ASUS confirms intent to drain Eee brand with Eee Monitor

No, no -- this isn't the Eee-branded HDTV. That's another Eee monitor. Seriously ASUS, you deserve some kind of award, nay, banquet to celebrate this crowning achievement. You've single-handedly managed to drive a lust-worthy name six feet below the surface, and now the mere mention of "Eee" just puts us in a foul mood. Nevertheless, we'll attempt to crack something of smile while taking a look at the Eee Monitor, which -- unless that assortment of ports 'round back is completely for show -- isn't just a monitor at all. Rather, this looks to be some sort of all-in-one PC, or a totally fruity docking station at the very least. As with every other ASUS product, there's no pricing or release information coming until who knows when, but you can burn the Eee logo even deeper into your brain by checking out the gallery in the read link below.

[Toadlet @ Jul 1st 2008 6:01PM]

Eee is the new i

[Flashpoint @ Jul 1st 2008 6:16PM]

Well if there's ever an Eee that can play Crysis on VERY HIGH, for less than $800, you can count me in.

[sinai @ Jul 1st 2008 6:45PM]

Eee i Eee i... oh :(

[Pochi @ Jul 1st 2008 6:46PM]

@Flashpoint

Dumbest comment ever?

[iofthestorm @ Jul 1st 2008 7:22PM]

@Flashpoint:
Go to newegg.com search for these parts, and you'll have a $700 system that can play Crysis on Very High, albeit needing some overclocking of the CPU.
Intel E2160, GIGABYTE GA-G31M-S2L motherboard, Radeon HD 4850, Seagate 250GB HDD, Vista x64 OEM, 4GB (2x2GB) RAM, and an Antec Sonata III. Of course, you have to build it yourself, but that's the fun part. Oh, throw in some Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste to help with the overclocking, but that's only $5.

[iofthestorm @ Jul 1st 2008 7:25PM]

@Flashpoint:
Go to newegg.com search for these parts, and you'll have a $700 system that can play Crysis on Very High, albeit needing some overclocking of the CPU.
Intel E2160, GIGABYTE GA-G31M-S2L motherboard, Radeon HD 4850, Seagate 250GB HDD, Vista x64 OEM, 4GB (2x2GB) RAM, and an Antec Sonata III. Of course, you have to build it yourself, but that's the fun part. Oh, throw in some Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste to help with the overclocking, but that's only $5. If you want to go up to $800 you can get a much better processor, maybe even splurge for a Q6600. So really, if ASUS wanted to, they could make something like what you want, especially since they have greater economies of scale, it's just that they're too lazy.

@Pochi: No, I think yours is dumber.

[KAIKAI @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:12PM]

well i would be the new i for me if i wasnt so poor
oh shit there goes the.....eee :-/

[chickenator @ Jul 1st 2008 9:03PM]

@Pochi,
that's the Flashpoint we know

[JohnPQ @ Jul 1st 2008 9:48PM]

Except Asus doesn’t rip you off like Apple. They are tying to intro products the average guy can afford.

[adrz @ Sep 17th 2008 3:58AM]

it is fine if they really really want that 80ish typeface for their logo but how about the outlined, italic, capitalized script E........

[DefPo3t @ Jul 1st 2008 6:04PM]

ASIs said they we gonna make an all in one, tv, desktop, monitor with the eee name. So why call it milking the name. Ohhhh. The 13 modles of eeepc now I rember silly me

[Casper42 @ Jul 1st 2008 7:08PM]

Makes sense to me. They use the Eee name on anything using their new combination of Motherboard and Chip that the EeePC Laptop and all that use.

In this case what I see is a trend they have already been working on with their motherboards. They have that little mini Linux boot from PROM thing on the motherboard that allows you to not load your bulky OS and boot to the prom and do simple things like web browsing and stuff.

What I see here is they took that idea and put it in a monitor. So instead of booting from a PROM on your motherboard, you can have the Mini PC inside the monitor running (at very low power requirements) that allows you to surf and check your mail and simple crap like that.

Then if you need the power of your desktop PC, you boot it up and either press a button (or better yet auto sense) and the same Monitor with the build in PC goes back to just being a dumb monitor and shows your desktop and away you go. Then you could even switch back and forth.

Makes ALOT of sense for Corporate environments using Thin Client Terminals as well. Use the low power mini PC to establish connections to web servers, Terminal Servers, Citrix, SSH, etc and they don't even need a PC. Then for power users, slip a PC under the desk and now they have all their big apps at their fingertips too.

