ASUS Cancels Eee PC Touch Screen Plans
January 30th, 2008 by antFor those excited about ASUS’ plans to release a touch screen equipped Eee PC, we have bad news. According to this Digitimes article, ASUS market research has shown that a touch screen is apparently not very important to potential Eee PC users. As a result, it will not be included in the next generation Eee PC devices.
This is interesting, as ASUS planned to have the touch screen feature literally 11 days ago. Moreover, estimates put the manufacturing cost at only $15 dollars.
How do you feel about this? Would you have wanted a touch screen in your next generation Eee PC? I suppose we are the market- let your voice be heard!
January 30th, 2008 at 4:50 am
I think this might be a mistake, odds are its a marketing tactic, hold the touch screen until they can play it on a later model to one up the competition. But really, not important? its one of the most talked about mods amongst current users some people enjoy soldering and modding, I don’t like taking chances with a little expensive item and would have paid more to have it factory installed…
January 30th, 2008 at 5:26 am
I just received my Eee PC yesterday. I bought 701 4G. I certainly would have paid more for a touchcreen model, especially if it is such a cheap addition! They have lost an opportunity to beat their growing competition before there are any serious contenders to the Eee PC in the cheap ultraportable market.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:33 am
a pro version ‘701 12G touch’ would be awesome.. I don’t understand it why not.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:35 am
I was very excited when I heard that they where going to release a touch enabled machine.. I was going to hold off to see when they would release it, as i firmly believe that a touch screen would be a fantastic addition to this form factor…
January 30th, 2008 at 5:36 am
I was very excited for it. I was holding off on the risky mod in hopes of an official one. Now I guess I’ll have to do it on my own. I will use touchscreen for Japanese input and handwriting recognition, games, and websites/documents in screen-rotated-mode.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:37 am
An Eee PC with a 10″ touch screen and more storage, would have me waiting in line to buy several. 7″ is just too small.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:54 am
A touch screen may cost an additional few dollars. But what about the additional costs of upgrading software? Not unless they bundle Window Tablet PC. Just my thoughts.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Personally, having used a Newton for 12 years, (but never an eMate), I do not find a touch screen on a keyboard-based device that already has a nifty trackpad. I would find it both distracting and disrupting to suddenly have to reach up and touch the monitor to accomplish a task. (The eMate had this problem–since the Newton OS was originally a touch-based OS, you sometimes had to abandon the keyboard, and touch the screen–never appealed to me). And I would suspect that, were Asus to add a touch screen, they would also feel compelled to make the eeePC dependent upon the touch screen–a major mistake, IMO.
Maybe some people think they would like it, but I jus don’t see it as being a compelling feature–and I see Asus agrees with me. Now, if the eeePC were to abandon the keyboard and touch pad…
Leave the touch screens to devices that need them.
-Jon
January 30th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Touch screen will just give me a greased screen. This device is perfect for carrying around on the job. And the ability to use the keyboard and spreadsheets etc. is the same - touch screen wouldn’t give me a reason more to buy it. My 4G is already ordered, but delayed
The important thing with this machine is stability - and the more special stuff they cram into it - the more things can stop working 
January 30th, 2008 at 6:42 am
The Register had a review of the s.book (based on the Cloudbook-style reference) that features a touch screen, and as part of the review, they compared it with an eeepc. For those not bothered to read the review, they found the touchscreen a bit pointless and somewhat unintuitive compared to just using the touchpad. (Oh and the EEE PC came out on top, in the comparison).
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/29/review_maxdata_sbook/
(The Register are huge fans of the EEE PC, especially the blonde lady in the adverts)
January 30th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I’m disappointed, but truth to tell it not a deal breaker for me. I fully intend to examine the merits and move up to a 8″ or 9″ machines when they finally arrive.
G+
January 30th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I was planning to buy me a second Eee PC upon the release of a 8.9″/touch-screen model. I own a P1510 Lifebook, so I can attest from personal experience that touch-screen works just great in subnotebooks of this form-factor. 701 4G is a wonderful little device that I’m using a lot more than I ever expected to before actually purchasing it, but a slightly bigger display equipped w/ touch-screen would make it into the Ultimate Ultraportable. (Oh. And, Asus, get rid of the fan. Pretty please?)
