Rumors indicate Eee Box will be called EBOX, coming June 3

What we have been calling the Asus Eee Box looks to finally have an official name. Based on unnamed sources, the Inquirer is reporting that the desktop PC will be called the Asus EBOX. As already speculated, they are saying it will be revealed on June 3 at Computex. Specs also look to be what we've been told already: 160GB HDD, 2GB RAM, and a Linux OS. Nothing much more to see here, but we're hoping Asus will give this thing a competitive price for those looking to tinker with a slick open-source box.

[thef1re @ May 25th 2008 7:15AM]

How about EeeMini i.e EMini
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Steve @ May 25th 2008 6:28PM]

Min-EEE?

[OneLove @ May 26th 2008 4:31PM]

I love my girl friends EBOX and she loves my WII!

[John @ May 25th 2008 7:23AM]

Eeerie

[Ethan @ May 25th 2008 7:30AM]

Just add an e every time a new model is released. It'll be really easy to distinguish if the brand continues to be popular.

[The King of Poland @ May 25th 2008 9:57AM]

Worked for that fruit company

[Homeboy @ May 25th 2008 7:34AM]

Will there be an ePhone?

[Dave @ May 25th 2008 7:48AM]

That would be awesome. A really small and cheaply priced phone with all the basic features you need, but nothing fancy and of course a Linux UI.

If you have a really big jacket you could fit your lappie, your phone and your desktop in your pockets!

Will it ever come a 3g eeePhone?

[Deed @ May 25th 2008 7:56AM]

Read: Old Nokia. Or one them old Samsungs clamshells that are really small with a monochrome display. Still a good reception as well if I recall. From this, I reckon there wouldn't need to be anything EEE-like for a phone.

Anyway on this PC, it's a slight pity that they had to dumb down the design slightly to save money/stability. They came up with some fancy design, which they tried to preserve with the sort of floating stand, but had to use a basic rectangular shape instead of a fancy ovular base, among other things.

Oh well, that doesn't matter because the case should still look neat in person.

[bartoron @ May 25th 2008 9:09AM]

It looks like a Wii on a stand.

Hey, what do you know... Wii rhymes with EEE.

[Baz @ May 25th 2008 9:12AM]

Let's see - a Mac Mini knockoff with a generic OS (poorly supported by ASUS, as is their wont).....

I'd consider $150, tops - less if it included a piffling (see current crop of Eee and HP mini-books) processor.

[N30 G30 @ May 25th 2008 9:53AM]

you truly believe apple created small computers?

damn, apple really does have the best marketing strategies.

[Ninjakamster (XBL: RNK2K) @ May 25th 2008 11:37AM]

Amen, when Mactards see the gapped keyboard style on laptops like the Vaio TZ, they think they ripped off the Macbooks, yet Sony was the first to use them in the X505 (also thinner than the MBA with more ports!) back in 2003.

[Jonny2hats @ May 25th 2008 9:18AM]

:O, thats on my birthday!!!, i wont be asking for one......

[Genjinaro @ May 25th 2008 9:49AM]

As soon as I see an attractive price tag, I will flock to this like I did the 900.

Sadly, I doubt I'll be leaving Linux on it.

Anyone know of how many/if any USB slots are on this thing?

[sinjinn @ May 25th 2008 9:52AM]

it has 11 usb ports

[bartoron @ May 25th 2008 9:54AM]

You're not funny.

Anyways, I tried looking on Google but I couldn't find any info on how many USB ports it has. I would assume that it has at least 2, and you could always buy a cheap USB hub.

[Pochi @ May 25th 2008 12:40PM]

"Sadly, I doubt I'll be leaving Linux on it."

I don't think anybody with any text knowledge will be leaving that trainwreck on the EBOX (if it is similar to the Eee OS, that is).

As for USB, I'd DEFINITELY assume 4.

[Pochi @ May 25th 2008 2:24PM]

*tech

[Alexander @ May 25th 2008 5:58PM]

@Pochi: Too bad your such a narrow-minded individual. I rather liked playing you in Legacy of the Wizard.

