Photos: Asus' latest netbooks, e-readers and touchscreen tech at CeBIT
Waveface, Skype phones and designer laptops make an appearance in Hannover
Taiwanese hardware maker Asus, best known for bringing the netbook to the mainstream with its Eee PC range, had a huge stand at the CeBIT technology trade show in Hannover, Germany this week.
Along with the usual array of netbooks and laptops, Asus used the show to give the first glimpses of its DR-900 Touch E-Reader, its experimental Waveface touchscreen technology and some other interesting gadgets.
Shown above is the Waveface Light, a concept laptop design which can be used in the traditional way or be converted into a tablet PC by removing the physical keyboard and opening the device up fully, as shown on page two.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Here you can see the Waveface Light opened up in tablet form, with the keyboard removed to double the screen size.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Shown here is the Waveface Ultra, a concept touchscreen phone that can be worn on the wrist like a watch or folded flat to become a candybar handset.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
The Ultra can be folded flat as shown above so that it resembles a mobile device similar to the Apple iPhone.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Asus also chose to unveil its new DR-900 Touch E-Reader at CeBIT.
Here you can see the menu page from which users can select the book they want to read.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Users can also rotate the E-Reader screen to enable them to read in a landscape view.
The touchscreen e-book reader sports a nine-inch electronic paper display, a 2GB or 4GB internal hard disk as well as optional wi-fi, HSPA (3.5G) and WiMax connectivity and built-in speakers.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
The E-Reader will also be available in black and white.
Details about pricing and availability have yet to be released.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Asus' Videophone Touch, a touchscreen Skype phone, was also on show at CeBIT.
Users can dial by touching the relevant person's name in the contact list and the screen displays a live image of the person on the other end when the call connects.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Shown above is the Eee PC T91MT, the first Asus netbook to feature touchscreen technology.
The screen on the device supports multitouch gestures and rotates as shown above.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
The netbook runs on Windows 7 and is just one inch thick. Users can navigate menus using the touchscreen as shown.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
This is the Eee PC Seashell designed by industrial designer, Karim Rashid. The so-called "techno-chic digi-wave" design is soft to touch and available in bright pink should users so desire.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
At CeBIT Asus also showed off some devices tailored towards children, including this Eee PC Kids netbook, which features Walt Disney branding, parental control settings and is simple to use.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
Asus displayed some of the internal workings of its devices including this Matrix graphics card.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
The Asus stand also included an interactive wall exhibit called Dream Flight.
By touching the screen, users attract these green graphic segments which they can then move around or scatter across the screen.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com
For more from CeBIT, check out this photo story of pictures from the trade show floor.
Photo credit: Tim Ferguson/silicon.com