January 30th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I have to say I am not too fussed about a touch screen, I think a larger screen is much more important - not that they need be mutually exclusive, but I also think price is important too. So a bigger screen please, but keep the price down
January 30th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I’m surprised there aren’t more people who remember the Psions about here, as the eee occupies a similar niche, one would think, to the series 7 and netpad. (But for a fifth of the price!) Anyway, psion showed that with software properly integrated a touchscreen and keyboard was a very compelling combination. However, that is a big *if*. I think Linux and windows software tends not to be well configured for touchscreen use. Not surprising perhaps, but a shame. (I know, I know that there are tablet editions out there. I’ve never used or even seen any. Are they any good?)
And by the by, I had eight hours battery on the series 7/netpad, and an *instant* on and off capability, which meant that in practice one could use one for a couple of days without charging, as when one paused typing to think what to write next one could switch the thing off for a few moments and turn it on again to resume. When, if ever, will Linux or windows finally catch up with that capability?
January 30th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Touch screen was always a ridiculous and unworkable idea which most people couldn’t give two shakes about
January 30th, 2008 at 7:56 am
imho, bigger screen resolution (and possibly bigger screen) is far more important than touch screen.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Anyone saying touch is not good in Eee has never used it..
Even OS is not optimized for touch, it’s pleasure to use.
In many places where the mobility factor of the device is needed, touch screeen makes it even more mobile…
..having a version with touch doesn’t mean it has to be on all models. More options is allways better than none.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:03 am
I’ll take bigger screen over touchscreen any time.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Not a mistake. $15 is a lot when the price point is low. I’m also not interested in a touch screen unless it is multi touch. I’d rather just use a mouse. Besides, if they’re gonna hike up the price of the new model(s) I’d much prefer the money to go towards a higher resolution screen. I’d also like to see a bigger screen more than a touch screen. I’d even be ok if they put the speakers on the bottom of the laptop to make room for more screen real estate. A bigger higher res screen would make the laptop more functional in viewing most big dialog boxes, and most standard website sizes. A single touch, touch screen I feel would be more like a gimmick that’s cool at first but ultimately not used that much.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:29 am
There isn’t much special software needed for touchscreen in linux.
Touchscreen in general is built in to the display configuration…and it’s tried and true.
Linux has also received a lot of “tablet pc” style applications in the past few years.
I can’t say I’ve ever used a linux pc with touchscreen yet but I can tell you that AFAIK, it would be nice and usable.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:02 am
The touchscreen is the only reason why I’m waiting to buy the eeeeeeeeeePC. If there is no touchscreen on the EeePC I will simply not buy it.
My main use for the EeePC would be for public transit and currently when I use my laptop, using the track pad is nearly impossible because when there’s a bump in the road, it makes me click on just about anything on screen which is a real pain.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:46 am
A touchscreen would be really usefull if you could convert the EEE into some kind of tablet PC.. so the screen should at least be able to flip all the way to the back. If you can open the screen not all the way I don’t see why a touchscreen would have much added value (apart from te cool-factor)
January 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I think the touchscreen would be great for other uses.. I’ll be using my Eee in my car, on a bracket right in front of the radio. A touchscreen would make interaction a lot easier. Fortunately the conversion is pretty easy, so I’m not too worried about Asus’s decision.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am
A Touch screen would be great for creativity-software .. I for one would love to use Inkscape with a touchscreen, for example, and all the Linux Audio apps that are out there, with their virtual knob interfaces, would also benefit greatly from having easy-to-use touch-screen capabilities. It seems a bit short-sited to me, but maybe ASUS need to see some examples of people using their EEE PC’s for really creative things before they realize that the mouse/keyboard paradigm is limiting a lot of creative potential ..
