Asus adds dual-core Atom to Eee desktop
Eee Box B208 sneaks out with... er... Vista
Asus has added Intel's desktop-oriented dual-core Atom chip, the 1.6GHz 330, to its Eee Box line of compact PCs - and given it Windows Vista to chew on.
Like the other members of the Eee Box family, the B208, still uses some mobile components - its 1GB of DDR 2 memory comes on a latop-oriented SO-Dimm, for instance. The machine also integrates 802.11n Wi-Fi in addition to Gigabit Ethernet, and has a "built-in battery that performs a UPS function".
The unit incorporates up to 320GB of 3Gb/s Sata hard drive storage and a multi-format memory card reader.
The B208 has an HDMI port driven by an AMD ATI Radeon HD 4350 graphics chip with 256MB of DDR 2 video memory. With no Blu-ray Disc drive on board - or any other optical storage - the "high-definition entertainment" Asus said the B208 delivers "for maximum enjoyment" will have to be downloaded.
There's no word yet on UK availability and pricing. ®
COMMENTS
@ Sigh
See I thought differently...
I thought it would be great strapped to the back of my 2nd TV as a media player/streamer, I have UPS for everything else (including my Media PC - why? because otherwise power cuts send it into S5 and it won't wake to record things).
I also thought if it lost the Radeon for lower power it would probably make a good Debian server with the battery for UPS. Also a shame they only have the one wired ethernet port, or it would be a fantastic firewall platform.
Would be great to be able to get these in a variety of configurations... or with pluggable modules.
Sigh
Vista and an in-built UPS battery (!), what pointless expenses they add to this thing.
If there is a power cut how do you even shut it down when your TV monitor is dead too, duh.
I'll wait till the next version that comes without such pointlessness.
