At Computex ASUS was showing off a small “handwriting pad” that recognizes Chinese and English, numeric and sybmol characters. The external handwriting pad I imagine would make sense for Linux users where there’s no reco.

If more companies add handwriting recognition to their Linux distributions, Microsoft may need to free up its tight grip on its version of the technology–especially to facilitate its use in schools where price is often a big concern.

Jkkmobile has been busy. Today he posts instructions on how fairly easily to add touch to Asus’ Eee PC 700. He says he also has touch working on the Eee PC 900.

I’m thinking it’s time to invest in some Eee PCs. Now if I could just “ModBook” an Eee PC, add multi-touch with an EM digitizer, I’d really be happy. Where’s the DIY N-Trig digitizer when you need it?? I’d be all over this. Times 10.

Word is spreading that Microsoft’s Ultra-Low Cost PCs (ULCPCs or ULPCs) pricing program will not support touch.

JKKMobile offers up some choice words/advice for Microsoft.

Let’s be clear though that we’re talking about unnamed, leaked sources here. Also, from what Microsoft mentioned publically earlier, they’re basically offering deep discounts for XP Home. By definition, this exludes Tablet bits (essentially) and domain join. For me, touch gets less interesting at this point. In fact, encouraging touch without Tablet could dilute the Tablet market, I guess. XP Home knocks out schools using these as Tablet PCs in any organized manner as well. I’ve already blogged about my thoughts on this. However, schools can always decide to pay a little extra for the Tablet bits and Vista and a machine that can run it reasonably well. This is just an incentive program.

And we’re really talking about a competitive nudge against Linux. That’s what’s motivating this. We’re not talking about where Microsoft’s heart is. We know no more or less whether Microsoft is committed to low-cost Tablet PCs or Tablet PCs in education.

Of course, the problem here is that in its battle against Linux, Microsoft is going to be discouraging Tablet sales and disouraging the notion that Tablet features should be everywhere. This collision course looks unavoidable. To me, it’s not a question whether Microsoft should be blocking touch on ULCPCs, it’s about whether they should be encouraging Tablets and Tablet features to be low cost. For us Tablet advocates, well, we’ve got more work cut out for us. Now, not only do we have the unwelcome $200+ premium for the digitizers, we have an additional price premium for the OS on the low-end.

Oh well, maybe these low-cost PCs will flop and we can all go back to $1500 UMPCs.

As Asus launches its 8.9″ Eee PC today, there’s news that Asus is planning on a 10″ Eee PC for later this year. I’m sure the news will be welcome by many.

In a comment to a post about the news on Gottabemobile, someone asks if there’s going to be a Tablet PC version of the larger Eee PC. There isn’t any indication of this, but I wish it would be the case. I’m not talking about a resistive touch overlay here; I mean I’d like to see a true, low-cost Tablet PC along the lines of an Eee PC.

The market I see for a device like this would be in education and as a companion device for large-form-factor notebook and desktop users. The price has to be low here though–something in the under $500 range. A clone of the TC1100 would be a killer design, but there are many other possibilities. Now wouldn’t that be something?

What’s funny here is that a Tablet version of the Eee PC would be everything that the UMPC was supposed to be–primarily a low-cost Tablet that can be used as a companion device. And what’s especially funny is that the original Eee PC is essentially a UMPC with a keyboard and the resitive digitizer removed. I know, it doesn’t make sense.

Currently I’m looking to MIDs as my future companion device, but a 10″ Tablet might fit the bill nicely too. Is it time for me to hold my breath? Hmmm.

Jkkmobile has all the fun. This time around he’s getting a chance to try out the new Eee PC 900 and he’s looking for advice on what to look out for.

I’m particularly interested in two things: performance and touch. I realize touch isn’t going to be available at least for right now so that’s a bummer for me. On the performance side, I’m curious to see how the 900 works out under XP. What’s the boot time like? The resume from sleep time? And so on.

I’m looking forward to news from jkkmobile.

The other day I got the opportunity to have some hands on time with an OLPC and Eee PC–side-by-side. I wasn’t able to take pictures, but there are a couple of impressions that are plastered in my mind.

First, the OLPC seemed like a brick to me. I realize it’s supposed to be durable. But it feels heavy. It’s awkward to open. I can’t type on the membrane keyboard. Quite simply, first impressions were not impressive. Bootup and the screen itself were OK, but I didn’t get a chance to try out the apps. It looks OK, though, from what I saw. After I left I was kicking myself that I didn’t try writing anything on the touchpad. What was I thinking?

The Eee PC I had seen before, but when placed next to the OLPC it took on a new glow. It’s lighter. The keyboard is more “real” although it is very small for my hands. Bootup times and the like were OK too.

Now both machines are slow for me. But that’s just me. And I realize that the Eee PC is not a ruggedized machine.

However, if I was picking one for a kid I know–I’d go with the Eee PC. That’s just my 10 minute hands-on impression. 

