Eee Box -- Engadget

ASUS EeeBox EB1012 teases home theaters with dual-core Atom and Ion graphics

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 1st 2009 at 5:41AM

Looks like our dreams of a discrete, low cost home theater PC are about to be realized. ASUS has a new EeeBox PC EB1012 touting a dual-core Atom N330 (just as rumored), NVIDIA MCP7A ION graphics, a 250GB SATA hard disk, 2GB of DDR2-800 memory expandable to 4GB, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, S/PDIF 5.1 audio jack, and HDMI out. As such, this little 222 x 178 x 26.9mm box should handle your hardware accelerated 1080p content just as readily as it does full-screen Flash video from Hulu and beyond -- a place where single-core Atom-based Ion nettops fail. It also features an eSATA jack, 4x USB ports, and an SDHC card reader for plugging in more media. No word on price or ship date but we'll keep an eye out.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

ASUS Eee Keyboard rumored for October, Ion-based Eee Box and Eee Top even sooner

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 21st 2009 at 7:34AM

It's not official, but we'll take whatever information we can get when it comes to the launch of ASUS' all-in-one Eee Keyboard PC with 5-inch LCD. After seeing rumored launch dates come and go, out pops another, this time from DigiTimes and its Taiwanese industry sources who tend to be pretty accurate with hometown ASUS' plans. The date? October, with a price set to run between $400 and $500.

DigiTimes also claims that the NVIDIA Ion-based Eee Box should arrive in September as will that 20-inch Eee Top. Eh, could be... those dates certainly jibe with what we've already heard.

ASUS preparing NVIDIA Ion-based Eee Box B1006?

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 1st 2009 at 7:34AM

In a brief snippet of a rumor, DigiTimes is reporting that ASUS is planning an Ion-based Eee Box B1006 for Q3 of 2009. Ion's a good start, but if they shackle it to an Intel Atom 230 processor and once again bludgeon our dreams of a low-cost home theater PC capable of handling full-screen Flash video, well, somebody's going to get hurt. Ion-based Eee PC netbooks are coming too, but those don't have a production schedule yet according to the Taiwanese tattle-rag.

HDMI-equipped ASUS Eee Box 206 eyes-on

by Darren Murph posted Mar 5th 2009 at 5:59PM

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.

Gallery: HDMI-equipped ASUS Eee Box 206 eyes-on

ASUS rolls out HD-minded Eee Box 206

by Donald Melanson posted Mar 4th 2009 at 12:59PM

ASUS first got official with its upgraded Eee Box 206 way back in December, but the nettop is just now finally rolling out into availability (in the UK, at least), and bringing with it a number of more HD-friendly features. That, of course, includes an HDMI port, and some ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics to ensure that your HD videos play without a hitch, though serious gaming is certainly still a bit of a stretch. Otherwise, you can expect the usual 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive (plus 10GB of ASUS' Eee online storage service), a fairly generous complement of ports (including DVI) and, of particular note, a total power consumption of just 20 watts. Still no official word on a release 'round here, it seems, but folks in the UK can pick this one up now in their choice of black or white for £310, or just under $440.

ASUS offers up branded keyboard / mouse combo, remote for Eee Box

by Darren Murph posted Dec 26th 2008 at 1:03PM

If your Eee Box experience is lacking something that you can't quite put your finger on, we're 85.32% sure we know what'll fill that void. According to Eee PC News, ASUS is gearing up to ship an Eee-branded wireless keyboard / mouse combo in both black and white motifs, and if that's still not enough Eee to cure your fever, the multi-function remote should handle those media center duties with ease. There's no mention of a price or release date, so we suppose you should assume these are completely fictional until proven otherwise.

Asus unveils Celeron-based Eee Box B203

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Dec 14th 2008 at 5:43PM

It looks like all those crazy rumors are true -- we've just received word that the Celeron-based Eee Box B203 has popped up on Asus' website. Aside from the the Intel C220 processor, very little has changed from the Atom-based Eee Box B202: it sports Windows XP Home, ships with up to 2GB RAM and 160GB storage, and measures a diminutive 222 x 178 x 26.9 mm (roughly 8.7 x 7 x 1 inches). Of course, it still ain't the prettiest device we've ever seen -- but if it's cheaper, faster, and small enough to fit behind your monitor anyways, we'll gladly overlook the paint job.

[Via Liliputing]

ASUS Eee Box B204 / B206 grows an HDMI port, handles high-def material

by Darren Murph posted Dec 3rd 2008 at 8:35AM

Man, talk about maturing early. ASUS' Eee Box just hit the shelves here in America a few months back, and now the company is already pushing out a pair of successors. Both the Eee Box B204 and B206 retain the same overall design and processor (1.6GHz Intel Atom N270), but you will find a 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3400 GPU to complement the 1GB of RAM, 160GB SATA II hard drive, multicard reader, 802.11n WiFi, Windows XP Home, 10GB of online Eee Storage, gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, DVI connector and the freshly added HDMI socket. The B204 trumps the B206 (weird, right?) with the inclusion of Bluetooth and a built-in battery that acts as a UPS in case of power failure. We've already seen just how decently the B202 could handle 1080p playback; it's just that much easier with a dedicated HDMI port. As is par for the course with ASUS, there's nary a mention of price / availability.

