If the simplicity of ASUS' Chromebox is enticing, you'll be glad to hear that you can pick up the miniscule computer very soon. The $179 Chrome OS desktop is now available for pre-order at stores like Amazon, Newegg and TigerDirect, with the first wave of orders due to ship on March 14th. A base system starts out modestly with a 1.4GHz Celeron and 2GB of RAM, although you can splurge for a Core i3 model (the Core i7 variant isn't coming stateside). Just don't expect a completely silent machine -- AnandTech understands that none of the Chromeboxes are fanless, contrary to some expectations. As long that isn't a dealbreaker, though, you can snag ASUS' cheap PC at one of the source links.