Asus Eee Top
Can Asus' touch device give us a taste of the future of Windows?
The Eee has evolved again into a neat Apple iMac-like desktop PC, but where the £200 Eee Box offered a barebones approach, the Eee Top is a PC/monitor combo with touchscreen input.
The original Eee netbook was impressive enough, but the Eee Top trumps it technologically: it's a fully fledged and stylish desktop with a tiny footprint – perfect for the lounge or kitchen as a second PC.
We loved the system's looks and build-quality, and were pleasantly surprised by the resilience of the chassis. However, the Eee Top is all about the screen and at this affordable price point it's heartening to see that not only is it bright and clear, with an unusual resolution of 1,366 x 768, its touch capabilities are every bit as good as the best smartphones or tablet PCs around.
This is aided by Asus' excellent adaptation of Windows XP; there are some smart features that make the most of the touch medium.
MusicRadar Rating
Pros
Very accurate touchscreen. Intelligent customisation of XP. Reasonably priced
Cons
Should come with wireless peripherals
Verdict
Brilliant concept, well built and hopefully will be the first of many touchscreen desktops
Review Policy
All MusicRadar's reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
Specification
Features
1.3M pixel Webcam
Display resolution
1366 x 768
Display size
15.6
Display type
TFT
Drive speed
5400
HDD capacity
160
Installed RAM
1024
Memory card compatability
Memory Stick MultiMediaCard SD Card
Operating system
Windows XP Home
Speaker details
4W Hifi speaker x 2 + SRS Premium Sound System
Weight
4.3
