News Computer-in-a-keyboard goes retro

[WilHarris]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/03...in_a_keyboard/

[Monkey200SX]

so whats the difference between that and a laptop?

[Petor]

the difference is that that is possibly the coolest thing i have EVER seen

[Monkey200SX]

Originally Posted by Petor

the difference is that that is possibly the coolest thing i have EVER seen

but why? all i see is a laptop with removable/detached screen no battery etc

i'd imagine it would be expensive above the price of a laptop, i'd rather a laptop if space was a premium and get better protability

[_DTM2000_]

Certainly reminds me of my old Amiga 500 plus. The "plus" meaning it had 1Mb of RAM!

[LoneArchon]

I would prefer a slim tower over the all in keyboard because that keyboard looks like it is not very confy. But i think unit similar to this have there use such as stated for hosiptials and POS. Also maybe Libarys and Internet Cafe shops.

[_DTM2000_]

The main problem that I can see with this design is it makes the computer more vulnerable to spilages from coffee etc. I guess it's no different from a laptop in that area though.

[EvilRusk]

I can see it having uses. I fail to see how it could possibly be more expensive than an equivalently specced laptop. Most components are desktop ones and having a separate screen would be better for maintenance/cost so surely it would be cheaper than a laptop. There is also more space inside than a laptop so longevity would be improved for high usage environments.

What about security? Well it looks pretty stealable (more so than a tower) but that needn't be an issue. At my school we had Archimedes 3000 for ages and at the end of the day they were all put in a safe storage place locked out of view so the same idea could apply here surely.

[BioSniper]

WoW, Atari ST520 and Amiga 500 days anyone? (though I prefer the a1200 I have here that is the keyboard version)

Still, its nothing special really as essentailly its a laptop in a different chassis?

I guess it does have its uses though.

[ou7blaze]

Seems quite useless, a laptop would be better

[Monkey200SX]

[quote=EvilRusk]I fail to see how it could possibly be more expensive than an equivalently specced laptop. [quote]

New designs normally are for something different from the norm you have to pay for the privilidge

[metarinka]

it does just seem like a laptop without a batter or attached screen , but as long as it was at a competitive pricepoint to desktop machines of similar spec I could see workplaces or schools using them. It does seem more stealable though.

[_DTM2000_]

The company's website say they are "as low a 570" which I assume is dollars. So thats about £330 excluding a monitor and probably VAT and import duty. My guess is it would cost between £600-700 including a monitor and VAT, maybe a little less.

[HandMadeAndroid]

Spills coffe

[lepre]

it's a laptop without the monitor and the battery...i am saying this for a while now...

[mattthegamer463]

So stupid. Unless the combined price of a screen and this thing is HALF that of a laptop, then it would be somewhat worth it. 2gb of ram, but integrated graphics? How unnessisary is that.

[Bladestorm]

I'd quite like a cheap one like this with something in the range of P100-200 (or did they only do 90 and 120 before 200? I can't remember now) for playing all those old games on (Dosbox is good, but it still only gets you so far)

[Constructacon]

Personally I think it's a good idea. You can have your choice of monitors, is readily upgradable using (cheaper) PC components, doesn't use a battery (read less cost to manufacture/buy) and no towers getting kicked/filled with crap on the floor. Sound's perfect for it's intended design. Also people would be more likely to steal a laptop than this. A laptop you just grab - this has several cords still attached making it harder to steal quickly. It also looks just like a keyboard rather than a full computer.

From the FAQ on the site.

3. What happens if there is a liquid spill on the keyboard?
Since the keyboard matrix has a metal tray, this protects the electronics in the base. However, the key matrix must be replaced. Please contact Cybernet for cost details.

So it's not a total loss if you spill coffee.

[hitman012]

People who claim that it's a rubbish laptop replacement clearly don't see the aim of this product. It is not designed to replace a laptop; it is designed for the same reason that you might have an SFF PC. Newsflash: Joe Consumer doesn't want a large tower on his desk at home. He wants something small, quiet and discreet with which he can surf the Internet, check his email and chat to his friends while watching a few videos online.

As far as he's concerned, the humming monstrosity that is a computer tower just needlessly takes up space. Portability and simplicity of design are the goals here, and they are achieved with style - everything is contained in one box. You wouldn't believe how difficult some people find plugging the wires at a back of a PC in, and I can sympathise - to them, it must be a veritable jungle. With this machine, on the other hand, you stick a power cord in the back, plug in a monitor and press "On".

Furthermore, it's small. Not in the same way as a laptop, but it's movable in a capacity that still makes it attractive to consumers - defintely enough to, say, shift it out of the way if you want to write something, or lift it up for some dusting. For this reason, the number of potential applications in commercial situations is also high. Packing the power and functionality of a desktop computer into a much smaller footprint (and, hopefully, at a lower cost) means that hospitals, doctors' surgeries and other institutions can easily deck out their offices with these boxes. If it's positioned at a reasonable price point, this thing is a great idea.

[cpemma]

Originally Posted by mattthegamer463

2gb of ram, but integrated graphics? How unnessisary is that.

The ZPC-9000 is primarily intended for use in hospitals, point of sale, education, financial and factory floor applications.

Non-gamers use computers too. And typists who want a better kb than a lappy's. It's a niche market, but a very big one.