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"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."
First of all, I'm always curious and a little suspicious when anything is a winner of a competition, "next generation computer design sponsored by Microsoft." My gut reaction to MS sponsored design is that the winner is going to be more about something Microsoft will leverage and much less about what is good for the consumer. Here's why:
Interesting design, but even more constrained in some ways than traditional computers. For my personal taste I much more prefer to put my computer somewhere completely out of sight and not taking up any desktop real estate. I'm not adding and modding so much that I need the "bookshelf metaphor" to accommodate my computing needs.
I'm not even sure I'm convinced this modular design will stem the constant support I give to friends of family when things don't work. Visually it looks simpler for managing a computer, I wonder that vendors would do any better creating truly modular and plug 'n play components for this design.
As for the DRM, from the article:
This new look is essentially a Bang and Olufsen computer -- lots of sizzle, but compared to what really could be done advancing computer design, not much new. If you're into eye-candy, this is for you.
and thus one more reason to stay away...
A lot of these are merely for show, and most people have never actually read their computers.
With present machines if you want to add a USB drive, just plug it in. But then where does it physically sit around. On your desk, I guess. If there are many such add-ons it becomes messy. So this design sorta addresses the mess issue.
I'd like to see a standard spec for stacking (verically) components. They can be connected at the back with USB.
What is the greatest issue facing computing today? For the users, it is security, for some vendors, it is the security of their hold on some part of some market. DRM answers the second interest to the detriment of the first. The jury who awarded this prize don't understand this, or they do, and have themselves some interest, therefore are not impartial.
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.
Aside from the chicklet keyboard, it's claim to fame was expansion by stacking cartridges on the side.A little memory here, a printer port there, and you had a few feet sticking off the side.
http://www.oldskool.org/shrines/pcjr_tandy
Sounds like the same thing with a new paint job.
Was done back in the 80s.. I cant remember what company t was now, but i thought it was cool at the time.. Not practical, but a cool idea.
You started wtih a 'CPU block' and added 'extras' like a 'ram block', video, ports..
Now the DRM 'block;, can we not purchase that 'block' ? Id prefer my comptuer to be fully functional and under MY control.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
A guy at work has been talking about how nice a small, non-laptop cube would be which essentially had the equivalent of a docking station. He wanted to easily have one computer at a couple of locations, but doesn't want to be constricted by laptop shortcomings. If they left the CPU completely port free, and relied on those book-things to get a monitor/keyboard/mouse hookup - it'd be pretty cool.
You know what we be cool to put on that bookshelf? An Encyclomedia PC! This is by far the nicest form-following function I've seen home-brewed in a long time. I couldn't resist the chance to plug it.
-- I have fans? Wow.
It looks like a horizontal version of the vertical "Amiga Walker" http://www.blachford.info/computer/walker/walker.h tml
It was never functional as intended, but the top and bottom halves were meant to be separated and expansion modules placed in the middle. Which would make the top and bottom the equivalent to the bookends...
The book The Design of Everyday Things discusses horrible design decisions in appliances, doors, locks, gadgets, computers, and basically anything with a user interface. The book shows how the same mistakes are made over and over by each new designer, issues of user interfaces as simple as buttons and levers, which many engineers know little to nothing about.
In this book, the author repeatedly criticizes designs with the phrase "It probably won an award." He attacks design awards as being given out to aesthetically pleasing or structurally innovative designs, but without sufficient consideration and testing by people who actually have to use the device.
xkcd.com - a webcomic of mathematics, love, and language.
I think it is the same sompetition, where an Indian (from Bangalore) won $50,000 for a comp named "schoolpak", more info on the competition can be found http://www.startsomethingpc.com>here
The TI-99 http://oldcomputers.net/ti994a.html was heavily stackable.
No, Apple actually did design the bookshelf computer back in the 80's, and it was an ingenious design (separate processor, drive, graphics, etc modules). Read AppleDesign; it's hard to get but can be found in some libraries. Practically pornography, and will make you weep at the wonderful designs that never made it out of their design shop.
Lies about crimes
Student #2 : "Damn! Microsoft is the Judge though, they'll nev e r (drops coffee) ... DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMNET! DRM! DRM! DRM!"
Student #3 : "" (speechless)
Does function drive design, or should design drive function?? The 'modern' PC appears to be made the way it is for functionality purposes. The internal bus structure is faster than the external buses, so fast stuff goes there such as memory, video cards and disk drives. The external stuff aren't as fast, so long runs of cables are allowed.
