
We’ll admit, it took us a short while to figure out the difference between ASUS’ new Eee Box EB1501U and Eee Box EB1012U nettops compared to their outwardly-identical predecessors – each uses Intel’s dual-core Atom 330 processor paired with NVIDIA Ion graphics – but the key is in the connectivity. That “U” suffix stands for USB 3.0, with the EB1501U getting two front-mounted USB 3.0 ports and the EB1012U getting three spread across the front and side panels.
Otherwise the two nettops are functionally unchanged. That means you get a slot-loading DVD burner on the Eee Box EB1501U, complete with gigabit ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, VGA and HDMI connectivity, while the Eee Box EB1012U lacks the optical drive but has the same ports and measures over 10mm thinner.
There’s also plenty of USB 2.0 ports along with eSATA and S/PDIF, a 250GB hard-drive and support for up to 4GB of RAM. No word on pricing for each of the Windows 7 Home Premium systems, but the regular (i.e. non-USB 3.0) EB1501 and EB1012 are currently selling for $480 and $387 at Amazon.
It’s been a while since Shuttle outed their XPC X50 Barebones all-in-one, and so it’s about time that they updated it. Rather than rework the case and change the color, the new Shuttle X50V2 Barebone has Intel’s latest Atom D510 processor, paired with the NM10 Express Chipset, but also gets completely passive cooling and halved power consumption.
That should make for a cheaper, quieter system, and thanks to some new ports the X50V2 is a more flexible one too. Shuttle have added one parallel and two serial interfaces on the back, perhaps not much interest to mainstream consumers but helpful if you’re looking to use the all-in-one for installations.
Otherwise there’s still a 15.6-inch touchscreen – running at 1366 x 768 resolution – and room for a 2.5-inch HDD/SDD; they’ve increased the maximum supported RAM to 4GB, too. Ports include audio in/out, 10/100 ethernet, VGA, four USB 2.0 and an internal mini PCIe slot for a WiFi card. Shuttle are selling the XPC X50V2 Barebone now, in black or white, for €353 pre-tax ($484), and will offer pre-configured versions at some point in the near future.
Press Release:
Version 2.0: All-in-One-PC from Shuttle gets a huge makeover
Power consumption reduced by almost 50% / fanless design means low
maintenance
Shuttle Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of
multi-form-factor solutions such as the world-famous XPC Mini-PC
Barebones, is announcing the sales launch of a new All-in-One-PC. The
second version of the X50 promises impressive, improved features and
additional functions.
Almost one year after its successful introduction, the X50V2 Barebone
is now being launched and will also be offered in future as a complete
system, with a choice of Windows 7 or Linux.
Lower energy consumption is just one of the many advantages of the
successor to the original. For the X50V2 Barebone, Shuttle has chosen
the new Intel Atom platform with D510 Dual Core Processor (2x 1.66
GHz) and NM10 Express Chipset. The new version of the X50V2 is, for
the first time, completely passively cooled and therefore extremely
quiet. The energy consumption of the only 3.6 cm wide PC has also been
reduced by around 50 % at the same time. The size of the supported RAM
has been increased to 4 GB. New features include one parallel and two
serial interfaces on the back of the X50V2, which make it considerably
more attractive for special applications. The practical webcam,
integrated stereo loudspeakers, WLAN (N), card reader and stand, which
can be turned into a carrying handle, are also available with it. The
standardised VESA mounting interface allows it to be fitted to monitor
arms and wall mounts for freely suspended use of the device.
The new Shuttle X50V2 Barebone is available in black or white and is
on sale now. Shuttle’s recommended retail price is 353 euros (without
VAT).
Gigabyte’s external-GPU BookTop M1305 and M1405 notebooks aren’t the only machines relying on a separate graphics boost at CeBIT 2010 this week. Shuttle have brought along their interpretation, in the shape of the I-Power GXT Mini, a compact box fitted – in this case – with an ATI Radeon HD 4650 that hooks up to Shuttle netbooks via a special GXP port that looks a little like a larger HDMI port.
Video demo after the cut
According to NetbookNews, when attached the netbook saw a tenfold increase in graphics performance, benchmarking around 5,000 marks in 3DMark06 compared to around 500 when the CULV machine was tested alone. It’s not just for graphics cards, though; since the i-Power GXT Mini box basically gives you a PCI-Express slot to play with, you can slot in a desktop TV tuner card or a USB 3.0 card. There are also a couple of USB 2.0 ports on the front panel no matter what guts you opt for.
Shuttle will apparently sell both preconfigured versions of the setup, with a video card already in place, and barebones versions. Meanwhile the GXT port itself will be showing up on netbooks and nettops from the company, such as the one demonstrated in the video below.
