back to article Asus unveils dirt-cheap Chromebox desktops with Haswell chips

Plenty of vendors offer Chromebooks, but if mobility isn't your bag, Asus has announced a compact Chrome OS desktop at a price that's hard to beat. Asus isn't the first company to offer Chrome OS in a desktop form factor. That would be Samsung, which launched the original Chromebox in 2012. But vendors have shied away from the …

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  1. ACcc

    Yes, but...

    ...will it run Linux?

    Or what's the i7 price like for a dual boot .net/LAMP dev box?

    (if, of course, you could get a later version of Windows onto a 16gb ssd with any space to spare...)

    1. Big_Ted

      Re: Yes, but...

      Who cares if it runs Linux ?

      Thats not what 99.99999% of those who would buy it care about, if you want Linux on something buy a desktop or laptop on stick your niche product on there.

      This is what people like me want to see, stick these in instead of a windows job and most of my family tech support is gone. So much better for use than a windows box for the majority of the population as well....

      1. Michael Habel

        Re: Yes, but...

        >Implying these things can not be a Headache, or any less of a security threat either. Besides isn't this thing already running some *nix already, just like with Android? If your "Tech Support" is such a PITA, then make sure you have Auto Updates turned on before you leave. Most likely they'd wouldn't know the difference anyway....

    2. PyLETS

      Re: Yes, but...

      ChromeOS is a version of Linux, so the answer is yes it will be running Linux. So long as the thing isn't shipped totally locked down at the UEFI level (i.e. using secure boot incapable of being switched off by the user) it should also be easy to install other versions, as the hardware will all be optimised to have good Linux driver support.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Yes, but...

      You are joking right? You know Chrome OS is Linux?

      1. itzman

        Re: Yes, but...Chrome OS is Linux?

        All right then. but will it run Linux MINT.

        I.e can we load a generic Linux OS on it that isn't tied to what google decides we should have?

        1. sabroni Silver badge
          Coat

          Re: Never mind that

          Can I put Windows 8 on it? What about XP?

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Yes, but...Chrome OS is Linux?

          Crouton...nuff said.

  2. batfastad

    Bye ChromeOS

    For several years now I've had HTPCs of various ilks hooked up to my TV. A shuttle box for a long time and currently an ageing mini-ITX Atom (Zotac nVidia ION) which has done a sterling job. These were usually on 24-7 as an all round home server web browsing kiosk Skype music YouTube etc. Early last year I bought a RaspberryPi and stuck OpenELEC on there and that's sorted all of the media playback stuff. The problem is I still end up with the HTPC on probably most days because of two annoying proprietary MS technologies, Silverlight and Skype. I would have switched it over to Linux years ago had it not been for Eurosport Player being Silverlight only.

    A cheap, small, fanless x86 box would make an ideal replacement for the old HTPC and this looks pretty good. That's if I can kill the ChromeOS.

    1. Natalie Gritpants

      Re: Bye ChromeOS

      Is it fanless? From the small vents it looks like it's fan cooled.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Bye ChromeOS

        If it's like the Gigabyte and Intel NUCs I have - it has a small laptop fan but you have to run even the i5 variant pretty hard to get it to turn on and you can hardly hear it.

    2. Shadow Systems

      Ohhh... I just had an idea!

      (Waits in amusement for the screams of terror to die down.)

      Given their sizes, imagine a ChromeBox, an Intel NUC, and a Raspberry Pi in a side-by-side-by-side configuration, VESA mounted to the back of a monitor.

      A KVM switcher box, all the other periph's on a USB hub, and you could have some serious fun.

      It would be like running a triple-boot box, triple VM server, all from the same space as your monitor!

      *Happy geek drooling*

      Damn it, now I crave Pi.

      But what would you call such a rig?

      ChromeNucPi? PiNucChrome? PiNuChrome? ChromePi? ChromeNuc? NucPi?

      Frankenstein? Cerberus? Bob?

      1. Michael Habel

        Re: Ohhh... I just had an idea!

        But what would you call such a rig?

        How about EPIC WIN!?

      2. AbelSoul

        Re: Ohhh... I just had an idea!

        Nice idea. I already have an almost completely neglected Pi, yet still find myself lusting after this little beastie.

        > "But what would you call such a rig?"

        > "ChromeNucPi? PiNucChrome? PiNuChrome? ChromePi? ChromeNuc? NucPi?"

        Perhaps "PiChNUC" (pronounced "picnic") ?

      3. Euripides Pants

        Re: Ohhh... I just had an idea!

        "But what would you call such a rig?"

        The 3 headed giant...

