ASUS Eee Box B202 Mini Desktop PC

The ASUS Eee Box B202 brings the concept of an extremely low cost basic computer system to the desktop market. It delivers on this promise but also lacks many of the basic features one would expect from a desktop computer. It really is best suited for those looking for a basic PC to browse the web and maybe do some productivity software. Beyond that one should really look at other small form factor PCs.

9/1/08 - Unlike many mini PCs that are based around laptop processors, the ASUS Eee Box B202 is designed around the first generation of Intel Atom mobile device processors, the N270. This single core processor uses very little power yet provides enough performance to run Windows XP and some basic applications within it. The system only comes with a single gigabyte of memory, so don't expect much in terms of multitasking or intensive applications such as graphics or video.

The goal of the Eee Box is to be a extremely low cost system that is used almost like a terminal of the past. It would be hooked up to a network and used for web applications. In this task, it does an extremely good job thanks to its gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g/n wireless. This lets the Eee Box be installed in just about any location that you can have a monitor or even a TV compatible with its DVI monitor output.

The key thing here to note is that this can't really replace a full desktop PC. It lacks one of the most basic features to let it compete with them. Without an optical drive, it is difficult to install application software or use it as a media hub. Sure, it can play back video files, but it can't playback, import or record to any CD or DVD format. This is a fairly important function for ASUS' claim that it can server as a media hub.

This makes the ASUS Eee Box much more suited to the task as a secondary PC that can be used with maybe a large screen TV for surfing the web without the need for a power hungry desktop system. It also can be useful for just basic tasks like accessing data across a network in a location away from the main PC.

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