"Bookshelf" Computer Wins Design Contest

aibrahim writes "Industrial designers at Purdue University win a competition for next generation computer design sponsored by Microsoft. The design emulates a bookshelf, with hardware components that are "stacked" horizontally around a cube shaped CPU. The design attempts to address hardware issues from a user perspective and is pretty cool despite a focus on DRM."

Comments

YEY more DRM!

[luvirini]

and thus one more reason to stay away...

From my experience

[Anonymous Coward]

A lot of these are merely for show, and most people have never actually read their computers.

aka

[doofusclam]

aka the "Dressing up a turd" competition.

Having to change the aesthetic of the computer to hide the fact your paid for content is under someone elses control is exactly that.

Re:'Stacking Comptuers'

[LiquidCoooled]

The Gentoo block actually comes as a box of tiny pieces along with a 270 page construction manual.

Towards the end of the build process, you notice it starts to resemble the cardboard packaging it arrived in and you wonder why you just spent several hours assembling it.

MS sponsored?

[renrutal]

The Microsoft sponsored design is a Mac Mini, a Nintendo Revolution, a Toaster and a Bookshelf?

I know the Xbox360 power supply can be a nice bread heater, so they have the toaster market covered, but does MS have competition in the digital boockshelf market?

Phase I Planning

[tribentwrks]

Student #1 : "Alright, let's see (plays with tiny lego car while checking email on Mac Mini)... the contest is about innovative computer design, but it also needs to looks sexy ... I know! Mac + Lego's = sexy stackable computer parts that lock together!"

Student #2 : "Damn! Microsoft is the Judge though, they'll nev e r (drops coffee) ... DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMNET! DRM! DRM! DRM!"

Student #3 : "" (speechless)

Re:the B&O of computers and computer design

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't disagree on any particular point...

Firefly was cancelled...get over it.

Quote of the week:

[mustafap]

"Up until now, personal computer designs seemed to be based on the issues of processing speed or performance rather than the user's convenience."

Yea right. DRM gives me convenience eh?

But it will probably give some far-east outfit an idea for a $50 Mini-ITC case. Thanks guys!

Re:Nifty

[RichardX]

>but she let's him put a hulk doll on top of the TV

<Comic Book Guy>
That is not a doll, that is a rare and highly valuable fully poseable action figure with Hulk Smash movement.