[Casper42 @ Jul 1st 2008 7:10PM]

PS: I understand the hatred of bastardizing the name, but I think the article was a little harsh based on (what I perceive) as a really cool idea as far as the technical merits go.

[whitephatt @ Jul 1st 2008 6:06PM]

Way to take a winning trend and kill it Asus.

Eee is the new fail.

[Richard Lai @ Jul 1st 2008 7:46PM]

Now now, you'll think different when Asus reaches beyond the computer world with this and the likes of:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/2629698534_68bc741c3e_o.jpg

[Haikibutsu @ Jul 1st 2008 6:07PM]

So, when are they going to come out with a real moniter? I need one for my MacBook, so far all I am doing with my DVI adapter is playing Stepmania (ddr-simulator on macs and PCs and linux) on my TV. That 20 dollar overpriced adaptor has to do SOMETHING?

[Mike Cerm @ Jul 1st 2008 6:12PM]

What are you asking? Asus, and lots of other companies, already makes monitors.

[John @ Jul 1st 2008 6:07PM]

not often you see a monitor with a modem, at any rate.

[Sarig @ Jul 1st 2008 8:52PM]

It's so you can add new monitors with VNC!

[Mike Cerm @ Jul 1st 2008 6:10PM]

It's about time someone decided to make a $500 all-in-one computer. Simplicity is nice sometimes, but spending $1200 on an iMac is just not an option for most people.

Unfortunately, Asus doesn't really have a great track-record of pricing things correctly or actually getting products into the market in a timely fashion. I guess we'll have to wait-and-see on this one.

[Danielsson @ Jul 1st 2008 6:17PM]

Asus just got RAZR'D! Hey-oh

[Krush @ Jul 1st 2008 6:18PM]

The Asus company created flamed a new market segment with the Eee brand and (P)Eee'd on it ....

[iofthestorm @ Jul 1st 2008 7:28PM]

I guess since ASUS wasn't in the retail PC business before (they only made motherboards and graphics cards and manufactured laptops for others, including Apple) it sort of makes sense for them to use the EeePC branding across the board, but it is really diluting their brand strength. Especially with EeePC 903, 904, and 905... are they trying to kill any support they still have?

[Striker @ Jul 1st 2008 9:22PM]

The thing is that they WERE already in the personal computer market, eg. Asus U2.

[Wiigee @ Jul 1st 2008 6:23PM]

Que Clak with some crazy mac ripoff claim.

Pretty nice, for general consumers, all-in-ones are the best. Id like one of these for a guest bedroom (if i had one).

[Reader @ Jul 1st 2008 6:25PM]

I don't even see that guy anymore. Just people like you and Haikibutsu saying his name reminding me he ever existed.

[DefPo3t @ Jul 1st 2008 6:42PM]

clak died didn't you hear. He was replaced by those fail-at-leet kids

[Bunson @ Jul 1st 2008 7:32PM]

Clak stopped commenting when the 3G articles stopped showing up.

Trust me, he will arise to bitch and Q_Q when another Apple product comes up. And I will be there to stand strong against him and give him all the shit I possibly can, even if I have to make a total fool out of myself.

[iofthestorm @ Jul 1st 2008 7:38PM]

Yeah, except you get less performance since you pay for the monitor as well, and the monitor is built in which in my mind is a drawback because you are stuck with the monitor as long as you use that computer.

[clakimpersonator @ Jul 1st 2008 9:00PM]

THIS IS A TOTAL RIPOFF OF THE iMAC. THEY SHOULD BE SUED AND BE FORCED TO WORK FOR APPLE. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M CALLING JOBS RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE GONNA BE SORRY.

[chickenator @ Jul 1st 2008 9:06PM]

sorry but all of u FAILED

[Dan @ Jul 1st 2008 6:24PM]

Looks like an expensive digital photo frame...

What the hell asus,, I told you to stop milking the eee brand?!?!

[MatthewJ @ Jul 1st 2008 6:24PM]

I don't understand...so ASUS use their brand power to produce various decent products under that moniker and people get annoyed, but (and I'm sorry to bring them into this discussion, but its the way of things) someone like Apple bandies the Mac brand around 10 times more, and that's all nice and warm and fuzzy?