ASUS pre-installs Japanese Eee Box PCs with worm, issues recall

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 14th 2008 at 7:29AM

Uh oh. ASUS just issued a recall for all Eee Box PCs sold in Japan due to a nasty pre-installed worm. The malicious code dubbed "recycled.exe" may attempt to download additional malware while attempting to replicate itself to attached USB storage devices at the first opportunity. Of course, this isn't the first time that ASUS has been embarrassed by its image burns. Who could forget the the illegal keygen and confidential documentation shipped on those brand new laptops last month? Apparently, only ASUS who has yet to clean house.

[Via The Inquirer]

ASUS Eee Box B202 detailed and tested on video

by Darren Murph posted Aug 15th 2008 at 11:23AM

It's one thing to see a device unboxed in pictures, but we all know a video tells a million (give or take a few) words. HotHardware's Dave Altavilla has posted up a sub-5 minute clip detailing the ins and outs of ASUS' Eee Box B202, and even from an enthusiast of all things cutting-edge, he was pretty impressed by the Atom-powered machine. The most interesting bit is probably the video playback test; we won't spoil how it handled (or mishandled) 1080p playback for you -- jump on past the break and have a look for yourself.

Continue reading ASUS Eee Box B202 detailed and tested on video

ASUS Eee Box available Stateside, yours for $350

by Paul Miller posted Aug 8th 2008 at 11:48AM

There are cheaper computers out there, and even smaller computers out there, but the ASUS Eee Box seems to strike a similar chord to that of its laptop counterpart -- solid minimalism, just a dash of design sense, and a lovable price point. J&R has started selling a $350 version the computer in the States, complete with Windows XP, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, WiFi, memory card reader, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. We're especially into the prospect of quick-boot Express Gate Linux tomfoolery, with a seven second boot time all that's keeping us from web browsing, Skype and IM -- oh, and buying one. Black and white versions are available now.

[Thanks, Mike]

ASUS gets official with Eee Stick

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 6th 2008 at 3:59PM

ASUS has hardly been keeping this one a secret, but the company has only just now finally gotten completely official with its Eee Stick gaming controller, and it's taken the opportunity to drop a few new details about it. That includes word that the device will be "bundled exclusively" with "certain models" of the Eee PC and Eee Box (which doesn't exactly narrow things down), and that it'll come with a collection of games that have been designed specifically for it (we're not getting our hopes up there). Otherwise, ASUS has confirmed that the device operates on the 2.4GHz frequency, which could be interesting depending on what other wireless devices you have nearby, and that each stick will require a pair of AA batteries, which ASUS says will give you three days of continuous use, and no doubt a good deal longer if you want to avoid a trip to the hospital.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

ASUS Eee Box B202 reviewed, smiled upon

by Darren Murph posted Aug 4th 2008 at 8:37AM

So, can a $299 mini desktop really find a place in your jaded heart? Based on a recent review by HotHardware, the answer is a resounding "yes." In terms of general performance, the box delivered more potency than critics expected, and the hardware within was able to provide a "a fluid experience in all but the full 1080p digital video playback test." Of note, it didn't have any trouble churning through a 720p clip, so there's still hope for folks obsessed with flipping through HD trailers for hours on end. Furthermore, the unit was found to be remarkably energy efficient, with only "a slightly heavier draw than an Eee PC 900." Of course, we wouldn't expect this to replace your Alienware or anything, but for the most average of tasks, the B202 should be adequate enough. Hit the read link for the full rundown.

ASUS Eee Box gets... unboxed!

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 1st 2008 at 12:18PM

We've already seen the Eee Box out and about getting demoed and ripped apart, but if you've been waiting for a taste of the full box to Box experience that may be in your future, you can now hit up PC Authority for a suitably thorough gallery of pics. That helpfully not only includes the usual pictures of the always-fascinating unboxing process, but some comparison shots with an Eee PC 901, which is about the same size, and a PlayStation 3, which could crush the Eee Box without so much as breaking a sweat. Hit up the link below to see for yourself.

[Thanks, Geller]

ExpressGate "instant-on" OS tested on ASUS Eee Box

by Darren Murph posted Jul 18th 2008 at 4:15AM

With a name like instant-on, it just has to be quick, right? Well, sort of. The cool cats over at Laptop paradoxically got to play with ASUS latest ExpressGate-equipped desktop, the Eee Box. Upon mashing the power button and clicking the stopwatch, it took 11 seconds to get to the main ExpressGate page, where users could select the browser, photo viewer, Pidgin chat or Skype button. Upon clicking browser, they found that it took 25 more seconds to push through and get Firefox up and running, putting the grand total for quick clickers at 35 seconds from startup to being on the web. Hit the read link for more coverage of the ExpressGate Olympics, complete with a video that takes 1 to 10 seconds to load depending on connection speed.