January 30th, 2008 at 11:25 am
A touchscreen sounds very user-friendly but I prefer to use the touchpad and the keyboard. Save the $15 manufacturing cost for other improvements such as moving the speakers and making the screen larger.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:36 am
A touchscreen would have been the perfect addition to the EEE. Compared to the track pad, a touchscreen is extremely fast.
Those who say it’s awkward having a touchscreen on a keyboard-based device, I’ve used devices like that, and the touchscreen is great.
True, it’s a pain to get out the stylus if you’re using a word processor or other software where you switch between keyboard and mouse frequently, but any application that primarily uses the mouse would be helped tremendously by a touchscreen.
For example, think of how it would speed up web browsing. Instead of navigating to the link with a track pad, you simply click on it. The track pad on the EEE is for some reason easier to use than the one on my laptop, but it still takes me about a second and a half to navigate to a link and click on it. Compare that to half a second with a touchscreen and stylus.
In other words, use the track pad for those times when you just need to click something while you’re using a keyboard-based app, but use the touchscreen for mouse-based apps.
I was actually disappointed because they announced the touchscreen version the day after I received my EEE, so I was planning to save up my money and buy another one later. I guess I’m glad I didn’t wait after all.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:47 am
For the record, I will buy the first decent touch screen 10 inch machine that is anywhere close to the eeePC I bought a few months ago (4g). Great machine. I want bluetooth and touch and I want it to stay linux. Fifteen bucks additional expense and I would gladly pay another hundred for the option. Do the math.
Make it dedicated tablet and add another hundred. Still a fantastic deal.
Enjoy.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Another thought. Their Imac TV will be a huge hit.
Enjoy.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I would love a touchscreen on my EEE PC. In fact, I often catch myself subliminally trying to use the screen as a touchscreen.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
as ian mentioned psion did this already with a touch screen and keyboard. i loved the psion and kept using it years after they stopped selling them.
however the most annoying thing was when doing a lot of work on it having to pick up a stylus to tap the screen for dialog boxes. most of them you could use tab, esc and enter but some were easier with the stylus. using your finger in place of the stylus meant that eventully you had to clean the grease your finger left in tiny amounts of the screen. typing while holding the stylus was akward. resting the stylus on the device when out and about like on a train or bus was akward.
another issue would also be that if you are traveling while using a stylus you are poking a screen while moving and that can result in damage if there is accelerating and braking. wasn’t an issue when the device is hand held but when the eee is on a table or fixed spot and you are sitting you might damage the screen.
better to not have a touchscreen. my 2c. ymmv
that been said i can see myself getting either the e-monitor or e-dt. i already have a eee and really love the little bugger. my psion has finally been surpassed. only took 11 years.
January 30th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I’d defenitly love to have a touchscreen. The eee’s reduced size leads to reduced comfort when working the keyboard and touchpad. A touchscreen would just remove any complications with the EEE’s small size as far as interaction is concerned. (not to mention remove the need for a wireless mouse for those who lug them along)
January 30th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I think the touch screen would be a nice addition, but really only a must have if the screen could swivel around and lay flay like on a tablet PC. IMHO, without the swivel feature a touchscreen would not be a must have.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I would definitely buy an EeePC with a touch screen… RIGHT AWAY…
January 30th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Id love to see eee with touchscreen, it would be handy, i assume
January 30th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
There’s surely a market for this, so if ASUS wont sell it, then someone else will just have to sell modded ones.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
IMO As a feature touchscreen would be nice, but I wouldn’t use it much. I can live without it.
Eee PC should have different design (something like tablet pc) in order to use touchscreen with comfort.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I think a touch screen would give the eee-pc
more ease to use when it could be turned around like a tablet PC.
Just imagine the possibilities!
January 30th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
As another Ex psion 5 user the touch screen was a great addition (especially if you can use any object as the pointer) A finger/finger nail was good enough for most things and the stylus useful for more accurate work. I never tried using it on the train or in a car but as long as it is a hard screen I don’t see a problem. I waited and waited for Psion to add a colour screen, built in modem etc but the 7 just wasn’t what I wanted (back then it was too big!!!)
