Asus Chromebox CN60 Review – Is it worth it?

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Asus Chromebox CN60
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Asus Chromebox CN60 Review – Is it worth it?
Asus Chromebox CN60 Review – Is it worth it?
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Replacing a Chromebook

Summary

The Chromebox CN60 review, which includes the use of It’s reasonable to state that, despite all of the improvements Google has bring the next user experience on to the next level with a standard Windows, OSX, Linux desktop environment, Chrome OS continues to be considered a niche product despite its inception in 2009.

Initial built and released as a genuine web application, the Chrome OS has since gained new offline functionality, albeit with some limitations; and the current version to enable to install Android apps for in it has opened up a slew of new options for the platform as a whole new level. Now, these features may be of little importance to a power user, but for a normal user who just to web browsing, watch video, browser or light gaming, and rudimentary text writing, the Chrome OS is a compelling option.

In fact, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Chrome OS-based device for along time, but like with any new technology, the Chrome OS-based devices has been very limited in the early years. As a result of Google’s focus the Chromebooks and SFF PCs (also known as Chromeboxes) running Chrome OS, there are numerous new devices available on the market today. For example, one of these devices is ASUS Chromebox CN-60 in todays review.

AboutAsus Chromebox CN60

The Chromebox CN60 is 12.4 x 12.4 x 4.19 cm in size, which is around single tiffin box size in terms of dimensions. The metal case has a nice surface finish to it. For the time being, there is only one color option available: a chilly midnight blue that seems black when viewed from a distance. The processor as well as other heat-generating components are cooled by the casing itself, which serves as a passive cooling because there is no active cooling to speak of. The bottom of theChromebox CN60, there are a few of vents that allow for the intake of cold air, however the 4 rubber legs that serve as feet are not particularly huge. As a result, the Chromebox fits almost perfectly on the floor or on a table, depending on where you place it. Most users will not be bothered by this, but those who intend to use the accompanying VESA mount to place that on the back of a screen or a television may find the heated air that is blown out through same the small vents to be an ineffective.

Asus Chromebox CN60 Review Top view


The ASUS & Chrome logos can be located on the top ofAsus Chromebox CN60. At top is ASUS logo seems to be in the middle, and a Chrome logo is located in the upper left corner of the display. Both are elegantly minimalist and don’t take up a significant amount of floor space. The sleek front panel is equipped with two of USB3.0 ports, while the power switch is located on the left side of the device, has a white LED light above top. A SD/MMC card reader & a Kensington lock may be found on the left-hand side of CN60 when looking at it from the front. Located on top is Kensington lock is just a small hole that must be reached enter a pin in order to enable Development Mode on your device.

Asus Chromebox CN60 review Behide View


All rest of the connecting options are located on the rear of the device. As previously noted, the CN60 contains power port DCIN, a LAN port, 2 more USB3.0 ports, one for each of HDMI and a Display Port outputs, beside is microphone & headphone port combination out port on the left and right sides, respectively. For allow heated air to escape from the ports, there are a few vents located on top of them. The right hand side of the Chromebox is completely devoid of ports and is completely uncluttered.

The Experience


If you view Chrome OS as a terminal for accessing the internet and web-based applications, the fundamental experience is highly positive. A bit of  learning curve could be a pain at times, as it does not come with a fully complete ecosystem of offline programs to take advantage of, as is the case with traditional operating systems. To avoid this, one is compelled to hunt for online alternatives. The Chrome Store is improving, and with the lots of Android Apps, the overall image of app could improve as well, but for many, the whole experience may be unimpressive for the time being due to its limitations.

Asus Chromebox CN60 Power on

Linux users, on the other hand, should feel quite at home for as long as you turn just on developer mode on your computer. ASUS’ Chromebox, similar to Chromebooks, has a recovery settings icon above the Kensington safe slot, similar to the Chromebooks. If you hold down the recover mode button while turning on the computer, you will be faced with the regular Chrome OS recovery screen, as shown below. If you press CTRL + D on this screen, the system will be reset and Dev Mode will be enabled when it restarts. Despite the fact that my reviewing sample refused to enter Dev Mode, I have watched innumerable videos & read tutorials on add-ons such as Crouton that allow the Chromebox to boot from an external device.

As default, users can enter the Crosh terminal by pressing CTRL + ALT + T on their keyboard. When in regular mode, the possibilities are very limited, but when in Developer Mode, one can use a fully-fledged shell & perform virtually all of the Linux commands available. Crosh also includes certain memory storage stability checker tools that can be used to diagnose problems.

The Chromebox surprised me with how responsive it was for everyday use. Creating and editing documents was a joy, and playing 720p or 1080p videos & movies playback (for most part, when codecs were ready) and playing games such as Angry Birds was a breeze on the a Core-i7 processor.

Takeaway


The ASUS Chromebox CN60 is available in three different configurations. The lowest of the bunch is equipped with a Celeron 2955U processor, while the most expensive is equipped with an i7-4600U processor. Now, there is a significant performance difference between these 2 processors, but I’m not sure that Chrome OS through its current iteration necessitates the use of such high-end hardware. Even the Celeron CPU, with all of its capabilities, should be able to fly through the operating system with ease.

Second, and perhaps most crucially, Chrome OS has only a limited application in a place where high-speed internet is still considered a specialist technologySome people may find this lack of local memory to be a blessing; the convenience to use a terminal to connection to your memory from anywhere, however this is not always the case for regular users. Additionally, there are no windows-based executables or file archives to be found, as well as a limited number of video codecs and a lack of overall versatility. Again, it may have been a reasonably virus-free operating system up until now, but that fact does not make up for the rest of its flaws.

I believe Chrome OS does have the ability to be a terrific HTPC companion, however the pricing & availability of the operating system remain a huge stumbling block.

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Asus Chromebox CN60 Top view

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