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4SJ0xR2_bQ

    3. Michael Habel

      Re: Bye ChromeOS

      For several years now I've had HTPCs of various ilks hooked up to my TV. A shuttle box for a long time and currently an ageing mini-ITX Atom (Zotac nVidia ION) which has done a sterling job. These were usually on 24-7 as an all round home server web browsing kiosk Skype music YouTube etc. Early last year I bought a RaspberryPi and stuck OpenELEC on there and that's sorted all of the media playback stuff. The problem is I still end up with the HTPC on probably most days because of two annoying proprietary MS technologies, Silverlight and Skype. I would have switched it over to Linux years ago had it not been for Eurosport Player being Silverlight only.

      A cheap, small, fanless x86 box would make an ideal replacement for the old HTPC and this looks pretty good. That's if I can kill the ChromeOS.

      Wait... You just "discovered" OpenELEC, and yet you never used either MythTV, or VDR?! WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?! I mean really I tried Windows Media Center Once.... It was terrible. For starters, it never had support for DVB-C (Cable), or DVB-S2 (Satellite). Ok the later was eventually addressed back in Vista with a Hack-Pack Update, that was only officially released to just a few OEMs. AFAIK Windows 7 was the first "Official" WMC to have DVB-S2 as standard.

      To put a line on this I got into the whole HTPC, back in 2005, and I wasn't prepared to either pay for a buggy copy of DVBViewer, or take a Chill Pill, and wait for Ballmer to discover DVB-C either... MythTV was interesting, but broken. At the time VDR, needed a Hardware MPEG2 Decoder. Thankfully now, thanks to VDPAU, pretty much any decent nVidia Card can take care of all that now.

      I would not touch WMC at this point now!

  3. Ketlan
    WTF?

    16GB, really?

    "16GB of onboard SSD storage"

    Seriously???

    1. Paul J Turner

      Re: 16GB, really?

      It would be nice to know what kind of flash too, with that piddling size I would hope for SLC to cope with the ever changing web cache contents.

      Still, with the SD card option and USB 3 ports that you could put a reasonably cheap 64GB stick into you could probably get by for backing storage if you have a use for it.

      1. Richard 81

        Re: 16GB, really?

        Hell, with USB 3.0 you could sit an external HDD on top of it and have as much storage as you like.

    2. JDX Gold badge

      Re: 16GB, really?

      What part of ChromeOS do you not understand Ketlan? If you want to store all your files locally, buy something else.

      1. Thomas_Kent
        Coat

        Re: 16GB, really?

        Belts and braces?

    3. jason 7

      Re: 16GB, really?

      @Ketlan

      You still haven't worked out the usage model for a Chrome PC yet have you?

      ChromeOS isn't about local storage. Do keep up!

  4. Paul J Turner

    OK for web browsing

    Graphics performance will be the weak spot for anything serious.

    Another tight-arse, performance-sapping unified memory mess.

    Show me one solution that has ever come close to the performance of a reasonably current system with separate memories, the current consoles underwhelm compared to a decent PC.

    A pity, otherwise it would be a nice SteamBox contender.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: OK for web browsing

      Somehow I don't think computational fluid dynamics is the intended market.

      Still it's tricky to see what the market is. For Google-Docs and Web browsing the Chromebooks are better. The only use for this is for content consumption - but it doesn't work with Netflix/Hulu etc - so unless Google are going to offer pay-per-view on You Tube (and fix the HTML5 viewer) - this is a bit pointless

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: OK for web browsing

        No Netflix? How come - ChromeCast supports NetFlix after all.

        1. Irongut

          Re: OK for web browsing

          Because Netflix uses Silverlight. Yes they say they support HTML5 but have you actually watched any content in HTML5? Its always Silverlight in my experience, on UK Netflix anyway.

          1. JDX Gold badge

            Because Netflix uses Silverlight

            Netflix works wonderfully on my TV, iPad and on the wife's Nook (Android) tablet. Surely they don't all use SilverLight. EVERY new TV and gadget has a Netflix app, maybe some bespoke version but why can't Chrome have one of those two?

          2. Spyke

            Re: OK for web browsing

            Netflix runs fine on both Intel and ARM-based Chromeboxes and Chromebooks (I have one of each, both from Samsung). Neflix ported it to the platform so that it doesn't require Silverlight.

        2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: OK for web browsing

          >No Netflix? How come - ChromeCast supports NetFlix after all.

          But chromecast requires you to have another computer sending the data. I can't see people buying this box as a replacement for the $25 chromestick thingy if they still need a windows PC to send the video,

          Netflix does work (sort of) on the Samsung Arm Chromebook so perhaps they are working on a port for this.

          1. NotWorkAdmin

            Re: OK for web browsing

            "But chromecast requires you to have another computer sending the data."

            It most certainly doesn't. The computer, phone or whatever just tells the Chromecast what to go and get.