January 30th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
That’s bad news for ASUS. Yes, they were first to market and are reaping the benefits.
But this summer and fall, the sub-notebook-as-accessory market is going to get cramped. They should reconsider offering a touch screen sub-notebook if they want to retain their market lead and offer a desirable offering for those willing to pay the premium. $15 for the part but $50 markup in price - I’d pay it. (More use out of it than the camera.)
The upcoming competitors are going to match their EeePC price and probably go lower.
In fact, due to lack of EeePC availability & the news of the Touchscreen, I had decided to hold off until the ASUS 9″ touchscreen was coming out. Now, my hold out will be for the price to bottom out this summer due to EeePC competition.
It’s going to take a lot to pry my $$$ from my hands after ASUS more than doubled their initial price point. I know one of their competitors will even more affordable.
Smooth move ASUS.
BTW, personally having used Palm Pilots and having a Tablet (minus keyboard), touch screens are so much nicer. In fact, the ASUS touchscreen could have been modeled after the Compaq T1000 / T1100. Everything was in the display/tablet. The keyboard was a dockable accessory that could close on the table like a traditional laptop and even swivel. See this PDF for an illustration. (If fact, the ASUS EeePC is about as powerful too.)
http://bizsupport.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01126866/c01126866.pdf
Later, Retro.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Just so you understand, $15 manufactured cost translates into $60 to $90 retail cost. That’s the normal markup that as to occur to get the product distributed and available to sell from retail stores.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I would love to the mod but don’t want to mess it up myself so I would have paid Asus to do the upgrade if it was a reasonable price of course. Oh well - guess I will have to look into the mod myself some more.
I also agree with the last post that the $15 cost would have equaled at least $60 - $90 retail cost.
I was hoping that if this would come to market it would be the same sized form factor but with a fold down swivel screen that would be excellent!! Of course then we would need to have a lite version of XP tablet PC edition ;o)
I would hate to see Asus come on strong like they did and then loose it to their more innovative competitors when it comes to additions.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
meh. i never thought a touchscreen was all that… no biggie.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
People need to stop quoting the parts costs for these kind of things. $15 is the cost of the part alone. Some commenters have already mentioned the potential markup, but also don’t forget that there is a substantial amount of cost that goes into other areas. They don’t just order a crate of touchscreens, and magically have them instantly placed in the eeePC and working perfectly.
No, there’s research, development, creating new plastics for the screen (which costs a fortune, fyi), drivers to make it work, thorough testing, support, etc. All of that translates to an incredible amount of money that need to be gained again, before ASUS can even think about seeing a profit from it.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:04 am
Well if it means they can come out with a bigger higher res screen sooner than good. I’m still waiting for a higher res screen and ideally more HDD space.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:28 am
I sell computers all day. People aren’t really excited about touch screens. It’s cool feature initially but at the expense of screen clarity. The best input is the mice!
January 31st, 2008 at 2:53 am
Mice is not very “cool” in a mobility context. And the eee is so little, it can be used as a big PDA…
The best input in mobility is probably touch screens.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:14 am
Bigger screen + touchscreen. That’s what I’m waiting for. I’ll rethink my decision to buy EEE.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:57 am
Touch screen would have been a no-brainer of an upgrade to my existing Eee.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:03 am
Stupid ASUS, why not? If no reason, then we dealing with marketing retards - not actual engineers. I hope they screw up the EEE PC marketing so we have more competition. Yep. No touch screen sounds great.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:05 am
[...] EeeUser.com ยป ASUS Cancels Eee PC Touch Screen Plans This is a bit disappointing, but I’m glad jkkmobile.com already has instructions for how to install your own touch-screen for the Eee. [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 4:10 am
I worked for a Taiwanese industrial PC manufacturer before. We make IPC with or without touchscreen. I personally think touchscreen is a good or even necessary feature for many applications, but the truth is, the demand for touchscreen PC is much smaller. I think Asus should release EEE PC with touchscreen before their competitors do so, but it still makes sense if they suspend this plan until there is more demand. Why?