ZOTAC was among the OEMs named in NVIDIA’s second-gen Ion launch earlier today, and the company has wasted no time getting a new nettop out in the open. The ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 pairs Ion with 512MB of its own dedicated DDR3 memory and an Intel Atom D510 1.66GHz dual core processor, all in something compact enough to hang off the back of your LCD display.
There’s also a DDR2 RAM slot, 2.5-inch HDD bay and integrated WiFi 802.11n, while other connectivity includes HDMI and eSATA. Altogether there are six USB 2.0 ports, together with DVI, gigabit ethernet, a 6-in-1 memory card reader and an optical digital audio output.
The Ion GPU itself is the 16 CUDA core chip, rather than the cut-down 8 core version intended for 10-inch netbooks. No word on when we might see it launch nor for how much, however.
Press Release:
Next-Generation ZOTAC ZBOX Redefines Mini-PCs New ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 redefines mini-PC with next-generation NVIDIA® ION™ technology
HONG KONG – Mar. 2, 2010 – ZOTAC International, the world’s largest channel manufacturer, today redefines the mini-PC experience with a new generation of eco friendly small form factor platform powered by next-generation NVIDIA® ION™ technology – the new ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC. The new ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC supercharges the eco friendly computing experience with premium graphics processing, complete high definition playback capabilities and a premium Windows® 7 experience with Aero® user interface.
Premium graphics processing power forms the heart of the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC with a new Next-Generation NVIDIA® ION™ graphics processor with 16 unified shaders and 512MB of DDR3 graphics memory complete with NVIDIA® CUDA™ and NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technologies for a superior eco friendly computing experience that goes well beyond simple web browsing.
NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology harnesses the power of the NVIDIA® ION™ graphics processor in the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 to energize popular video processing and image editing applications for performance that dominates traditional CPUs. CUDA™ technology also enables support for DirectCompute and OpenCL powered applications on the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 for complete compatibility with general purpose GPU computing applications.
“Software companies took a big step in the last year to enable GPU-acceleration in their applications. Users can edit movies using Super LoiLoScope, enhance the quality of low-quality videos using vReveal and convert video files for use with portable media players using Badaboom with CUDA™ technology and our new ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC using just the graphics processor,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. “Just because the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC is small in size doesn’t mean it can’t deliver big system performance.
The ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC offers robust high definition playback capabilities with GPU accelerated decoding of popular formats such as AVC, VC-1 and Blu-ray movie titles, dual-stream hardware acceleration for Blu-ray picture-in-picture extra features, dynamic contrast and color stretch for spectacular picture clarity, and other visual enhancing post-processing and features thanks to NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technology. GPU acceleration is just the beginning of the high definition playback capabilities of the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC.
Streaming high definition Internet video on popular sites such as YouTube™, Vimeo™ and Hulu™ render smoothly and flawlessly in full screen with the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1. Video stuttering is a faint thought of the past with the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 with NVIDIA® ION™ graphics technology.
HDMI 1.3a connectivity ensures the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 can connect to the latest monitors and televisions with the best visual quality available and support the latest technologies such as xvYCC Color, Deep color and high-resolution 7.1-channel digital surround sound. New xvYCC Color and Deep color technologies enable a wider range of colors and higher bit depths up to 48-bit color when connecting the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 to compatible displays for richer colors and greater details.
“The ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC is perfect for home theater PC use as well daily usage. Watching high-definition movies with premium audio tracks is a rewarding experience with the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC.” Mr. Berger said. “The amount of clarity high-resolution 7.1-channel digital surround sound audio brings to the experience is phenomenal and can’t be put into words.”
The ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PCs deliver a premium Windows® 7 experience with Aero® user interface with the NVIDIA® ION™ graphics processor. Windows® 7 features such as Aero® peek, Aero® shake and GPU accelerated media transcoding is fully supported by the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 for a fully featured premium eco friendly computing experience.
Behind the powerful NVIDIA® ION™ graphics in the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 and is an energy-efficient Intel® Atom™ processor with Intel® HyperThreading technology. A dual-core Intel® Atom D510 powers the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 for a powerful combination that delivers unrivaled performance and energy-efficiency.
Customizing the internals of the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC is quick and easy for end users with a new tool-less case design. Users can simply remove two thumb screws to access the internals of the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 mini-PC and master the mini-PC with ease.
“We designed the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 with our end users in mind. With the new ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 and HD-IS11, users can equip the mini-PC with components of their choice,” Mr. Berger said.
Internal expansion inside the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 include space for a single 2.5-inch hard drive and one 200-pin DDR2 SODIMM slot. Greater expansion is achievable externally via six USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA 3.0 Gb/s port and a 6-in-1 memory card reader capable of reading SD, SDHC, MMC, MS, MS Pro and xD memory cards for limitless expansion capabilities.