[Pochi @ May 25th 2008 6:17PM]

@Alexander

Narrow minded...? I have used the Eee OS several times. It's not very good.

[Big Al @ May 25th 2008 12:18PM]

Like Baz said, if it was $150 I'd get it. $199 tops.

[fourthletter @ May 25th 2008 10:34AM]

What a great looking machine, I assume it comes without optical drive.
If the price is right this could be a great addition to a living room's HDTV to add internet access.

[453 @ May 25th 2008 10:38AM]

Still looking intruiging, but the name for a lightweight machine isn't exactly original.

http://www.linuxshoppen.dk/products.php?showvariant_id=6551

Go on, sue! Sue for all your worth! Isn't that what you industry types enjoy?

[bayportbob @ May 25th 2008 10:49AM]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
eBox Platform is an open source distribution and development framework, based on the Linux operating system, intended to manage services in a computer network.

and if you google ebox:

you get a reference to an electric car.

you get a reference to eBox-2300 is a revolutionary device designed for application with limited space and temperature concern. It's designed with mounting hole that can attach to any VESA mounting fixture, allowing it to be securely mounted onto deskes, walls or diretly on the back of most LCD display designed to support VESA mounting standard. Along with it's FANLESS design, eBox-2300 can be adapt and use in a wide range of application.

[Hellios @ May 25th 2008 11:14AM]

Specs seem similar to the Psystar OpenComputer, but seeing how the concept of the EEE is lost to asus (small & cheap) this thing will most likely cost more than $400 while anyone could build something similar yourself for so much less.
Other than the attractive design, Asus has nothing to offer anymore.

[chickenator @ May 25th 2008 11:14AM]

Portables = EeePC
PCs = EeePortable!

[NineT9 @ May 25th 2008 11:19AM]

EBOX, XBOX, whats next iBOX from Apple?

[El Taco @ May 25th 2008 12:58PM]

Tbox.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/microsofts-tbox-auto-computer-road-ready/

[Keith MacDonald @ May 25th 2008 11:36AM]

From reference.com:

in·ane Audio Help /ɪˈneɪn/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[i-neyn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions.
2. empty; void.
–noun
3. something that is empty or void, esp. the void of infinite space.
[Origin: 1655–65; < L inānis]

—Related forms
in·ane·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. pointless. See foolish.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Inane pretty much describes the quality of the posts for the most part found on Engadget these days. I have to imagine it's largely because the native language of people posting here is something other than English, and they're trying to be clever.

Not that I care one way or the other, except that reading the site is increasingly becoming a total turn-off because the quality of the comments (and, indeed, the stories themselves sometimes) is so poor.

Yes, I know: you don't have to read. I may stop visiting the site, as will a great many people, and you'll be left with the dregs. Actually, I think it may already have happened...

[Josh R @ May 25th 2008 1:07PM]

One could argue that your comment is inane, because no one really cares whether or not you keep reading Engadget.

[Keith MacDonald @ May 25th 2008 4:40PM]

Yes, but don't think for a moment that that somehow makes you more right, because it doesn't. The fact is there is an objective standard of what makes a thoughtful response to news stories, and most of the comments on Engadget barely meet the standard of legibility, let along articulate & intelligent.

So, you are defending the inane, and I am defending standards and quality. Who do you think, other than the inane, support your position? That's a rhetorical question.

[MichaelD @ May 25th 2008 5:44PM]

I don't think it's so much defending the inane.

Frankly, the main problem with Engadget posts, IMHO, is not the senseless fanboi/n00b comments, these are easily ignored. It's posts pretending to be intelligent when they are not. Granted, your post makes sense, but it's without context. If there had been a long discussion of inane posts here, it would have made sense. But I get the idea that you just picked a random recent article to rant on.

There's a difference between defending the inane and denouncing hypocrisy. In calling your post inane (and whether it was or not, your post had little place on this) Josh wasn't defending inane things...he was saying you have little right to accuse others of being inane when you were, by that definition, just as inane.