1. First, everyone shall agree even if they have models with touchscreen, they shall still sell models without it. For users who don’t need this feature, touchscreen does not only mean a higher price, but a lower performance. Touchscreen reduces the brightness and sharpness of the LCD screen, especially those cheap ones. And touchscreen is fragile. It’s always one of the main causes of sales return.
2. US$15? No way. This can only be the price of the components (the cheapiest one). There are many different kinds of touch technology, and at this price, you will only have touchscreens with the worst quality and most outdated technology. OK, even if you are fine with that kind of touchscreens, as some have mentioned, there is much more cost still. You have to develop a new model (cost of RD resources, which could originally used to develop other products), make new molds (which are expensive), arrange a new production process and schedule (reducing the production efficiency of the factories), spend more on aftersales service (oh, it’ll be a disaster if they really use the US$15 touch kits) and most worst of all, increase your and your distributors’ inventory (if you had ever worked in this industry, you’d have know how much cost this could be). Because of all these reasons, the cost of touch screen should be much higher than it appears. In our case, about US$ 50 premium is charged excluding material cost.
But I would still say go for the touch screen and don’t leave any niche market for potential competitors. Expanding their product line in the emerging market where they accidentally gained dominance is much more important than developing questioned new products such as EEE desktop or EEE TV.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:32 am
Want touch-screen NOW!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:57 am
The addition of a touchscreen is the natural evolution of EEE PC. A must, if ASUS want to stay in competition. Especially since it doesn’t add much to the price, but a lot to the usability of the device!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:59 am
Meee too ! !
January 31st, 2008 at 5:12 am
Props to Kagen for an insightful post.
I already had an EEE PC and I thought it was the greatest thing ever but I gave it away in hopes of getting a second gen. Now I’m sad. I’m still going to get one with a larger screen, but I’m hoping it’ll include Splashtop.
It wasn’t so much the touchscreen I was looking forward to, but the stuff that a hack happy linux community would do with it. I mean imagine the possibilities, especially after seeing what Apple’s doing with their stuff!
January 31st, 2008 at 9:05 am
I want touch-screen too …
January 31st, 2008 at 10:10 am
The touchscreen woud upgrade EEEPc to a much higher class device. I’d be willing to pay much more than the estimated cost to get it.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:23 am
I’m very interested in eeePC, but I decided to wait for a touch screen one.
On this devidec we could have the possibility to handwrite notes, not a real OCR system, only the capacity to get notes and sketches and memoryse them.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:21 am
No, I don’t want a touch screen. A bigger screen, yes.
The eeePC likes to tip backwards anyway if it’s not on a horizontal surface, so without some extra weight, it’d be a nightmare to use.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:49 am
No touchscreen for me either, thanks.
I have an iPod Touch which functions so well as a tactile device - intuitive, slick & amazingly good looking - but I just don’t need this technology on a notebook; and hopefully never will.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I have a netbook pro by Psion Teklogix with touch screen! Touch screen is not a big deal, in my opinion theres no reason to have both touch screen and touch pad. Only advantage of the Netbook Pro is the 8.5h battery .. but then again it runs windows CE which has limited support.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I think there are two camps here in terms of talking about the future of the eee and I would characterize them as follows: the “make it do more things” camp and the “make it do what it already does better” camp. The first tends to argue for more features, more components in the box ,etcetera and usually says that they are willing to pay more for it. The second tends to argue for a better version of what is already there and doesn’t want a price increase.
I’d have to say that I’m in the second camp: the eee as currently configured answers a daily need of mine: having a light device that allows me to go online and blog from anywhere I find myself during the day. My current laptop ( a very small fujistu lifebook) is too bulky to do this, and the interface on my treo is clumsy to do it. I don’t need a lot of hard drive space to accomplish that task, I don’t need great sound quality or a huge screen. I do a lot of image processing, but I do that on my home or work machine. I work on a windows machine at home, an apple at work and I love the possibility of liberating myself from both of those operating systems. So having this machine as a way of familiarizing myself with Linux is another plus. Ultimately I’m not one to want more features over price. My phone plays mp3’s I have an SD card full of them on there, but truth to tell I never use it to listen to them. I use my iPod shuffle for that. So the touchscreen doesn’t move me as an option, because i think the trade off of price versus functions is too high.
