The EeeKeyboard has had an extended gestation period, having first been shown off as long ago as the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, and putting in an appearance at Asus booths in a variety of subsequent events. While the device's physical appearance hasn't changed, a sticking point seems to have been how images would be relayed to external screens such as an HDTV.

Asus' EeeKeyboard

Originally envisioned as having wired HDMI and VGA ports, the EeeKeyboard now adds a ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter -- chipset not specified -- capable of sending HD video and audio to a bundled receiver. By attaching the latter to their television sets via HDMI, users can keep the EeeKeyboard in their laps while enjoying large-screen web browsing and other functionality, says Amazon.

The EeeKeyboard apparently retains the orignally-mooted Intel Atom N270 processor, which, when accompanied by the usual 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge, is not capable of displaying full-motion 1080p images even via a wired connection. Asus has ameliorated this by adding Broadcom's BCM70012, touted as providing smooth HD playback, according to Amazon.

The 16.7 x 5.7 x 1 inch EeeKeyboard is said to include not only a full backlit keyboard, but also a five-inch capacitive touchscreen with 800 x 480 pixel resolution. This screen may be used as a mouse pad, but may also be used to display control panels and widgets, as pictured in the Engadget-sourced image below.

The screen built into the Asus EeeKeyboard
Source: Engadget
(Click to enlarge)

According to Amazon, the EeeKeyboard features 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 16GD SSD (solid state disk), and the device is said to run Windows XP Home. The device includes 802.11b/g/n wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.1, and a gigabit Ethernet port, the reseller says. Other ports listed include wired HDMI and VGA, three USB 2.0 ports, a headphone output, and a microphone input.

Enabling users to move around the room more freely, the EeeKeyboard includes an internal battery that lets the device be used cordlessly for up to four hours, Amazon says. At 2.4 pounds, the device weighs the same as an average netbook, according to the reseller.

Further information

Amazon did not say when the EeeKeyboard will ship, but the retailer is accepting pre-orders now for approximately $600. More information may be found on the Amazon website, here.

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