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PC in a.... Sphere?

clemens writes "A Japanese manufacturer has come up with this spherical PC." I love the concept of your PC accidentally rolling off your desk. Doesn't that lime green one remind anyone else of Gundam?

11 of 306 comments (clear)

  1. Death Star by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It almost looks like the Death Star. It even has an equitorial axis. They should al least put a webcam where the laser should go.

  2. Don't Panic! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't know...the green one looks "mostly harmless"

  3. Don't Panic by Steve+S · · Score: 5, Funny

    A couple of arms and a red tongue...

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  4. if it vibrated and by TerryAtWork · · Score: 5, Funny

    fit in your pants it would be even more Japanese.

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  5. Jeez by sharkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    First square watermelons, now spherical computers? Whatever they're smoking, it must be good.

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    "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  6. Re:Cute by sharkey · · Score: 5, Funny
    Can someone tell me if there is any functionality to such a form factor?

    Humor. Bring back the old bowling jokes.
    1. Get two of them
    2. State loudly, "Hey, look! I've got computers in my balls!"
    3. Enjoy being the life of the party
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    "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  7. Get a bunch of these.... by moniker_21 · · Score: 5, Funny

    and hang them on your Christmas tree?

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  8. Re:Now that is cool... by nhavar · · Score: 5, Funny

    hey that's a great idea put a couple of high powered magnets on the bottom and built into the desk and it would hov... oh... nevermind...

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  9. Translation by BJH · · Score: 5, Informative

    Quick translation of the link...

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    It looks just like a soccerball? Display of spherical PC sample has begun.
    Sculpting technology used to form aluminium into sphere; utilizes Mini-ITX motherboard

    It seems that a shocking new type of PC is about to be released, the first for a while. This time, it's a spherical PC, named the "Sphere PC (ZxL Artemis series)".

    Leading up to its release, it is on display at PC-Shop Wakamatsu (Translator's note: A shop in Akihabara that often deals in slightly unusual items) from the 20th to the 22nd.

    - Formed using sculpting technology
    The "Sphere PC" is a product developed jointly by Rupo, a company selling PC cases and parts, and Jion, a company specializing in planning, designing and creating peripherals. The shop is displaying two types, a green model and a silver model. The silver model, in particular, bears a striking resemblance to the mysterious sphere in the movie "Sphere". If you didn't know what it is, you'd almost certainly never guess that it's a PC.

    By the way, Jion is a company formed by several members of Technobird's development staff, responsible for the TB-2000 early aluminium case. They have been in charge of development and design of Lupo's other custom cases.

    The sphere is made entirely of aluminium. As it is an unusual shape, it was handmade by craftsmen using "spatula squeezing" (Translator's note: Really!), a traditional Japanese method of crafting metal. The unusual shape stands out, but on top of that, the textured surface resulting from it being handmade is also unique.

    - It splits into an upper and lower half

    Its main specifications are: an EPIA Mini-ITX mother board made by VIA, a 40GB hard drive, and an external 200W power supply. However, these made be subject to change. It also includes a slim optical drive. Pressing a button on the side of the case causes the upper half to rise, allowing access to the drive tray.

    The case contains the motherboard and hard drive in the lower half, with the optical drive located in the middle. The upper half is empty.

    The price is yet to be decided, but the shop says that, as a barebone kit, it is likely to be priced at around 50,000 yen (Translator: ~$US400). It is scheduled to be shipped in January 2003.

    - Gullwing PC also in development

    Rupo is planning on releaseing a range of other unique products after this. An announced item is a gullwing PC containing a 400W power supply, also planned to be released in january 2003.

  10. Pacman by docbrown42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    First, they put Pacman into a computer...now they put a computer into Pacman!

    (No, this is not an "In Soviet Russia" joke!)

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  11. I don't think so... by aussersterne · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some [in]equalities:

    Cute != Aesthetically pleasing.

    Bauhaus == Aesthetically pleasing.

    Hello Kitty == Ugly and annoying as hell.

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