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.
If you're a regular Crave reader, you know about the runaway popularity of the Asus Eee PC, the grandfather of the Netbook category. But the company's attempts to roll that success into a small-form-factor desktop, the Eee Box, have thus far fallen flat.
That hasn't stopped the company from trying to make a splash in the so-called Nettop category. According to a report in DigiTimes, Asus is readying a new version of the Eee Box that will feature a budget-minded Celeron 220 CPU instead of the Intel Atom found in earlier versions. Asus will also increase the hard-drive space in the new model, going from 80GB to 120GB.
According to the report, the processor change will drop the cost of the Eee Box to $240. The company seems to be hoping the lower price point will present a better value proposition than the previous version, which at $350 couldn't compete with similarly low-cost desktops and laptops.
You click OK on a message while surfing the Internet and suddenly your computer is full of malicious software and viruses. That's bad. What could be worse worse, however, is when your brand new computer comes preloaded with malicious software.
Some Asus Eee Box PCs have been recalled in Japan.
(Credit: Asus)Tuesday, according to ChinaTechNews.com, Asus announced a recall of it's Asus Eee Box PCs that it had sold in Japan because it was shipped with a virus.
The computers had a file called recycled.exe, residing on the D drive. Once executed, the file would copy itself to other drives, including USB drives, and install malicious software from the Internet. This causes the computer to slow down and exposes it to security threats.
Li Yusheng, an Asus representative, told ChinaTechNews.com that the incident was an accident and affected only the production line of Eee Box PCs sold to Japan. Li also said that apart from the recall, the computer maker will impose stricter measures on production line management and software protection.
While the virus is disturbing, the good news is that only about 300 allegedly infected Eee Box PCs already sold in the Japanese market need to be recalled.
(Credit:
Asus)
Asus has announced its first-ever motion control wireless joystick that the company is calling the Eee Stick. Now where have we seen this before? Ah that's right; it's almost an exact copy of the Remote/Nunchuk combination that you use with your Nintendo Wii. The Eee Stick uses a 2.4GHz RF USB dongle and requires two AA batteries for each controller.
The Eee Stick will allow you to "get into the swing of gaming" as it will be bundled with certain Eee PC and Eee Box products. While the Eee Stick will work with any PC, Asus recommends using it only with games designed for the device (which come packaged along with it). Unfortunately, there is no information about what any of these games are or what they actually look like.
The Eee Stick can operate in three modes: 3D Motion mode will emulate any movement along any axis on screen, Pointing mode will be used as a "light gun," and Tilt mode, which will sense movement forward, backward, and to the sides.
(Via Engadget)
(Credit:
CNET)
We understand that fast performance is not necessarily the point of the Asus Eee Box, but as we say in our review, which posted this morning, why pay $350 for a dog when you can spend $400 on a shockingly better budget midtower? If it's the small size of the Eee Box that has your eye, we'd encourage you to go for the Eee PC or a similar small and cheap laptop instead. At least you can carry one of those with you, and with the same degree of environmental friendliness.
We're not saying we'll never see a cheap, super-small PC that's worth your time, but unlike all-in-ones, these tiny budget systems don't compare well with their traditional PC counterparts. That goes for you, too, Dell Studio Hybrid. We want to like PCs like you, but so far you're making it hard.
Asus new Eee Box super small form factor desktop.
(Credit: Asus)Word got out a little early this morning regarding Asus's small Eee Box, so we can share what we saw in a preview in our offices a few weeks back. The small, Wii-looking PC will hit the U.S. via online retailers (and perhaps a few specialty brick-and-mortar shops) later this year.
The listed dimensions of the unit are 8.5-inches high, 1-inch wide, and 7-inches deep, standing upright on its included stand. It can also lie down flat.
Official specs are as follows:
- Operating system: Linux System/ Hardware Compatible with Windows XP
- CPU: Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz, FSB 533)
- Memory: 1 GB / 2 GB DDR2
- Hard drive: 80GB / 160GB 5,400 rpm
- Chipset: Intel 945GSE + ICH7M
- Integrated graphics chip: Intel GMA 950
- Networking: 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN, 802.11n WLAN, Bluetooth optional
- Media card reader supporting: SD, SDHC, Mini SD, (Micro SD through adapter) ; MMC, MMC plus, MMC4.x, RS MMC, RSMMC4.x (MMC mobile through adapter);MS,MS PRO
For its rear ports you get two USB 2.0, one Gigabit LAN, a DVI output, left and right audio line out with S/PDIF, and an input for a WiFi antenna. There is no optical drive, but the Eee Box does feature a user removable hard drive to simplify upgrades and repairs.
Asus is selling a variety of other Eee Box configurations around the world, but it will have three available in the U.S. One for $269 comes with 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and an unspecified version of Linux. Another Linux-based model comes with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive for $299. Finally, a Windows XP-based version with 1GB or RAM and an 80GB hard drive will sell for $299.
When it comes out later this summer, the Eee Box will complement Asus' much-talked about Eee PC laptops, and it will compete directly with Shuttle's KPC K-4500 Linux desktop. While none of those systems are exactly mainstream, they're all known for low prices and a surprising amount of features for the dollar.
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