Too many Engadget posters accuse people of logical errors that they commit themselves. If posters could agree to refrain from ad hominim attacks and focus on the posts themselves, I think we'd have fewer problems.

And when posting definitions, could people please go to the effort of deleting links like "Show Pronunciation"? Methinks your posting of a definition was more to demonstrate supposed credibility than for argument's sake--you could have simply said inane means senseless (or left off the definition since anyone capable of discussing would have known) and no one would have disputed you.

*climbs off soapbox*

[Eddie W @ May 25th 2008 12:20PM]

Depending on the specs, I'll buy this for one of two reasons. If it's really cheap I'll probably end up getting a couple to replace order computers in the small office I work in. If it's quiet, and has decent inputs and outputs I'll be buying one for the living room to turn into a cheap mythbox (emythbox?) Maybe paired with an hdhomerun. That's probably a lot of ifs. I'll be curious to see what angle ASUS takes with marketing this... what's the primary use they see for it?

[Bill @ May 25th 2008 12:40PM]

That's a nice looking little PC. I'd buy one as a media server! :)

[El Taco @ May 25th 2008 12:56PM]

but does it play Doom?

...no seriously is there a Linux version of Doom I could play this on? And would have enough graphics power?

[Alexander @ May 25th 2008 5:56PM]

Yes, and yes.

[Steven G. @ May 25th 2008 1:53PM]

Anyone know if there's a DVI port, or just VGA?

[Dave @ May 25th 2008 2:24PM]

That's not likely at all. And if you mean you want to play HD-material on it I think you should reconsider. This will be good for browsing and basic Office needs, nothing more fancy.

[Wiigee @ May 25th 2008 3:19PM]

if its cheap enough, this will make a fantastic home server.

[Qugeist @ May 25th 2008 4:32PM]

I don't care what it's called -- it looks promising already! Specs are good for that dinky size but I'm not sure whether it has a DVD drive. It'd better be good on the price -- I'm looking forward to it... as well as the next Mac Mini.

I'm a bit sketchy on Linux since I want to replace the home/family computer. Not everyone in the house besides me know how to operate (pun not intended) 2 operating systems, let alone Linux... but I guess if they can handle basic web browsing and text processing I think it should be sufficient, although I feel there's a shady area in terms of the scanner/printer/other peripherals' drivers.

[Juaquin @ May 25th 2008 5:52PM]

I'd like to see them have a model with a 20GB drive in there, and drop the price. Many people will just be using it as a media server or similar with a big external drive and just the OS/programs on the main drive, or flat-out replacing the internal with something bigger. I know that's what I plan to do.

[chefgon_ign @ May 26th 2008 10:40AM]

I agree. I have a lot of interest in this thing purely as a local file server. I would like to tuck it away in my bedroom, hooked up to the VGA input on my TV for the occasional time I might need to access it directly. Since I will be putting a 500gb external hard drive on it, I don't really want to pay for a 120gb built in drive.

Of course, if Asus comes back and announces a $400 price tag for it then that's all out the window. I'm hoping for less than $200, any more than that and the novelty of the cool looking case will be nullified and I'll just get a dirt cheap refurbished Dell.

[gilgore trout @ May 26th 2008 9:46AM]

possibly this motherboard:
http://www.mini-box.com/Intel-D945GCLF-Mini-ITX-Motherboard

[CosterMonger @ May 26th 2008 12:29PM]

I'm sure it can't play quake wars (well), sigh

[DigitalSciGuy @ May 26th 2008 1:34PM]

I've been juggling this for the past several times I've seen any article dealing with the Eee Box, now EBox...is it just me or does this design resemble the 'floating box' design of the HP Blackbird 002?

[Brian Z Jones @ May 26th 2008 2:34PM]

Rip-off!

This is what I named my laptop!

My Rig: BBox, secondary: CBox, her rig: DBox, laptop: EBox.

Thieves!

-bZj

[fh @ May 27th 2008 10:02PM]

If this run Leopard, I will be the first one to buy...