Asus quietly demos Eee Box
Desktop peers out of sub-laptop sibling's shadow
Computex Asus may have focused its attention during the Computex show, held in Taipei this week, on its Atom-based Eee PC 901 and 1000 sub-notebooks, but that didn't stop it showing off its Eee Box desktop.
Chinese-language site HKEPC was there to take a few snaps, like these:
Asus' Eee Box: Atom powered
Images courtesy HKEPC
The Eee Box B202 is just 25mm thick - side on, it measures 216 x 178mm - into which Asus has crammed a 1.6GHz Atom 230 processor - the desktop version of the N270 found in the now Eee laptops.
The desktop machine contains 1GB of DDR 2 memory and an 80GB hard drive, all linked up by Intel's 945GSE integrated chipset. Gigabit Ethernet is included as is 802.11n Wi-Fi - there's an external antenna that fits onto a special port on the back of the unit.
There's another port below it - the power connector's near the base - that some reports maintain is a TV tuner link. It isn't: it's the power port. The one at the bottom is an SPDif digital optical connector.
There's said to be a multi-format card reader on board, presumably under a flap on the front, where you should also find two more USB ports and 3.5mm analog audio sockets.
Unlike the Eee PC, the Eee Box has a DVI port round the back, rather than VGA, alongside two USB ports. Some models will have Bluetooth on board, Asus said. Expect a range of colours too.
Apparently, it'll go on sale early in July - in Asia, at least - for NT$9888 ($326/£167/€209).
COMMENTS
thin client?
Wonder if it can do some sort of RDP Windows Terminal Server client? Might be in interesting alternate to all the SunRay boxes we have around here.
special port?
"there's an external antenna that fits onto a special port on the back of the unit."
As in, a STANDARD connector, or something proprietary?
"The one at the bottom is an SPDif digital optical connector."
Is it the mini version? Why didn't they go for the more common larger connector? Saves us having to use
No PS/2, not that much of a problem these days... 2 usb, mmmm... keyboard, mouse... LOSE. Yes there are some on the front but come on, front should be closed most the time. And what about speakers, always plugged into the front? very clever.
Would be funky though with bluetooth keyboard/mouse and maybe even some wireless speakers.
Probably no chance of this playing HD media I assume? Audio over DVI?
Looks just like ..
.. a thin client.
And if you buy a decent enough HP terminal (other brands available) the specification and price isn't anything that new or unusual either.
DVI to HDMI
DVI to hdmi is just a question of using an adapter cable hdmi is DVI plus a few extra bits for sound and control. Haven't seen a dvi + audio -> hdmi yet.
