Zotac ZBox Blu-ray HD-ID34 Nettop / HTPC Review

Because this machine is nettop, you shouldn't expect too many accessories and too many pre-loaded applications.Zotac doesn't include any extras when it comes to hardware, save for a mounting base, a few screws and a DVI-to-VGA adapter. You'll be bringing your own keyboard and mouse here, which is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we're glad that Zotac didn't charge more to include a keyboard and mouse that may have been lackluster, but then again, budgeting for these devices adds to the overall acquisition cost.


Zotac includes the machine itself, a power cord and a power brick. Everything else is on you (aside from that DVI-to-VGA dongle and mounting base). As far as software is concerned, there's almost nothing included. The only major software inclusion that you'll find on here is Cyberlink PowerDVD 9, and that's only because Zotac is including a Blu-ray drive, so you'll need adequate Blu-ray playback software. We have always had good luck with Cyberlink software in the past, and this also proves satisfactory for BD and multi-media playback. One of the ways Zotac keeps cost down here is by not shipping the machine with an OS installed. If you've got an OEM copy of Windows 7 laying around, you're in luck; otherwise, you'll need to bump up your budget in order to purchase an operating system. Just as a note, we used our own copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for this review.