A number of you bemoaned the fact that MSI's WindBOX
lacked an oh-so-necessary HDMI port, so maybe the better option for you is an LCD mounted
Eee Box 206. Yep, the HD-minded mini PC was set up here in Hannover, with one of the units hosted up nicely on the rear of a flat-panel monitor. The fit was flush and the connections were easily accessible, so those looking for a nice, if not underpowered media center should definitely give this one a glance. Speaking of glances, you do cast some right now in the gallery below.
Perfect example of SHITE! repackaged and Marked-up...
I could go out and get a cheap $300 Netbook,snap off the screen, and bolt it to my existing Display...
Same crap specs minus the screen.. so why does this cost more?
AHAH!
Yeah, I'd rather just get a netbook and hook it up to my monitor. That way when I need it, I can grab it and go.
So, which $300 netbook on the market are you going to purchase that runs XP and has a Radeon HD 3450 with HDMI output? Hardware acceleration of h264 is pretty much necessary when looking at computers with Atom processors.
Ah wow, I didn't notice the Radeon part. I was wondering how it expected to play HD video.
Yes, it would be a good idea to buy a laptop with a broken screen/keyboard/case for VERY cheap, but which still has the HDD, DVD drive, and decent processor and use good old fashioned "twist ties" to latch it onto an existing monitor. It would make for a very cheap little home theatre setup
You can easily make an iHoboMac too!
Full disclosure: I'm not a mac fanboy - I actually dislike mac for a number of reasons that I won't get into to spare you all a flame war - but I find it very amusing to think of the actually comparable specs to WAY lower price when compared to an iMac.
Looks better without all the stickers all over it.
I didn't even notice those stickers until you pointed out.
They want you to know that Microsoft done Raped it ,so you can stop-drop-and-roll over to your local Apple store and pick up the new and improved Mac mini...
AHAHAH!
Seriously, this is weak... As always MS software is totally out of place for a product like this.
What these mofos need is a touch screen kit option.
Yet in decades of manufacturing computers, PC manufacturers still didn't realize that their products look like shit when covered in stickers. Maybe they think each sticker adds a GHz?
Are you kidding? Stickers are the best! When I got my Macbook, I took all the "Intel Inside" and "Windows 98 Product Key stickers" that I had accumulated over the years and stuck em on it.
@iGoon
Just like the way Steve Jobs rapes you every time you make another apple purchase?
I also suppose apple could provide a touch screen option?
I know i shouldnt feed the trolls, but come on, you arent supposed to make yourself look like a tool in the process...
@iGoon
Why do you put the ahahaha in all of your comments? Are you a character from Dragon ball Z?
Actually Mr. Ford:
I suggest the reason that he posts such moronic comments is to get a reaction to add a sense of value to his life, the laughing is just so he feels that somebody finds humour somewhere in his lame-ass comments, probably just another case of: mummy didn't love me.
It's taped to the back of your monitor, why would the stickers matter or not? You'll never see it or ever look at it.
If this had HDMI-CEC and decent H.264/VC-1 acceleration, I could see slapping it on the back of a TV and adding a BR-D drive to it for an HTPC.
It DOES have hardware acceleration of h.264 and VC-1 since it's running a Radeon HD 3450 instead of the standard integrated chipset. This thing should be able to handle blu-ray without breaking a sweat with an external drive.
That would be awesome. Better yet, imagine the same form factor but with a Blu-ray drive in addition.
I thought the 206 had a Blu-ray option? Or am I mixing it up with any of the other recently announced "box" products (MSI WindBox, etc)
I was pretty sure it had a blu-ray option aswell. which would make it perfect to hook up to My tv if i just bought an external tv-tuner. Blu-ray, Recorded T.V., and basic computer functions = win
Woohoo, I have that monitor. I'd like something like this as a secondary computer, but unfortunately I'm going to be wallmounting my monitor soon.