I do think that Asus should look carefully at apple as they develop the product line however, because to me the key to Apple’s success is the way that they package software and hardware as user experience. The iPod wasn’t the first digital music player, nor is it the best one or the one with the most features , but the combination of itunes and the ipod was the first simple, comprehensible, non-threatening consumer digital music experience. The first one that mimicked the story of “I want an record, I go to the store, I buy one and I take it home and listen to it.” It’s the same approach that made Kodak Brownie Cameras and the Nintendo Gameboy so successful. The thing is that in order for a company to really do that they have to control a lot of the process: build the camera, make the film and develop the film.
Asus has attempted a similar thing with the first version of the eee - fans love the quick launch time, the portability, and the price. The easy start screen makes for a friendly out of the box experience. And it may well be that there is a big enough market out there of people who need (or like me, want) the web every where they go, and don’t need to do much heavy computing beyond that, that the device will be a continued success. But I think they should look long and hard at what the actual user experience is supposed to be before they start diversifying the line. To me their announcement of a desktop eee is wrongheaded. And I think that price is key: too high and it makes the simplified functionality of the ee look like a liability instead of an asset.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I would also ask everyone’s indulgence of my sloppily edited and non-proofread comment above. I can’t even point to a cramped keyboard as the culprit - just my own haste!
January 31st, 2008 at 9:58 pm
MAN! This is the worst news ever! When I heard they were coming out with a touch screen, I was so excited. I’m an artist and I was looking forward to having an EEE to carry around and doodle on (with a simple drawing application). What a let down!
February 1st, 2008 at 10:06 am
I try to explain better my point. I do not care of touchscreen as a standard input interface for OS, a touchscreen by itself will not add much to the machine.
I am trying to say that I am looking for “something” that could avoid me to carry a pc AND PAPER notebook to handmake sketches and notes.
Today I am carrying om my meeting on my Treo and on a small paper notebook and I would like this two tools to converge in only one device (of course less expensive than a tablet pc)
If Asus can add this feature (handwriting notes and sketches) they will hawe a killer device.
Last point I am begging your pardon for my bad english.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
This is crap. First they tell us this thing will be 200 dollars. Now this. Im sorry but this big excitement has turned into asus taking a big dump on all of us. Pathetic.
February 2nd, 2008 at 1:44 am
The comment of “naylandblake” above makes a good point about there being two opinion camps — “improvers” and “changers”. Both types of comments are useful, because what I, for one, would like to see is for Asus to take both camps into account: making an “improved” Eee PC (longer battery life, bigger screen, bigger HD, etc.) and launching a new Eee PC Tablet that would have the portability and low cost of the Eee PC with the added functionality of a touchscreen.
As a recent owner of an HTC Kaiser/TYTN II (AT&T Tilt) genius phone, I developed an appreciation for the touchscreen, and that one’s only 3 inches. However, the Kaiser screen and keyboard just weren’t big enough for one of the main uses for which I got it: jotting down notes during conferences and lectures — so I’ve gotten the Eee PC 4GB. However, I’d be happy to pay an extra $100 or so for a tablet version of my Eee. I’m not sure about the Linux software options for touchscreens, but given the current interest in tablets, there should be plenty on the horizon.
Whether or not touchscreens and/or tablets interest you depends on your expected usage. Sometimes I want to take notes while standing or lacking a desk/table, and that’s much easier to do with a tablet where you can hold it with one hand and write with the other. At other times I want to be able to touch type. For myself and the artists and others who are looking for a device that can serve as a digital notebook to record drawings and handwriting (and convert handwriting to digital type, if desired) as well as function as an ultraportable laptop, “changing” to a touchscreen/tablet holds great appeal. If you’re only looking for a light, fast, cheap laptop, than simply “improving” the current Eee PC would be preferable.
