Viewing page 1 of 6 pages.
1 2 3 4 5 6 NextSeptember 8, 2008 by Mike Chin
| Product |
Eee Box B202 |
| Manufacturer |
Asus |
| MSRP |
US$350 |
We've covered the launch of the original Asus
EEE PC and how it popularized the sub-notebook market. We've also discussed
the rapid emergence of an entire class of truly small PCs, often described as
nettops, in our coverage of
the Intel Developers Forum last month. In the same IDF report, we also covered
the amazing success of the Intel Atom processor, which was at the core of the
Intel D945GCLF mini-ITX board
reviewed a few days ago. The Asus Eee Box touches on all of these various
elements: It is an expansion of the Asus Eee line of products into the desktop
market, it is a tiny nettop PC, and it features the Intel Atom processor.
Like the Eee PC, the Eee Box is sold as a complete PC. It was shown at Computex
Taipei in June. We ran a preview of the product then. At that point, the anticipated
price was lower: $269 for a 1GB memory + 80GB HDD Linux edition, $299 for a
1GB memory + 80GB HDD XP edition and $299 for a 2GB memory + 160GB HDD Linux
edition. The sample that came to SPCR is the second of the configurations mentioned
above, but the price has gone up by $50, and the Linux versions have been eliminated.
The basic technology inside is similar to Intel's Atom-based mini-ITX board, the D945GCLF which we reviewed last week. The CPU is a mobile variant, although how much less power that would draw is questionable, as the "desktop" Atom 230 maxes out at 4W. The Intel board uses the relatively inefficient 945GC chipset, which was first used on the Mac Mini. Apparently, the chipset in the Eee Box is the 945GSE Express, designed for mobile PCs, but still equipped with the same Intel GMA 950 video chip. Being a mobile chipset, the 945GSE Express may have lower power requirements than the 945GC, which is promising. Given the 945GSE Express chipset, the Eee Box is actually closer to the Eee PC than to the Intel D945GCLF m-ITX board.
Eee Box measures just 8.5” x 7” x 1”.
The shape, size and weight of the Eee Box are compelling. Not
that it's the first very small PC; there have been many over the past few years.
But it's also sleek and stylish in a way that the Mac Mini or the AOpen Mini
PC computers are not. The slim box, angled slightly on its minimal stand, looks
elegant enough to go on any desktop. The 1" thinness is made possible by
excluding an optical drive, a move that seems justified in this age of ubiquitous
flash memory sticks. With four USB ports, memory card reader, gigabit LAN and
Wi-Fi 802.11n, the Eee Box is not lacking in inputs. Most compelling is its
ability to mount on the back of your LCD monitor, becoming invisible in the
process.
So does the Eee Box have what it takes to replace a standard desktop
PC? Is its performance up to being a home entertainment hub as the Asus
Eee Box web page submits? And is it quiet enough for SPCR to recommend?
|
Asus Eee Box B202 Specifications
|
| OS |
Windows XP Home |
| Processor |
Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz, FSB 533) |
| Memory |
DDRII 1 GB |
| Storage |
80 GB |
| Chipset |
945GSE + ICH7M |
| VGA |
On-board Intel GMA 950, 1600 x 1200 max resolution |
| Networking |
10/100/1000 Mbps LAN, 802.11n WLAN |
| SD/MMC/MS slot |
SD, SDHC, Mini SD, (Micro SD through adapter) ; MMC,
MMC plus, MMC4.x, RS MMC, RSMMC4.x (MMC mobile through adapter);MS,MS PRO |
| Audio |
Azalia ALC888 Audio Chip |
| Front Ports |
USB x 2, Card Reader x 1, Headphone-out jack (WO/SPDIF)
x 1, MIC x 1 |
| Rear Ports |
USB 2.0 x 2, Gigabit LAN x 1, DVI out x 1, Line-Out
(L/R) with S/PDIF x 1, WiFi antenna |
| Accessories |
19VDC, 4.74A, 65W power adapter
Mouse (optional)
Keyboard (optional)
VESA mount (optional)
WiFi antenna
Stand |
| Dimensions |
8.5” x 7” x 1” or 223×178×26
mm (w/o stand) |
| Weight |
Net: 2.2 lbs; Gross: 6.6 lbs. |
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