Asus unveils Celeron-based Eee Box

The new Asus Eee Box B203 is powered by the Intel Celeron processor instead of the Intel Atom featured in previous versions.

(Credit: Asus)

Asus has beefed up its Eee Box line with the addition of a Celeron-based B203.

As expected, Asus' new Nettop is largely unchanged from the B202, but it features a budget-minded Intel Celeron 220 CPU, instead of the Intel Atom found in earlier versions. Asus also increased the hard-drive options in the new model, offering a 120GB and 160GB version in addition to the 80GB offered in previous versions.

The B203 comes with four USB ports, a flash card reader, a DVI output, and Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Nettop runs Windows XP Home, but Asus recommends Windows Vista.

Pricing wasn't available on Asus' Web site on Sunday night, but the processor change is expected to drop the cost of the Eee Box from $350 to $240, allowing the small form-factor desktop to better compete with similarly low-cost desktops and laptops.

[HlLLARY CLITON]

kinda cute

[t8]

Just another box touting Vista. What a disappointment.

[Rants&Raves]

Why ?

[ddesy]

Why?

The Eee line is designed to be a cost effective, energy efficient line of computers. Windows Vista is pretty much the opposite in that it is bulky, still slower than XP, and designed so that only the most expensive version is full featured. These two ideas are pretty much opposites.

[Mr. Dee]

Most of the base features of Windows Vista Home Basic will suffice most consumers. It comes with Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Backup, Parental Controls, Windows Defender, Workgroup Networking, runs all third party applications that run on the premium SKU's. This PC is clearly targeted at the consumer, the only thing you will find in other Vista SKU's (premium ones) are Domain Join, XBOX 360 support, MCE and File encryption. Vista is not slow either, its slow when you are running it on 512 MBs of RAM, but give it a minimum of 1 GB or 2 GB which is really cheap and your opinion about the OS falls short.

[Penguinisto]

Most of your thin clients are made for business customers... and this is basically what it is - a thin client.

*** would a company need with their users having access to, oh, MovieMaker? Parental controls? Photo Gallery?

[Mr. Dee]

Penguinisto:

You need to read the articles before you comment. The Asus Eee Box runs Windows XP Home Edition. Clearly unsuitable for a Company, since it does not support Domain Join (Active Directory), Remote Desktop and File Encryption things even the smallest of small businesses use.

So to conclude, this is a consumer desktop Penguinisto and Vista will do just fine on it for most consumers too.

[Penguinisto]

I know what the article says. I also know that it's a non-starter for home users, who would more readily buy a new machine, then give the old one to the kids/SO/whomever. Therefore, guess who will end up buying most of the things?

Also, Asus ships it with XP, which says a whole lot more than their "recommendation" ever does. Their "recommend" is mere marketing jargon, which is put on every Windows OEM. If the OEM "recommends" Vista, and puts that "recommendation" promptly on the product pages, MSFT kicks back some cash to the OEM. Standard operating procedure, etc.

[sanenazok]

Why? Even at $250...why not spend a $100 and get a desktop with a multiple core processor with actual cache memory!

[TheGeekReview]

Because it is very difficult carry a desktop tower, monitor, keyboard and mouse with you everywhere.

[sanenazok]

This celeron-based machine is a desktop that needs all of these things....

[bertie_basset]

Horses for courses. Someone who needs it can spend more for more power. This OTOH can be attached to the back of a TV, and then you can't see it or hear it.

[SHADuck]

vista HB sucks so much, my next pc- nb will be non-vista, probebly non win. if the company doesn't care for its lesser offerings as much if not more than its expensive offerings, it is not worht to buy such.

NOTE I OWN MSFT SHARES