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: OK for web browsing

              Sorry I was thinking of the mode where it just replays a chrome browser tab,

              I have to watch netflix through a VPN due to being geographically challenged - ie living 20km the "wrong" side of the border

      2. Michael Habel

        Re: OK for web browsing

        Somehow I don't think computational fluid dynamics is the intended market.

        Still it's tricky to see what the market is. For Google-Docs and Web browsing the Chromebooks are better. The only use for this is for content consumption - but it doesn't work with Netflix/Hulu etc - so unless Google are going to offer pay-per-view on You Tube (and fix the HTML5 viewer) - this is a bit pointless

        >Implying that Google don't want to start a Pay-per-View, or subscription Service on YouTube.

        http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/youtube-launches-paid-subscription-channels/

  5. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    Complete

    with Google DataSlurp (Not TM) tech.

    Is this Googles version of "Windows everywhere?"

    That was s**t too.

    1. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: Googlehatefest!

      Shame on you!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    We can safely assume

    it will be DRM-ed up to the eyebrows. This is the price you pay for having your personal info slurped.

    Remember, a free user can't be properly monetized.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: We can safely assume

      It'll get up in the night and go upstairs to smother your children.

      Remember, anonymous bullshit is anonymous, and bullhsit.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: We can safely assume

        Quite the opposite! It will look after your children collecting info so you all can enjoy targeted advertising. However, you don't seem to understand or care about end-user digital freedoms so your comment can safely be discarded.

  7. ted209

    Looks interesting. If it's fanless and can run debian then colour me interested! If not, I'll stick with my Shuttle XS35GT.

  8. Shadow Systems

    I'd be interested in the I7...

    ...but it depends on the max RAM I could install & if it accepts a user-replaceable HDD/SSD.

    Sure it may be less expensive than the NUC, but if the user can't upgrade their own RAM nor the HDD/SSD, then it's not really comparing apples to apples.

    I can stuff 16Gb of RAM in the NUC, and either the largest M-SATA (for one of the original variants) or a full sized 2.5" SATA (for the newest variant).

    Either way, it's a simple matter to open the NUC & fiddle with it's guts, thus making it infinitely more valuable than the ChromeBox.

    But if I can get my hands on the I7 model (not bloody likely in North America), then I'd be willing to buy one just for the sake of giving one a spin.

    I'd have to figure out some way of installing a Screen Reader Environment on it so I could use it, but otherwise I can envision having a lot of fun with one.

    VESA mount a NUC and a CB to the back of a monitor, use a KVM switch to swap back & forth between them, and plug everything else into a USB hub for ease of access.

    Need Windows for something? *Click* Ok.

    Want Chrome for something? *Click* Done.

    All from a combined box footprint that fits side-by-side on the back of the monitor?

    Of course, as a Blind guy, I wouldn't need to spend the money on a monitor, so Neener Neener.

    =-)p

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: I'd be interested in the I7...

      What are you wanting to do on a low-power system that needs 16Gb? PCs have pretty much stopped shipping with increased RAM since 4-6Gb became standard 5 years ago.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Can I wipe it and put a proper Linux OS on there?

    1. Bronek Kozicki

      Since ASUS is a hardware company, I would assume they are more interested in sales of this box than in Google ads being served. My bet is "yes, you can".

  10. myarse
    Thumb Up

    If you can stick XBMC on it I'm getting one to replace the old C2D HTPC.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      XBMC runs fine on a Pi. No need for hot and hungry Intel hardware.

      1. Michael Habel

        Does the Pi do MPEG4? What about Hi10p?! I think my HTPC isn't quite as dead as that just yet... But, with the spat of USB DVB-S2 & DVB-C Tuners hitting the Market, and in the quest of a cheaper Electric Bill these things do seem to be the shape of things to come...

        1. D@v3

          RaspBMC

          supports most things (everything I have thrown at it) and you can buy licences for other stuff from the Raspberry Pi Foundation for a couple of quid.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          @Michael Habel

          Apparently it does MPEG4 out of the box but you need to buy the codec for MPEG2.The XBMC wiki says Hi10p is a no-no on ARM :

          http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Hi10P

  11. RISC it ALL

    Freedom isn't free

    Hasn't anybody learnt? Linux. That's all. Nothing else. Thank you. Actually, forget that. Just let me install what I want. Because whatever you think I need is wrong.

    That said, it's a pretty decent little box. Just please tell me the Linux drivers support the HD graphics. Effing AMD. Effing Fedora. Effing Catalyst.

    1. sabroni Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Hasn't anybody learnt?

      I'm sure Google will stop with this silly ChromeOS nonsense now you've cleared that up.

      Thanks. No really, well done.