I don't want my memory or video card sitting a couple of feet away from the CPU, with signals bouncing across several interconnects. The amount of noise in the system that will have to be overcome will surely result in decreased performance from current designs.
I don't want a computer that is designed around DRM instead of speed. DRM is not being requested by the masses, and results in pissed off customers. I want faster and better, not slower and less function. I want to be able to copy any DVD/CD to my hard drive so I can put my media on a shelf and never touch it again because the media is too fragile. I want to be able to copy it to my car/phone/media player so I can listen to it anywhere without buying more than one copy. Just like being able to carry a book anywhere and read it, I want to be able to take my music or video anywhere and enjoy it.
Any computer or system that doesn't provide the above, and CDs/DVDs that won't run unless used on an approved DRM device will not be purchased by me. Or if accidentally purchased, will be returned.
If they have come up with a fiber interconnect that the average Joe User can manage. Now that would be a great design idea.
I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
And that's the problem with this kind of design. Signal paths need to be as short as possible and with as few intermediate connections as possible. The design with the smallest possible CPU, short memory and GPU paths, and everything else on point connections using the highest possible serial clock speeds to minimise the actual number of signal lines and so reduce cross channel noise - that's the most efficient design, and with the rise of Firewire, Sata, USB-2, Gigabit Ethernet and optical connections, that's exactly where the industry is going.
Interestingly, this was forecast by Ivor Catt in the 1970s - though he failed to spot that the CPU itself needed to be as integrated as possible, and it is the peripherals that need the high speed serial links. Not surprisingly, given the state of the industry at the time.
Conclusion: looks nice but design actually sucks technically. Too many connectors, enforces a form factor that will often be inconvenient, and the issue is going away for other reasons (USB-2, Firewire, hardware miniaturisation)
Pining for the fjords
wirelss keyboard+"mouse" (or input devices to suit) large screen on wall(or on end of desk), sound output (using purely digital entirely drm compliant connectivity of course) via speakers that are tastfully integrated with the screen/room decor/where they sound best.
The actual computer? with those too difficult to understand cpu's and hard drives and magical wires, net connection? power?
Out of sight out of mind. So who cares what it looks like as long as it fits into the space it got put into.
I like artistry and artistic expression, but for something that needs to be used I chose utility over form, and this is just a set of boxes in "a style" no more or less valid than any other idea of what the correct way to make a personal computer is.
To see a real personal computer of tomorrow look what random folk are doing with mini-itx boards, putting them into all kinds of crazy stuff and making enclosures from scratch or recycling the cases from older devices and achieving something special that suits their needs and tastes. In some of these it really looks like the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality is making the aesthetics of the magic box of wires take second place to something that is simply there to be used, and it's neither pro nor anti drm.
There have been numerous designs like that before. The Mac Mini is the lastest example, with stackable components being increasingly available.
They look clean and nice, but they don't catch on. Why? Because they don't make economic sense. A lot of the case material is between components, where it actually impedes heat flow and ventilation. Each of the boxes needs its own fan and power components. And the connector design is tricky and costly, too, compared to internal connectors. Finally, the vendors that the customer can choose from is restricted by such designs; what good is an easily expandable system if my vendor only offers a tiny set of the possible expansions?
Their Shifttricycle is similarly stupid: learning to ride a bicycle is a fairly quick affair, and training wheels already ease the transition; spending a lot of money on a weird, mechanically complex bicycle just doesn't make sense.
I think these people are entirely missing the point of good design: good design combines form with function; they seem to forget about the "function" part.
If you thought the DRM on the grand prize was scary, take a look at this
From the article:
Touchtron is a window to the future of Personal Computers, attuned to innovation at the component level. The Data Storage Unit shall either be located away from the user location or would be on the servers of Application Service Providers (ASP) to which the user shall have subscribed.
"... eliminates the most common problems - digital copyrights and inconvenient accessibility ..."
How does changing the physical design of the player eliminate the problem of digital copyright?
Oh wait, is it because once the content is downloaded via subscription to those 7" square, 2" thick modules, you can't move the content off of the modules - you have to take the physical thing itself? That'll be real convenient in all the places we already use CDs, DVDs, flash drives and MP3 players.
Besides that, I don't see this as a "personal computer" design. Looks to me more like an audio/video player design.
Web 2.0 == Giant Blogspam Circle Jerk
"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!
Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com