It’s time to play with the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 with Next-Generation NVIDIA® ION™ technology.
General details
New ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11
Next-Generation NVIDIA® ION™ platform
NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology
NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technology
Intel® NM10 Express chipset
Intel® HyperThreading technology
ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11
Intel® Atom™ D510
Dual-core
1.66 GHz (667 MHz front-side bus)
Tool-less case design
VESA monitor mount included
HDMI (1080p) & Dual-link DVI outputs
HDMI 1.3a compliant
xvYCC Color and Deep Color support
HDCP compliant
Microsoft® DirectCompute ready
Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 decode acceleration
OpenCL compliant
Gigabit Ethernet
Onboard 802.11n WiFi
Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1 with Shader Model 4.1 compatible
OpenGL® 3.2 compatible
Microsoft® Windows® 7 with premium Aero® user interface ready
You get the feeling that the ASUS Eee Keyboard has become something of a millstone around the company’s neck, a constant reminder of CES 2009 and promises they haven’t, so far, been able to keep. We’ve heard more promised release dates than we’ve had tepid dinners, but at CeBIT 2010 ASUS chairman Jonney Shih has given us another one: he reckons the Eee Keyboard will ship in April 2010.
The innovative nettop integrates an Atom-based PC into a keyboard chassis, along with a 5-inch touchscreen that can be used to display widgets, a numeric keypad or remotely navigate an on-screen cursor. Last we heard it would be priced somewhere between $499 and $599, and have options including wireless HDMI and various amounts of SSD storage. We’re not holding our breath, but roll on April.
NVIDIA have officially launched their next-generation Ion GPU, intended to give netbooks and nettops a graphics boost. It comes as little surprise, given we saw Acer’s Aspire One 532G netbook using the new GPU a few weeks back at MWC 2010, but the company have also announced that ASUS’ 12-inch Eee PC 1201P will use the chipset, as well as more than 30 products from other companies including AOpen, AsRock, Asus, Foxconn, J&W, Pegatron, POV, Shuttle and Zotac.
Video demo after the cut
They’ll include all-in-ones and nettops like the Lenovo C200 and the ASUS EeeTop 2010PNT. NVIDIA Ion 2 is intended to work in collaboration with an integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics chipset; using NVIDIA’s Optimus technology, different workloads can be directed to the Ion or the Intel GPU as appropriate, balancing graphics grunt with power management.
NVIDIA are still claiming ten-times the graphical performance of a regular netbook from the GeForce G210 based Ion 2, along with around 10hrs of battery life (with a 6-cell, 5,600mAh pack) thanks to Optimus’ frugality. The end result is HD- and gaming-capable netbooks, though we don’t yet know what sort of price impact the Ion 2 will have; its predecessor added around $50 to the purchase price of a machine.
Just as netbooks eventually settled to a common spec, so nettops have proved uninspiring with their capabilities; that said, there’s always room for something unusual, and so Lanner’s new LEC-7020 certainly has appeal. The company are positioning the compact PC as an embedded device, but with an Intel Atom N270 processor, GMA 950 graphics and up to 2GB of RAM it’s really no different from other nettops we’ve seen. As for that differentiator, the LEC-7020 has an integrated 3G modem with GPS.
That means that you’re not limited to WiFi or wired ethernet – both of which the LEC-7020 has, in fact there are dual gigabit ethernet ports – and can get a 2G or 3G connection anywhere there’s coverage. Other connectivity includes four USB 2.0, VGA, COM and DIO, while the modem slots into a mini PCIe bay and there’s an internal SIM reader.
Since it’s intended for industrial applications, the side panel opens easily and you can choose between a standard 2.5-inch HDD or a CompactFlash slot. Supported OSes include Windows XP, XP-embedded or Linux kernel 2.6.16 or above, and the whole thing is only 42mm high. No word on how much it’ll cost – we’re guessing it’ll be a lot more than your average nettop.
Onkyo have outed their latest all-in-one desktop, the DE411, a dual-core Intel Atom 330 1.6GHz nettop with a 21.5-inch 1080p Full HD display. The Onkyo DE411 packs 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard-drive, but most importantly it has NVIDIA’s GeForce 9400M – aka Ion – GPU for handling HD video.
There’s also a DVD burner, digital TV tuner (which we’re guessing is Japan-only), 5W stereo speakers (and 5.1 surround sound output) and a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. Onkyo also throw in WiFi b/g and gigabit ethernet, along with VGA and a clutch of USB 2.0 ports.
A multiformat memory card reader and matching peripherals round things out. Onkyo will be offering the DE411 for 89,800 yen in Japan ($984) which seems on the high side, especially since there’s no mention of a touchscreen layer; no word on if it’ll arrive in the US or Europe.