      1. Uffish

        Re: silly ChromeOS nonsense

        Why should Google stop doing something profitable and legal (but very close to creepy)? No doubt they will continue, and I will continue with Debian and Startpage and NoScript, just for the fun of it.

        Oh dear, I sound like Jake - help, downvote me in massive numbers.

  12. Rule of Thumb
    Thumb Down

    ChromeOS is a dealbreaker

    The Chromebooks I've used made it extremely difficult to run anything but ChromeOS. For example, you have to boot to developer mode and stay in developer mode. If you ever go back (e.g., during login), the machine resets itself to factor settings. Or something like that, it was last year. Apparently some folks don't mind, but I found it waaay too precarious.

    If someone knows how to avoid this (without resorting to a soldering iron) I'd love to hear about it because the device itself was nice. But back to this ASUS device -- if this device is the same, if you cannot strip off and completely remove ChromeOS, then I'd say the NUC has a huge advantage.

    BTW, I didn't mind ChromeOS but there were so many things that I wanted to do that I found either I couldn't do or I had to do it Google's way. For example, all my files are available by SSH from my home server. ChromeOS has an OK ssh client but there was, at the time, nothing like sshfs and no prospects for anything like that anytime soon (if ever) because you were encouraged to use Google cloud storage. I can't/shouldn't be asked to/won't move all my crap to the cloud, just so I can use ChromeOS. So, I gave the device to my son who really only needs a portable web browser and is being indoctrinated by his school into reflexively using Google services.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: ChromeOS is a dealbreaker

      Some good points especially about the NUC. The NUC has one great disadvantage, and that is its price.

      Intel seem to want to charge 'Apple' prices for it.

      I priced one up to use as a silent web server to replace an aging EEEBox. It was just getting silly when compared to even a basic laptop.

      Back to this device. The amount of onboard storage with a decent speed is frankly pathetic. Sure you can connect USB3 devices externally but surely that defeats the object of a device like this in that everything should be contained within the packaging. Even the latest 160Mb/sec SD cards are still too slow for a lot of purposes. They are also a lot more expensive than SATA or MSATA SSD's (per Gb)

      IMHO, neither this device nor the NUC are hitting the sweet spot. For that they get a fail, could to better.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

    I really like my C720 Chromebook but (and call me old fashioned if you like, but I'm one amongst millions) despite using it heavily for Netflix I still have a DVD collection I'd like to watch. Unfortunately, thanks to Google's desires for all-streaming playback, they haven't paid the (relative to the hardware cost) pittance to include the DVD codecs in Chrome OS.

    I understand the public distribution is a no-go for cost/accountability reasons, but surely Google/Acer/Samsung/HP/whoever could afford it.

    I've got everything (even Python and Node web development) working without the need of anything other than the Chromebook (not ideal, but still practical), and this one thing makes me keep my laptop.

    1. jason 7

      Re: I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

      Do like most of us already have.

      Rip the DVDs you might actually watch more than once and give the rest to Oxfam or similar.

      1. Michael Habel

        Re: I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

        Surly that's illegal though. Hell why not just go to the Blockbusters and, rip your Videos from there instead?!

        1. knarf

          Re: I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

          Is blockbusters still going, thought they all shut?

        2. The Stolly
          FAIL

          Re: I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

          cause they've gone bust

        3. jason 7

          Re: I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

          Well you dont think all those people with the Lovefilm 'all the DVDs you can rent' subs are actually watching all those DVDs before they are sent back?

          No most rip them the minute they arrive in the post and slip them in the postbox 30 minutes later once ripped. 48 hours later another two arrive...

          Or nip to your local lending library rent all the current releases for £2 each and rip them...

          You're a bit behind the curve. Great if you have the time, I just prefer to stream from Netflix. Fed up having loads of physical media and data laying around.

          1. JDX Gold badge

            Re: I really like my C720 Chromebook but ...

            I think most is a vast exaggeration. For most, the fact you can get them as fast as you can watch them is enough.

  14. Trollslayer

    4k or 4k?

    There is a big difference.

    H.264 on a limited profile or H.265 to UHD standards?

    There is a lot more to it than pixels.

  15. csumpi
    Paris Hilton

    $180 dirt cheap?

    $180 is not dirt cheap. dirt cheap would be less than $100. $180 is more than i spent on my linux htpc, running xbmc at full res hd playing any video format under the sun.

    paris not impressed.

  16. PAT MCCLUNG

    Clerk

    Goddam. That's a good machine. Just take Chrome off and put Linux on. Gets rid of all the google spyware.

  17. g00se
    Linux

    Open?

    >>Just take Chrome off and put Linux on. Gets rid of all the google spyware.

    Just take ChromeOS off and put a different Linux on. Gets rid of all the Google spyware thats software-based

    ftfy

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