I added a few more links to OLPC and ASUS EEE PC sites which should help to broaden the content on the Tablet PC/UMPC micro-conversation list. I wonder if I should call the list something else. It’s not just about Tablet PCs and UMPCs although there is a large group of blogs and news sites on these topics. Overall, the list groups together a variety of technologies: mobile, Tablet PC, UMPC, MID, OLPC, and Microsoft Surface. Hmmm. What one or two words can describe what they have in common?

This all reminds me, I should include e-Book readers, such as the Kindle. I need to make that addition in the morning.

Who knows which rumor is true, but according to Engadget, the next generation Asus Eee PC will not boast touch. My money is on touch appearing somewhere in the Eee product line nonetheless. Call me a touchy-feely optimist.

Digitimes has more on this breaking news. Sure enough it also reports, that none other than AsusTek president Jerry Shen, has indicated that touch is being put on hold:

“Shen also pointed out the company’s market research has determined that touch screen is not a highly demanded feature for Eee PC customers, and therefore it will suspend plans to include the option of a touch screen panel in the next generation of Eee PCs”

I’d add that the right kind of touch can make all the difference. In particular, Asus needs to go take a look at their friends over at Toshiba to see what touch they’ve included in their UMPC-like device. It packs many of the same gestures popularized by the iPhone, such as pinch and rotate. I’d expect these features to filter over to the Eee world too.

I’m guessing that cost is a concern, but think about it, let’s say 4 million or so Eee’s get touch–the cost is sure to go down. That’s the kind of thinking that Apple has pursued quite well with its flash memory and now touch capabilities.

Then again, I can understand Asus being cautious here. They’re probably just testing the waters with their toes.

Digitimes is reporting that ASUS is pricing out what it would take to build an Eee PC with a 9″, resistive touch display.

The article suggests that touch would add about $15 to the cost of materials. My guess is that it would be lower, but I don’t really know.

Cost aside, what I’d really like to see is a 9″ display with capacitive touch equipped with drivers that support gestures and multi-touch. Then we’d be talking. I imagine the price would be too high, for this up and coming technology.

Rodfather twitters: “wow flipstart is $699 now”

Walt Mossberg on Asus Eee PC: “The Eee is a valiant effort, but it still has too many compromises to pry most travelers away from their larger laptops.”

Some hot news at CES was that Everex would soon (by the end of January) start shipping its $399 Everex Cloudbook/UMPC. Engadget is reporting that the unit will be available through Wal-Mart.

I haven’t seen the Everex model per se, but Via did bring along a Packard Bell machine, which is of the same lineage (FIC has one called the Nanobook too), to the Tablet PC Gathering yesterday.

With the ASUS Eee PC, OLPC XO, and now the Everex notebook things are really heating up in the low-end notebook space. Will this help to bring down the cost of UMPCs? We’ll have to wait and see.

JKKMobile is at it again. This time he adds 3G HSDPA connectivity to his ASUS Eee PC.

Note: This mod consumes an expansion slot in the bottom of the case so it won’t work with 8GB models, but still it’s clever as can be.

The Linux crowd of UMPCs is growing. Everex is to sell a 7″ UMPC with an ASUS Eee-like keyboard and form-factor.  A couple of differences? A 1.2GHz Via processor, 30GB harddrive, and built-in touch. A developer version should be available for $400 around the first part of January.

I imagine this device will run XP just fine and it’ll be interesting to see if Vista is friendly to it. We’ll have to see.

Is anyone else thinking that these devices are making the current generation of UMPCs overpriced? Yep, me too.

Would you like an Apple with your EeePC? Well, here you go. Dan over at UneasySilence was able to get OSX running on an Asus EeePC.

It sounds like he has WiFi and sound, which is good. I’m not sure what else is working. He does point out that the OS runs a bit sluggish, but that’s to be expected. The main part here though is that it installs at all on such a minimalist machine.

(Oh how I wish that the EeePC had a digitizer option.)

With the predicted low cost (starting at $199) of the ASUS Eee PC I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t going to be a breakthrough product that challenges the UMPC market.

It’s all going to depend on how well the Eee does in the market. If it takes off–if people say to themselves, heck, what’s a couple hundred, it’s worth checking out–then sales of Eee’s could be quite attention getting and UMPCs are going to look mighty over priced in forum flame wars.

Am I going to get one? Probably. What I’m tyring to find out first is if I can replace the display some way with one that has a digitizer. So far, no word. My guess is no, but I thought it’s worth checking into. If the prices truly do come in around $300 maybe I’ll see what I can do anyway. I have a hammer, hehehe. Even if I can’t get a digitizer into it, I guess I can live with an external digitizer and Windows XP Tablet Edition–assuming it’ll install and there are drivers. (I figure I can write my own shell as needed. I really like the simplicity of the one ASUS has been demoing.)Of course, using an external digitzer wouldn’t give me touch, which I think is a required element in a small form factor like this. Oh, well.

Yes, price can matter. However, the real test will be whether the device functions as well as the early reviews are suggesting. Is it as responsive? As easy to use? Networks as needed? Survives on battery as long as advertised? This is what I and everyone else will be watching for.

One thing is for sure, this is a product to watch out for. Will it be a game changer? Will it be a milestone in the transition to more mobile computers? Could be.