Eeebox Fail

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Decimate

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Master Geek

Topic # 31222 9-Mar-2009 14:54

Hi all,

This is my first post, however just wanted to bring to light a rather curious example of products gone wrong when I recently bought a new Eeebox package from Asus, which, for those who don't know, is just a very simple micro PC whch is designed to strap to the back of a monitor.
Now, these Eeebox's don't havea CD ROM drive, as I metioned, they have absolutely minimal features and are very small, so you can guess my surprise when I first fired it up and there was absolutely no hardware or software installed save for the OS (XP) This was to be expected however I had to laugh when I realised that all the install software was provided...on CD's! Why make a PC and ship it without hardware and then provide on a CD which the package cannot even physically take.

Just my little rant

gehenna

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Reply # 200129 9-Mar-2009 15:02

It's a BYO setup - bring your own keyboard, mouse, monitor, and in this case your own optical drive. I think they've done a fairly good job at making that a known fact. It's also likely that if you have one of these devices you probaby have another computer that DOES have an optical drive. So you'd either access that drive across the network, or copy the files you need to a usb stick.

I've had an eeePC since it came out and i never expected anything from it that wasn't clearly defined before I bought it.

freitasm

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Reply # 200133 9-Mar-2009 15:08

I wouldn't say it's a fail. I have a big laptop (Acer F5000) with a good Windows Experience Index (4.6 for a laptop is a good number) and plenty of memory and other resources. This is what I use everyday.

I also have a HP Mini Mi - no drive, 16GB SSD, 2GB RAM, weight almost 1Kg only. This is what I take when I want to read something in the lounge or when I am travelling.

You can't get a small machine - or a machine designed for e-mail and web browsing use only - and expect it to perform and offer what big, more costly machines offer.

It all comes to what you need a PC for, and getting the right hardware for your requirements...

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Decimate

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Master Geek

Reply # 200134 9-Mar-2009 15:11

Perhaps that's where my expectations weren't met, Mine did come in a bundle with keyboard, monitor and a mouse, however the sales rep didn't advise me of the need for anything else, but you can't expect them to be perfect. And yes my partner has a laptop so it wasn't a major issue, I just think seeing as they were toting it as a bottom-end PC, and emphasising the fact its 'for the basics' and beginners, that there would have either been a clear explanation of what you would need to get it all up and running for those who aren't so savvy.
Anyway, I've no complaints with the device, now that it's up and running, I love it

scottjpalmer

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Reply # 200139 9-Mar-2009 15:22

And here the problem begins - an uneducated buyer (not aimed at you decimate, I'm speaking generally), a salesperson not doing their job and a new product that breaks from "convention" (and has the temptation of a cheap price) - a recipe for disaster.

It would make sense for Asus to supply the media on a write protected, bootable, USB flash drive. That isn't going to help joe-average user install MS Office or whatever though.

Decimate

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Reply # 200142 9-Mar-2009 15:33

scottjpalmer: And here the problem begins - an uneducated buyer (not aimed at you decimate, I'm speaking generally), a salesperson not doing their job and a new product that breaks from "convention" (and has the temptation of a cheap price) - a recipe for disaster.

It would make sense for Asus to supply the media on a write protected, bootable, USB flash drive. That isn't going to help joe-average user install MS Office or whatever though.

Exactly, my main point is that average joe bloggs is going to get home, set up their pc with great excitement and then find they go back to buy an external cd drive. I would have thought with all the widespread use of usb storage etc it would have been easier for Asus to include one of these as opposed to 5 different setup CD's.

gehenna

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Reply # 200148 9-Mar-2009 15:41

did it come with a CD or DVD? I'd have thought it'd be easy enough for them to partition off a recovery/installer space on the hdd to supplement the fact there's no optical drive. I mean they do it on laptops so why not?

Decimate

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Master Geek

Reply # 200715 11-Mar-2009 21:00

Yeah it came with several CD's, Drivers, Works Suite etc etc, the usuals. Oddly enough there are 2 drives, C & D however there was nothing preloaded onto either of these (except for the core drivers etc on C) Ah well, Picked up an external CD drive today anyhow, problem solved.