Just like bull3964 said, it does have h.264 and VC-1 accelerating and HDMI-CEC. Perfect for connecting to an HDTV and external USB blu-ray drive!. Exactly like this guy said, http://www.hdtvlounge.net/news/asus-eee-box-b204-b206/
Me too
I think Apple is one of the companies that realizes that stickers on computers = crap
Yeah -- that's the ONE thing I'll give 'em. You don't have to soak them in Goo-Gone to make them pretty.
I would have been very impressed by this little device if ASUS had of spent more than 2 pence on the design!
The logo is pants, the stand looks naff and the silly paterns... ew!
When will they learn? :)
You guys are missing the best selling point only uses 36W, you can leave this on all day long and would never notice it on your electricity bill.
I am really Looking forward to owning one of these, perfect for streaming video to N-DRAFT wifi. I just need to decide what to install on it XBMC?
Boxee without a doubt... The only thing that boxee needs to improve right now is the way it indexes and its music feature, but that should be done by the end of the year. I say you install Boxee on it, which is what I think I'm gonna do on the Eee Box 204, and help them out with any bugs that you find
what is a better option for using as a hd video computer with a hdtv, eee box running linux or a new mac mini?.
Or a 360/PS3...
No digital audio output? Useless for people that don't have HDMI receivers or a TV with passthrough then. Shame, I wouldn't mind replacing my Popcorn Hour with one of these.
Google is your friend: http://event.asus.com/eeepc/microsites/eeebox/en/specifications.html
It has S/PDIF, HDMI and is HD-capable with its Radeon HD 3450 chipset. The 204 model seems to be the better specced one though, with a battery acting as a built in UPS and bluetooth support. Both come with a remote control as well. Looks like this will be my next HTPC.
So what is the price? I was just wondering about the 206 today and behold engadget provides pictures... still no date or price.
hmmmm... I recently read somewhere that it was $440, but I also read in december that it was gonna be $240... so i don't know who to believe, although I would get it without flinching if it was $240. found the link http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/asus-rolls-out-hd-minded-eee-box-206/
hmmmm... I recently read somewhere that it was $440, but I also read in december that it was gonna be $240... so i don't know who to believe, although I would get it without flinching if it was $240. found the link http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/asus-rolls-out-hd-minded-eee-box-206/
No Linux love from Asus...sure this will make a good windows platform but it could be so much more if it had nVidia graphics... I'm no fan boy, I just support those who create good drivers and hardware video decoding under Linux. The only one on the block doing so is nVidia with their VDPAU API included in their most recent drivers. ATI's drivers have always sucked under Linux. I don’t know how Asus concluded that it was more economical to put an additional chip on the board for discrete graphics when they could have just brought an ION platform to market. personally I don’t see any market for these nettops as desktop replacements I see them as extremely capable settop box platforms in the living room running your favorite media center app, personally I vote for XBMC. however like I stated before, if it doesn’t support VDPAU I’m not interested, that’s the standard that all the Linux apps have been adopting for hardware video decoding so therefore anything that doesn’t support that is of no interest to me.
Peace,
I was just looking around the Asus Global website at the 206 and noticed a 208 model on the EeeBox PC page.
There was'nt a picture next to it like all the other models, but I was able to do a product comparison of the 208 and the 206 and saw that although it was basically the same, it was speced with Vista Home or Business and an Intel Atom 330 processor instead of the N270 the 206 has. I believe the 330 chip has double the cache, but the same clock speed.
It also had a beefier ATI graphics card, but I didn't keep the page open and can't recall what it was and now all mention of the 208 has dissapeared from the site. I just went back to find it all again and its all been removed.
The 208 model is back up on the global site:
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=24&l2=165&l3=0&l4=0&model=2894&modelmenu=2
I found some info on the Eee Box B208 here: http://www.netbooknow.net/asus/b208/.
Dual core Atom 330!, Vista, and ATI Radeon HD 4350 series graphics.
And its gone again - says site is being updated.
I can't find this available anywhere. Where can I buy it from?
HI!
I WANT TO BUY HDMI-equipped ASUS Eee Box 206 eyes-on. PLEASE TELL ME FROM WHERE I CAN BUY THIS.
ITS URGENT.