ASUS Eee Box

Tiny PC ideal only for those with tiny computing needs

WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE, the diminutive (1x8.75x7 inches HDW) and low-cost ($349.99) Eee Box is like its laptop counterpart, the Eee PC: Its performance is almost entirely dependent on what you want it to do. If you're looking for th emost basic of budget and space-saving desktops, you'll be able to cope with the Eee Box. Otherwise, you might be in trouble.
Based on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and bearing an 80GB hard drive, Windows XP Home Edition, and just 1GB of RAM (though this is upgradable), the Eee Box is little more than a make-do solution for someone who doesn't want to shell out even $500 for a budget desktop.
Its scores in our productivity tests here, to be kind, underwhelming. The 828 it clocked in Cinebench 10 is the lowest we've seen. Requiring 27 minutes and 3 seconds to finish our Windows Media Encoder test, 19 minutes and 5 seconds to trudge through our iTunes conversion trial, and scoring a measly 68 in Futuremark's 3DMark06 benchmark test, the Eee Box is invariably at the rear of the pack. 3D gaming is pointless.
But if your needs never strecth beyond the most elementary computing, the Eee Box could be quite a deal. There's no built in optical drive, but you do get integrated 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, a DVI port, for USB ports, and Ethernet jack, headphone and microphone connectors, and even a multiformat memory-card reader for expediting media moving. (A keyboard, mouse, and preinstalled StarOffice and MS Works software packages are also included.) For the impatient, the inclusion of Asus'proprietary Express Gate software lets you boot swiftly into Linux, so you can view Web sites or photos, use Skype, or do other minor operations without the hassle of booting into Windows proper.

Because the Eee is so small, you can store it almost anywhere (horizontally or vertically). Because it doesn't pull much current or move many fans, Asus estimates it will seldom ned to suck down more than 20 watts. (In one demonstration, the Eee topped out at 17 watts even when playing 720p high-definition video.) It also won't get much louder than 26 decibels-we had to strain to hear it even in a quite environment.
Adantages like these are nice plusses to the budget-friendly price, and as long as you're not interested in doing much more than Web browsing, word processing, or flipping through digital photos, the Eee Box will live up to your expectations. Just don't push it much farther. -Matthew Murray.

What's the Deal?
Looking for a tiny desktop to fill similarly small hole in your home-computing schema? Then the Eee Box, which can be hidden under an 8.5x11-inch sheet of papers, might be for you.
What it's for: Simple tasks like viewing photos, surfing for Web, instant messaging, and other non-intensive applications.

Who it's for: College students, the budget-conscious, or anyone looking for a second (or third or fourth) PC that doesn't need to be a powerhouse performer.

What's included: A keyboard and mouse; StarOffice and MS Works software packages; a stand for supporting the system vertically; and a wal-mounting bracket.



The bottom line: If your needs are modest, the Eee Box's price is definetly right; just don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed by this pint-size pC.

source: Computer Shopper October 2008.

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Asus's Unusually Compact Eee Box PC

ASUS'S EEE BOX features a smaller footprint and a slimmer profile than the average laptop-and yet it's designed to sit on your desk. The Eee Box starts at just $350, making it a bargain as basihc home PC. But the machine's performance is unimpressive.

The Eee Box-the desktop computer sibling of Asus's Eee PC notebook-comes with a 1.6-GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 5400-rpm, 80GB, 2.5-inch SATA-150 hard drive. It also has an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics chip that relies on shared video memory.

Though the Eee Box will do fine for browsing online and for word processing, it is hardly a robust unit, scoring just 36 on our WorldBench 6 tests. In some ways, though, performance is not the point: The system is designed to be a basic, powersaving network-attached device. Asus says that the Box draws just 15 to 20 watts of power-a smaller amount than most laptops use.

Our test unit came with Windows XP Home; Asus says that a Linux version should ship later this year. The Eee Box starts up into ExpressGate, a pre-Windows interface that allows you to boot into Windows, enter the BIOS, or use a simplified Linux-based environment that comes arrayed with a Web browser, an instant messaging client, and Skype.


The Eee Box is a great value that's geared toward students, as well as home and small-office users. That the system comes with Windows XP Home, Microsoft Works, and Sun StarOffice only sweetens the deal. -Nick Mediati

PC World November 2008

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Asus EEE BOX PC

Energy-Efficient Web Surfing




ASUS has developed a reputation for building small, useful PCs on the cheap. The company is expanding the idea with the Eee Box PC, a Windows XP "net-top" system with the Intel Atom processor and impressive energy efficiency (using only 18 watts of power).

This 7-by-1.2-by-8.8-inch (HWD) slab comes with a Linux-based quick-boot environment called Express Gate, which also reduces the time it takes to get online and is fine for Web surfing and making VOIP calls. Running Win XP slows the Eee Box down, because of its poky processor and integrated graphics. The system also has Skype, a chat client, and a photo viewer.

The Eee Box connected in seconds to our 802.11n wireless router. If you don't have a wireless network, you can connect via Ethernet. Though this system had abysmal benchmark test scores. It handles its primary task of web surfing adeptly enough.

In addition to the Eee Box's small size, the system also has RoHS and Energy Star certification. It lacks EPEAT certification, however, so it just missed receiving our GreenTech Approved seal. Nonetheless, his is a cheap, compact, and energy-efficient system that does everything it promises in a predictable manner. - Joel Santo Domingo



Specs: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 procesor, 1GB 533-MHz DDR2 SDRAM. 80GB 5,400-rpm SATA hard drive, Intel Integrated GMA 950 Graphics, four USB 2.0 ports, Windows XP Home Edition.

PC Media November 2008
www.asus.com

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