Pricing
What's the betting that it will be more like £267 by the time it goes on sale in the UK?
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 Asus Eee Box Asus' Eee Box: Atom powered …
In all seriousness Giles, you're better of taking the price in dollars ($326), adding on a bit of a surcharge as you would anyway for US sales, let's say making it $350, and then converting it as if £1=1.2$ which is roughly what things seem to be selling at currently, making it £290.
So I'd predict between £280 and £300 when it's on sale in the UK.
And to be honest, I've stopped playing PC games and have no need for the giant massive box I currently use, and I'd more than happily pay £300 for an Eee Box and then another couple of hundred for a massive external HDD. And that's because I will pay for convenience - the same reason I would pay through the nose for a 12" or 11" laptop when you can save a huge markup by buying the identical laptop in 15" or 17".
> There's another port below it - the power connector's near the base - that some reports maintain is a TV tuner link.
If that's a "TV tuner link" then where's the audio out for my speakers? You know, that "TV tuner link" looks suspiciously like a 3.5mm audio jack...
External TV tuners are usually connected by USB anyway (even my internal "PCI" one is really the guts from a USB tuner and a PCI->USB chip on the same PCB). I don't know why anyone would invent some proprietary standard.
Giles,
FWIW I completely agree with you.
However, beware the fate of those who have the audacity to state obvious facts related to how much we pay here in the UK versus everywhere else will only result in corrective statements from people with nothing better to do that point out that 1) we pay VAT 2) they pay sales tax and 3) by the time you add the shipping costs actually the differential isn't actually worth the airfare.
Just so you know ...
Tim
...is probably the DC power input socket (that is unless that pretty metal stand doubles as an inductive power pickup) I suspect the audio in/out is probably under that alledged flap at the front.
It'd also be interesting to see if it's real wood it's coated with or just wood print tacky back plastic (in that case you could probably get any finish your heart could possibly desire).
I've been waiting for more details of the ebox since I first heard rumours that Asus were producing a desktop model of the Eee (I've had a 701 since last November) but honestly so far it doesn't impress me...
From the details I've seen so far the MSI wind desktop looks like a more promising machine for my usage.
Guess we'll have to wait for production versions of both to be able to compare them properly though.
A wonderfully compact design that shows how a reduction in a key factor like CPU power utilization results in a form factor revolution.
Lower power consumption = losing the bulky power supply, and the cooling equipment, CPU fan, etc.
You should be able to run the thing for a couple of weeks, off of a LEAD Acid pile kept under your desk, months if you include the energy generated by opeining your office door, shuffling your feet and swivling your chair left and right.
I preseme the laptop version of the EE PC has the video backlighting as it's primary power consumption load.
Any reason why no mention of the Asus instant on option?
All Asus motherboards as well as some laptop series will have the Splashtop instant-on option, which is embedded Linux.
5 seconds boot time and you are in a stripped down Linux with Firefox, Skype, IM and a photoviewer. For people who are going online to check their emails regularly, this is amazing.
For decades, we have been complaining about slow boot time.
This lets you bypass that and should be a huge selling point.
Call it a green technology if you want to make it seem sexier!
"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?