Chicago (IL) - An all in one computer is great, stylish and packed full of features, however for simple every day use they can sometimes be a little lavish. That was until ASUS released the wallet friendly Eee Top (ET1602). At $600, this touch-based kitchen computer will not cost consumers an arm and a leg. It's affordable, but some reviewers claim it might not be worth the cost.





The ASUS Eee Top PC, shown atop an intended kitchen backdrop. Note how difficult the mouse would be on this surface.


Aesthetically the PC is stylish. It's got a glossy white, semi-opaque keyboard and mouse and the computer rates high on the coolness factor. Reviewers have said the device is actually quite light weight, and plastic-like. The unit is slim and fits perfectly on top of a counter. With a 15.6 inch screen, six USB ports, a 1.3MP webcam, a memory card reader, and integrated Wi-Fi. In short, the PC is packed full of features.



The Eee Top comes with dual operating systems. Users can choose to boot up in either Windows Mode (which is a touch based version of XP) or the humorously named Easy Mode (which is an extremely icon heavy and task based derivative of XP). Reviewers have claimed that there is not much of a difference between the two, and navigation on the device is simple. Dragging and clicking are an easily completed task, and the screen sensitivity is remarkably fast. Reviewers boasted the accuracy of the touch interface, but complained about the on-screen keyboard, the awkward stylus, and the fact that the device is not equipped with multi-touch navigation.



The unit shipped to reviewers with Intel's 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and an integrated GPU. For casual computing the Eee Top performs well, however due to a lack of power the device probably isn't capable of higher-end performance.



The Eee Top is perfect for casual users, those surfing the web, checking email, and doing word processing. Reviewers complained that while streaming video was sometimes poor, for a countertop device to be used in the kitchen (or otherwise), its feature set is there. If they can fix the streaming video issue, the device would more than likely prove ideal.



For the price, the Eee Top is great for all casual computing needs. At only $600, Asus really gives it an edge up on its all-in-one competition.