Perhaps what would be most useful for Asus is for all of us to describe how we use (and would like to use) our Eee PC’s. That would at least give Asus some more feedback about whether or not to offer touchscreens. Hopefully, having more input from current users will encourage Asus to decide that it should give all of us what we really want… the ability to choose.
February 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 am
I don’t know if it’s been brought up or not, but with the size of the Eee Pc, adding a touchscreen could easily allow the Eee Pc to be used to replace binder paper for college/high school students. I know that’s what I would do if if was.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 am
touch screen is fundamental to me
I hope that Asus will rethink about this
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 am
Yes as for me. See the thing for me was when I saw this thing was coming out for 199 bucks, *HOLY CRAP* was the thought that came right into my head. Now its 300, and 400 and 500. No. No. NO NO! The only way their going to get me to pay 500 dollars is a touchscreen, and it would seal the deal if they made it into a tablet. Hell I may consider giving them 600 bucks. But still, I have to have this thing because of all the buzz about it. Seems very nice, but the price just ticks me off.
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
I’ve been on the fence now for buying an Eee pc, for some time. The price hike slowed me down. When I heard about the touch screen I was finally willing to spend my HARD earned money. Even previously considered the mods, and was willing to buy one second hand that’s had it done. Traded in my soldering iron years ago for juggling chainsaws years ago, so not confident of doing the modifications myself anymore. Hopefully they will rethink the option, other wise I’ll continue to wait and keep my eye on ebay. If the itouch had a mic, speaker and software, so I could make skype calls I’d forget about the idea all together. Which is sad since I love the fact linux is on the machine.
Timothy Terror
World Touring Performer.
February 3rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
with a touch screen I think most people will view Eee not as a ‘toy’ any longer, but a serious player in the market, and I’m not sure that’s the best for Asus’s interest …
February 4th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Duuude I would looove to get an 8g with touch screen ^___^. Would pay more for it too =D
February 4th, 2008 at 1:55 am
I’m happy without a touchscreen. I love my eeepc. I added a 16gig thumbdrive mod and if I could have a 10″inch screen with 1024×768 resolution, I would be happier than a hog in a barrel of mud
February 7th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
[...] be quite attactive to many users. I know that I would definately use the feature. Also, with ASUS recently announcing that they will not be having a touch screen Eee PC model, this is also a point of differentiation [...]
February 14th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Why would they do this? A touchscreen is needed in the Eee Pc. The EEEpc needs to be a tablet PC, like the Nokia 800 /810. I like to draw and write notes by hand with the pen tool. I won’t buy an EEEpc until it has a useable touchscreen, and a larger screen.
Asus listen to your customers! We want a touchscreen! and a larger screen! =)
February 14th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Asus also stop hijacking your prices. Your already making a significant profit margin off the people who purchase your EEE pcs for 399. Then you have the nerve to charge us 100 more for 1gb of ram and 8 gb harddrive? fuck that!
March 24th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I, too, really want a touchscreen. I’ll probably buy my first Eee PC in late April, becuase it’s certainly an excellent product as is. But if a touchscreen version comes out with software that uses it, my intern gets my older one and I buy the new one. It’s as simple as that.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Asus have made a mistake. I planned to buy a 900 EEE PC and install it in my car as a Car PC. The touch screen would have made it worthwhile, and useable as a car navigation system, as well as being able to detatch the EEE PC and take to the office or meeting when you get there.
Rustin Wright: You can probably get the touch screen’s software from windows update
I may still get a 9″ EEE PC and fit a touch screen pad myself, it will probably end up being cheaper
Have fun all,
Brian
April 29th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Yes Yes Yes a touchscreen is what will make this wonderfull artifact a winer. And a low light option for ebook reading
June 26th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
If Asus has any doubts about the popularity of a touchscreen, perhaps pre-paid (downpayment) orders can be placed with Asus Providers to show how much interest is out there.