How well did it perform? According to PCMark05, exactly like all the other Atom-based Small, Cheap Computers out there. The chart shows the Eee Box's numbers set against figures from a small selection of Atom-based netbooks and a 2GHz Core 2 Duo-equipped Acer Aspire 2920 laptop.
PCMark05 Results
Longer bars are better
Because it supports a standard screen size of 1280 x 1024, the Eee Box would run PCMark's graphics tests when other SCCs won't, hence the gaps in the Graphics and the Overall sets. But it's clear the Core 2 Duo machine knocks the Eee Box into a cocked hat, performance-wise.
Mind you, it costs twice as much, and the question you have to ask is whether all the raw performance is necessary. The Eee isn't a machine for serious Photoshop users, for instance, or for folk who want to edit or transcode video. This is not a number cruncher's box, or a games machine, and it doesn't pretend to be. But we had no trouble doing casual Photoshop picture editing.
The Eee Box in either of its colour schemes will set you back a reasonable £250. You'll have to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse separately, unless of course you already have these essentials.
You can buy a cheap Dell desktop for £250 too, but it'll be a chunky, ugly box. Dell's rather more stylish Studio Hybrid, which is about 2-3 times as thick as the Eee Box, comes in at £400, but that's with a single-core Celeron M processor. Going dual-core takes the price to £439, but either model comes with a optical drive and a 160GB HDD. You'll have to add an external optical drive if you plan to install on the Eee any apps you can't download.
Verdict
Just as Asus re-invented the laptop, it has introduced a new take on the mini PC. Intel's Atom is no powerhouse, but it provides sufficient horsepower for all but the most demanding of computing tasks. It's fine for internet, media playback and office apps. It's cheap and looks cute too. What's not to like about this simple, successful product?
Asus Eee Box Atom-based desktop mini PC
COMMENTS
I own one
A few points.
Ubuntu 8.10 installed nicely. 8.04 didn't.
I had luck with both VGA out and a DVI-HDMI cable.
Wireless required ndiswrapper. Nothing complicated. Others may have more luck, but once I had it running, I was happy.
It can play 720p happily - though at high cpu usage. 1080 is a no go.
For sound I needed to use ALSA.
The computer comes with a wired keyboard, wired mouse and VESA mounting bracket. I use a gyroscopic mouse for easy control across the room.
The computer is about 70% the size of a mac mini.
One problem is a lack of USB ports. 2 on the back and 2 on the front. Keyboard and mouse can use up the back two so without using an adapter, anything else like a hard drive, bluetooth adapter etc will be stuck in the front which is unsightly.
The case is a pain to open - about as easy as opening an ipod. Once you do though, it's simple to add another 1GB sodimm to take the box to 2GB, the limit of the Atom chipset.
Its a small business machine - thats the point
Everyone is missing the point its a small business machine.
I bought one for a gas station back office machine.
it is great, runs office 2007, IE and MS money, Excel 2007 thats all that is needed
replaced a really aging tower and even thought the specs aren't the best on the market it does the job. Perfect office machine. It came with the adapter to put on the back of the monitor. works like a charm, love it. and yes, we ran full screen .mov movies in Itunes/Quicktime and they play not a $2,000 video setup but its not needed for the role this machine will serve.
I see this replacing 10,000 of thousand of aging dell tower on corporate floors.
its perfect, takes no space, and does exactly what it needs to.
Don't buy from DABS !!!
Actual Price wrote :-
Well Dabs is offering it for a bit under £200, which sounds good value.
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DABS is owned by BT. Boycott the Phuckers until Phorm is dead.
Exchange rates
There are some pessimistic assumptions about exchange rates in the prices. The way Sterling is shifted against the dollar, there need to be.
WTF?
I've been a fan of the Reg eve since it's inception, but I'm sorry to say the reviews have deteriorated from brillant to medioce to this...useless! To be honest it sounds like something written by DSG staff than by a Reg(TM) employee I don't expect cpu clock speeds at different voltages or anything, but just some common sense from the author! I mean how can he mention media centre without mentioning output resolution? A test of playing an HD Divx pehaps? 1080p output or screen stretch? Can it play Iplayer/40d in hires mode without jerking? Bluay/NAS plug in? HD/SD recoding from TV with an input? How can the author have the audacity to make a statement including 'media centre' without mentioning these. Cheese!
Paris coz she could write a better review. George O, postgrad at Oxford University
