We only just learned about the HDMI upgrade to the Asus Eee Box line with the B204 and B206 models, but there’s another update coming in the B203: A Celeron instead of Atom.
Asus has not so surprisingly decided to recall the Eee Box B202 mini PCs infested with the W32/Usbalex worm in Japan. The virus-y boxes are confined to the land of Gojira, since it was only on Eee PCs tailored for the Japanese market. The numbers in play are pretty sad, actually: Asus built a wimpy 4,500 boxes for Japan and only sold 300, so the damage is limited to a few unlucky saps, who will never buy Asus again. [Inquirer]
If you’re after a cheap and easy desktop computer, the Eee Box just became a lot more attractive with the announcement that Asus are now bagging it with their VW161D LCD monitor for just $599.
Considering the Eee Box was $429 when it launched back in August, that means you’re getting a 16-inch widescreen monitor for $170, which isn’t a bad deal at all.
The package is apparently available at computer resellers now, which could mean anything really, but it’s still worth keeping an eye out for. More »
Asus has admitted to its Japanese customers that some of the Eee Box B202 mini PCs they shipped included a recycled.exe virus loaded on the D: partition. When the drive is opened, the virus (identified by Symantec as the W32/Usbalex worm) attempts to infect the C: drive and any removable drives attached to the system. So far, Asus has not confirmed that the problem is limited to PCs released in Japan, and they have offered no explanation about how the virus may have appeared on the drive. However, Reg Hardware believes they can confirm that other areas may be affected. Either way, it is probably a good idea to run a check if you picked one up. [Reg Hardware]
