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You didn't talk about the touch enough for my taste. How many applications are touch enabled? Obviously you can do web browsing using the Opera browser. But how about doing things other than scrolling, like controlling Hulu video playback. Can you do this with your finger? Are things generally big enough to click on with a finger? How responsive is the touch–ie. is the Atom up to the task here? I want something roughly as responsive as the iPhone, not something that misses a lot of touch screen input or is really laggy.

Can you boot the computer without the keyboard and mouse plugged in and just use it for a certain number of applications with touch alone? Or will it produce errors on boot like a regular computer?

I'd want it to handle some basic tasks–browsing for traffic using Google Maps, a widget for Weather (not running Vista, but I assume some Yahoo Widget would work), a desktop calendar that would optimally sync with existing google or other calendars online like the Pre is supposed to do, even integrating multiple calendars. A phone book. On line recipes. Web video. A notepad application (I assume you can use the touchscreen keyboard, since the notes you've got above look pretty sketchy).

That sort of thing. What do you think? Would it work for this sort of application? Obviously it might be better to wait for a touch-enabled version of Windows like Windows 7 to appear on this.

Is there a name for larger machines using low cost/high efficiency parts? Maybe there shouldn't be…just call them computers and be done with it.

BTW: I am seeing more and more netbooks around. And the more I see them teh more people comment on my netbook. It really is starting to sink into people that these things exist.

For the past several decades – home computer use has followed the model of business
computer use – - at work, you have a spot (desk?) where you do most of your work.
So having a computer for that single (type) of place makes sense.

But a home is usually a collection of rooms with a “for a purpose” theme – -
So the computer that you have in the kitchen and the one in the living room
should also fit with that “for a purpose” theme.

Building these “low cost” – limited resource machines makes a sort of sense -
The day is coming when you will be able to outfit a room with a “for purpose” machine.
You probably don't use the same type/style of chair in the living room as the bedroom -
why shouldn't you have a specific type/style machine for each room?

Just enough power is fine for the right price, if I didn't enjoy the occasional game of CSS I'd be all over one, Quad cores are ridiculously costly overkill 95% of the time.

The Eee Top might be perfect for my parents who are confounded by computers, mostly because the mouse is quite a clunky way to navigate when compared to the direct approach of a touch screen.

My folks would never need to do more than e-mail, web browse, organise photos and maybe a bit of Skype/video chats with their kids/grandkids (who all live at least 90 mins from them) so having big buttons on the screen in the Easy Mode for these functions seems like the best approach. The good looks and low cost also nice make it appalling (pity about those cables though. I agree with J, Bluetooth should have been standard).

Thanks.