Double standards, lads, and ASUS are well within their rights to extend the Eee name to just 3 product types (fretting about all the variations within each type is as silly as fretting about there being too many Macbook variants)

[David @ Jul 1st 2008 7:10PM]

Seconded. Asus is trying to build an extensive design range around the core value of cheap, easy-to-use and stylish hardware.

Apple has already done it for expensive, there's nothing wrong with doing it for cheap.

Anyway this idea that they are killing the brand is bullshit; if you don't build on first-mover advantage, it evaporates. How long will they remain top dog in sub-notes with all the competion that has come out in the last few months?

Apple don't just make ipods, why should Asus only make Eeepcs?

it's a double standard.

[Ignatius @ Jul 1st 2008 7:12PM]

The thing that bugs me is that everytime ASUS comes out with a new thing, it goes farther and farther away from the original Eee PC which was supposed to only cost $100...

Now we've got an Eee PC that costs $650.

Un-freaking-believable.

[J-Rad @ Jul 1st 2008 6:24PM]

Typically when people are buying a desktop, space isnt too bad of an issue. All-in-one's are nice but you mine as well build or even buy a normal, if not better, PC with approx. $500+!

Am i missing something?

[David @ Jul 1st 2008 7:01PM]

yes, buying this isn't like buying a full on desktop machine

[David @ Jul 1st 2008 7:12PM]

Also: "build or even buy"

Yeah you sound like a typical person..

[iofthestorm @ Jul 1st 2008 7:31PM]

@David: Actually, in the $500 range it can often be more cost effective to buy prebuilt since economies of scale work to OEMs' advantage at that low price range.

[iofthestorm @ Jul 1st 2008 7:40PM]

Also, the typical person likely has never heard of Asus or the EeePC, and in fact most idiots on engadget probably don't even know Asus makes anything else.

[J-Rad @ Jul 1st 2008 9:29PM]

All i know is that Asus makes some 'pretty gnar' mobos and nice' lappies'.

[Im hip]

[Big Al @ Jul 1st 2008 6:27PM]

If it's an all-in-one-PC, why on Earth would they call it an "Eee Monitor"? That's bound to create some confusion...

[Backlin @ Jul 1st 2008 8:36PM]

I thought it was only a monitor too until I read the article.

[Ricardo Torres @ Jul 1st 2008 6:29PM]

wow.

way to embitter an entire population.

indeed ... EEE is totally the new RAZR.

[Rykaro @ Jul 1st 2008 6:38PM]

Now I think you're just being bitter....it's not like they have the EeePhone or the EeePod, etc and it's not like you HAVE to use EeeTunes to be able to utilise any of their products or pay Asus an extortionate amount just to have your battery replaced in any of your Eee product (which for any Microsoft competition would result in a law suit but not for...)...and it's rather refreshing there's no Eee/Microsoft slagging match, with lots of Eee Fanboys desperately trying to save their dignity because they've sold their souls to Asus.

Obviously it goes without saying that I retract all my comments and whole-heartedly agree with the comments about pissing on the Eee brand...IF...they bring out the EeeBox 360, EeePhone or EeePod.

[Allodoxaphobic Jay @ Jul 1st 2008 6:40PM]

...and it's not even a very nice logo to begin with.

[Ashraf @ Jul 1st 2008 6:44PM]

I am definitely getting the 21 inch version! By the way these will not run XP so it will have Vista or Linux......or OS X *cough*

[jo @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:12AM]

i don't think there will be a 21" soon.

The one pictured above is clearly an Eee-esqe 15" modell. Why? Its simple: the whole damn thing is about 1269 pixels in one the posted hi-res pics at flickr.* The USB jack at the same picture is about 41 pixels. In reality, a USB Typ A plug ist about 12mm/0.47in.

So, after some math,** the display (which is 85% of the width as you can see at the front) is 32cm/12.6in wide (witdh, not diagonal!) or, assuming a 16:10 ratio, 15″in diagonal.

*http://www.flickr.com/photos/22046787@N03/2629151368/sizes/o/ (for example)

**http://www.eeepcnews.de/2008/07/01/fotoserie-asus-eee-monitor/#comment-9804 (sorry, only in german)

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 1st 2008 6:45PM]

I cant wait for The WEee Game console and the Eee cell phone and the Eee Gaming Handheld.. Im just bursting with excitement...

[sinai @ Jul 1st 2008 6:46PM]

@Mike - don't you see? it was just another opportunity for a pretentious Mac user to talk about his Mac.