Initial EeeBoxes had trouble playing HD video at resolutions greater than 720p (1280 x 720 pixels), so Asus later added to its product line with the EeeBox B204 and B206, which retained the N270 CPU, but added ATI's Radeon HD 3400 GPU (graphics processor unit), equipped with 256MB of DDR2 RAM, and claimed -- by ATI, at least -- to support 1080p (1920 x 1280 pixels). The EeeBox B204 and B206 also sported 160GB, 5400rpm hard disk drives, plus HDMI ports, for direct A/V connection to HD television sets.

Asus' EeeBox EB1012
(Click to enlarge)

Asus' newly announced EeeBox EB1012, still claimed to use "80 percent less power than a typical desktop," has more muscle still, adopting Intel's dual-core, 1.6GHz Atom 330. In addition, the EB1012 joins some other recent "nettops" -- Lenovo's IdeaCentre Q110, for instance -- in using Nvidia's Ion, which combines northbridge/southbridge circuitry with discrete GeForce 9400 graphics. Overall system power consumption is 40 Watts, claims Asus.

Asus bills the device as the "ideal full HD 1080p entertainment center for your living room," though it should be noted that all content must be downloaded or copied on to the EeeBox, since there's no Blu-ray drive. Like the earlier B204 and B206, the EB1012 has an HDMI port, and additional interfaces include an eSATA port, S/PDIF digital audio output, VGA output, gigabit Ethernet, and five USB 2.0 ports, the company says.

The EeeBox EB1012 also includes headphone and microphone jacks, plus an SD/SDHC/Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro card reader. Of course, the device also features wireless networking (802.11b/g/n), with a built-in antenna, according to Asus.

Asus says the EB1012 may be expanded up to 4GB via two SODIMM slots, more than we're used to seeing on this class of device. The nettop has also bulked up by offering a 250GB hard disk, the company adds.

While previous EeeBox devices ran Windows XP Home, the EB1012 runs Windows Vista Home Premium, according to Asus. Unheralded here, but possibly carried over from the original EeeBox, is a ROM that includes Express Gate, a cut-down version of Linux that reportedly allows users who are in a hurry to bypass Windows, loading the Firefox web browser, Adobe Flash, Skype, and a photo viewer "within a few seconds."

A variant of DeviceVM's Splashtop technology, Express Gate has featured on a variety of Asus motherboards and computers, including the all-in-one Eee Top and the N10 netbook. For more details on Express Gate, see the coverage on our sister site LinuxDevices.com, here.

Finally, the EeeBox EB1012 includes a stand and VESA mounting hardware, and is available with an optional remote control. The system includes an external 40 Watt power adapter, Asus says.

Features and specifications released by Asus for the EeeBox EB1012:

• Processor -- 1.6GHz Atom 330
  
• Memory -- Up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM
  
• Storage -- 250GB HDD (SATA II, 5400rpm)
  
• Graphics -- Nvidia Ion (GeForce 9400), with 256MB of RAM, and HDMI output
  
• Networking:
  • LAN -- Gigabit Ethernet
    
  • WLAN -- 802.11b/g/n
    
• Other I/O:
  • 5 x USB 2.0 (3 front panel, 2 rear)
  • 1 x HDMI
  • 1 x VGA
  • 1 x eSATA
  • 3.5mm jack for analog audio output (provides S/PDIF optical digital output via adapter)
  • Microphone input
  • Headphone output
• Expansion -- SD/SDHC/MMC/MS/MS Pro card reader
  
• Dimensions -- n/s, but original EeeBox measures 8.77 x 7 x 1 inches (222 x 178 x 26.9mm) without stand
  
• Weight -- 2.4 pounds (1.1kg)

• Atom and Ion team up on Mini-ITX mobo
• Lenovo offers nettops and a home server
• Ion's in 21 computers -- plus a porcelain vase!
• Nettop backs away from Nvidia Ion
• Atom nettop uses Nvidia companion chip
• Nettop moves to dual-core Atom
• Asus nettop gets discrete graphics
• All-in-one "nettop" has touchscreen display
• Nettop is "almost fanless"
• "Nettop" can boot from CompactFlash