Customer Reviews

ASUS Eee Box EB1012-B0257 Nettop PC - Black

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this last December and use it to surf the internet on our family room TV. It works pretty well. I do not feel that it is underpowered for my needs (browsing, YouTube, watching local videos on my computer, viewing JPEG pictures, etc). I sold my Western Digital TV Live after I bought the EeeBox EB1012.

I put the computer horizontally in my TV console (because it would not fit standing upright with the stand) even though the manual says not to do so. I don't know why the manual shows not to do this... maybe due to lack of ventilation when it is on its side (as another reviewer pointed out)? To help improve air flow I put this on top of 4 "rubber feet". I don't use this much so hopefully the subpar ventilation in my setup won't be a problem.

One complaint I have is the lack of control over the display resolution. I have a problem with "HDMI overscan" where the image is too big for the TV. I have to reduce the resolution from 1920x1080 to the next smaller one which does not totally fit the TV screen. The pre-installed driver had a scale adjustment so I was able to reduce the resolution so it fit my TV perfectly. After running Microsoft update that feature does not work well anymore. There is still an option to scale the desktop but when I click on it another box comes up but only 25% of it is visible -- making it useless as I cannot see all of the controls.

Also, while this comes with 2GB of RAM and supports up to 4GB it isn't easy to add memory yourself. The case is not easy to open and if you break it your warranty might be voided. According to an Asus representative one has to have an authorized service center do it. That's kinda silly to pay so much (shipping + service fee + likely-to-be-inflated RAM price) to upgrade this computer.

I don't use the WiFi since I use a Linksys powerline adapter for faster data rates and a more reliable connection.

I find the ASUS support to be inferior to US companies such as Dell, HP, etc. Their website isn't very helpful, IMHO.

Overall I'm still happy because it fits my needs.

I am using this as a TV PC: Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, with the occasional web surfing. The video plays seamlessly, but don't dare scroll while video is playing. The Eee Box attaches perfectly to the back of my TV into the wall-mount holes, so you won't see it, or need shelf space. I can't speak for the instructions, included keyboard, cables, etc. because I just unpacked it, hooked everything up and and everything worked great. I bought a wireless keyboard/mouse all-in-one that works great for recliner surfing. Buy with confidence!

We have this computer hooked up to a 50" Panasonic Plasma TV in our hobby room. It is connected to a wired network and "Beyond TV Link" software is used for all television functions. Wireless was tried at first but the video playback was choppy because we only have the slow G version and not the faster Wireless N. The sound is output on the TV's speakers and is via the HDMI cable. The computer came with a USB keyboard and mouse but we purchased a wireless Logitech MX5500. Since there is no optical drive included a USB external drive is used.

Overall, it is a nice computer for television and other videos. Playback is flawless on 1080i and 720p material. The sound is always in-sync. It works great for internet access and office productivity software. It is also silent and uses very little power.

On the downside I think it is a little over-priced. Next time I may go with the similar but cheaper Acer AspireRevo.

This is a great little system that I'm using as a Media Center. It has no issues playing videos on our TV over the HDMI connection, even .mkv files. (DivxHD codec is required) The system was easy and straight forward to setup and its tiny form factor is great for just about any room. I recommend this system to anyone who's looking for a Media Center PC.

Con: Only thing that I didn't like, which is all too common with these systems, is the endless junk that comes pre-loaded on it. It took me a little bit of time to uninstall all the apps that I didn't want.

It was a little pricier than I wanted to spend. But it is small, silent, and does everything my wife needs it too. Plus she loves the way it looks. I couldn't be happier with the PC and the lack complaints... so far.

Yes the N330 processor chip is 64 bit, however the Windows 7 premium version that comes installed is 32 bit. I purchased it to run 64 bit software, I will have to upgrade the OS. This is the reason for only 3 stars.

A very nice keyboard and mouse comes with the unit that I purchased at Amazon.

Reading other reviews, someone stated that the computer could be placed on its side even though the instructions say not to. My observation is that the unit cools when heated air exits the top vent bringing cooler air in the bottom vent. If the unit is operated on its side, proper cooling will not take place. The chips will operate too hot and problems will show shortly after the 1 year warranty has expired. So to avoid over heating, use the cool looking stand that comes with the computer or the mounting bracket (also supplied) to mount the CPU on the back of your monitor.

No fan equals no computer sound at all, nice when working on the computer.

So.... 5 stars on everything except the 32 bit OS.

There are four problems with it:

1. The Atom CPU is under-powered. It makes web browsing a little tedious.
2. HDMI audio output is not reliably detected by my Sony surround sound system.
3. It will not wake up from sleep when I press the power button on my Media Center remote.
4. Power light blinks brightly in sleep mode.

Issue 1 is annoying but you will probably learn to live with it.
I got around issue 2 by using the optical audio output with my receiver.
I solved the resume from sleep issue by using my Bluetooth keyboard.
I have to turn off the computer before I go to sleep, otherwise the blinking light will probably keep me up at night. Yes, I know I can put a tape over the light, but I choose not to do so.

I am happy with my purchase. However, I am probably going to give the machine to my buddy and build one from scratch myself.

using it as home entertainment canter

connection:
-hd-tv(hdmi)
-2x1tb-hdd(usb)
-1x2tb-hdd(sata)
-cordless mm kb(usb)

performance:
fast enough for 2gb-ram
small, thin & quiet

issue:
unstable/swinging base

I have been patiently awaiting the release of this mini pc for about 2 years now ever since the company first released the early images and product specs. I have been as well as many people I would think trying to minimize power usage, space requirements and the so called " throw away technology" we have today. Look no further this little power house has what most of us have come to expect in an everday user's computer as well as having pretty darn good graphics.Although this is a review of the pc itself I could think of no better operating system to have installed than Windows 7. My god have you tried it yet, talk about compatibility. Practically idiot proof. The union of Win. 7 and this awesome pc is a winner.