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When Beige Won't Do
An anonymous reader writes "The days of the beige box are behind us, as computing becomes ever more a consumer electronics field. A New York Times article, hosted at News.com, discusses the newest trends in moving away from standard beige for PCs and laptops. Designer colors, artfully designed notebooks, and personalization are just some of the options outfits are now offering." From the article: "Apple Computer is widely credited with long ago shattering conventions that had for years dictated how a computer had to feel and look. Windows-based personal computers generally lagged far behind in fusing function with form in ways that consumers found exciting. But that is changing, executives from mainstay computer companies like Dell and Toshiba say."
Am the the only one who sees one irrelevant article after another on Slashdot of late?
This subject matters?
My faith is expressed through Nihilism. Do you understand?
They also changed the look and feel. Just ask Mac and I
which is totally what she said
There's no such thing as a Windows-based personal computer. Microsoft does not manufacture personal computers, and Windows is not integral to PCs. It is perfecty possible to use various other operating systems on a PC, and you can buy a PC without Windows on it, although a lot of people seem to think that it 'just comes with the computer' (even though they do of course pay for it). It annoys me to see the two get confused.
I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
I'm way ahead, I already use retro-themed hardware, it will be hot in 10 years!
Any color you want as long as it's black.
If computers follow the lead of consumer electronics. then can we say that black and silver is the new biege?
Looking at the box near my left foot gives a data point comfirming this, so it must be true!
I'll buy the £18.99 one instead. Oh look, it's beige.
Perfume, cars, phones, clothes are all subject to the whims of fashion in order to extract extra cash from vict^H^H^H^Hcustomers, there's really no reason that computer buyers can't be fashion customers as well.
Deleted
Then I looked it up and I remembered . . . and realized that with VOIP and cell phones abundant these days, a box to steal someone else's phone line really isn't all that useful anymore . . .
Man, I feel old.
Well I seem to have missed the memo, because I will not purchase a computer case unless I can buy it in beige - period.
u m=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=G&imgsz=small|medium|la rge|xlarge
/. crowd are similar or perhaps not - please don't let this spark a huge debate.i nternet%20keyboard%20pro&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&s a=N&tab=wi (they make bad software, mostly good hardware)i f)& hl=en
My case needs to be simple, cheap, quality and not look gaudy.
I have this little baby and it does all I need.
It's functional, well built - it has great features for the tray / drives / quickrelease stuff and yet it's now cheap because other coloured models are out.
http://images.google.com/images?q=antec+sx635&svn
Perhaps I'm boring but I don't want my stuff to look too fancy, practical, basic and MILDLY fancy plz.
Here's some examples of my opinions on things, perhaps we may find a lot of the
Nintendo Wii, sexy - but white? please don't be apple - black thanks
PS3, uglier and less practical than PS2 - Shiny was a dumb move but also not downright ghastly
Xbox 360, good god - I will not purchase this for my home theatre cabinet till it comes in black, period.
My k/b, basically same as my case for looks / practicality without flashing LED's and stuff
http://images.google.com.au/images?q=microsoft%20
My phone - Sony Ericsson T-630, simple - somewhat sexy and does all I need it to.
MP3 player, Ipod Nano BLACK - it PAINED me to purchase an apple product since I'm not an iproduct wanker, but it is v.practical for netcasts.
(http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/iProduct.g
and my car - if I were to own one http://images.google.com/images?q=bmw%20m%20coupe
Sadly, back on topic though - most people would be happy with a bright green / pink / blue / odd shaped device - just means people like me have to look harder to find something basic.
Seriously, since when has the computer market not been bout visual appeal? My Compaq computer from 5 years ago has an appealing blue cover on the front and various case features, and that was a low end machine. My toshiba laptop from 2 is silver and blue, with various designs. Ever since the introduction of a true 'personal computer', companies have focused on looks, Apple was just the first one to really get it right.
Beige is OK, if the rest of a computer is designed well. The "beige box" is something that's often berated not because of its color, but because of the flimsy components, cheap design, tacky add-ons and crap fit & finish that often went with it. The fading out of the beige box isn't all because of a shift in case color, but the realisation from designers after colorful computers appeared that it was OK to be different in all manner of other ways.
A friend has a well-preserved collection of old beige machines ( http://www.danaquarium.com/gallery/beige/ ), and the photos show to me that a tidy appealing design isn't dependent on just color.
just to let you know that I really love beige
a beige box and a beige keyboard!
For true hackers, it really doesn't matter what's desktop color.
A: Poorly designed proprietary casing mechanisms that are put together with cheap materials and hide things like screws and latches. Means they're expensive to service and after a few years, any repair shop would be nuts to go after pressure-fitted latches hinged on now-brittle plastic for fear of the laptop falling apart on them.
B: Last time I checked, proprietary cases provided shitty EMI insulation.
C: Parts that are proprietary (it's dell; they do laptops well because they're proprietary but their desktops suck because of it).
We might see things like antec cases that have pre-cut sides or laptops with face-plate options. But nothing as radical as what they're showing. I like the idea of replacable hinges and latches on a laptop because it increases the longevity of it as those are in the top-ten reasons laptops get thrown away.
In all seriousness, what we really need is a standardized laptop case; something that is easy to add to or subtract from, that multiple sub-stanards can be invented from like ATX. It would make laptops inexpensive enough to make them more accessable to the public. Instead, we're strattled with the size, cost, and bad design features of most laptop brands.
Personally, I'll finally be happy with the designs when my computer, game consoles, and audio/vido equipment are rack mountable, or at least a standard width. I'd love to be able to hang my PC under my desk in a rack with my audio amp. Some of the current designs that have plenty of curves look nice for a while, but are not practical in reqal estate usage. Most alo look dated after a while.
Beige I could live with (if I had to), but would prefer black.
In other news, Ford now sells cars in colours other than black...
Oh arse
One trend I've noticed leaking over from the consumer electronics field is the use of bling: high-gloss or (even worse) chrome design elements, ultrabright blue LEDs etc. Apart from looking awful, chrome is annoying on a laptop because it deteriorates quickly. Nothing looks worse than flaked-off chrome. High-gloss surfaces highlight dust and fingerprints, and ultrabright LEDs dazzle.
Can we please avoid the mistakes of the fashion world (where everything looks the same during a given 'trend') and actually have the choice of buying something more understated? I want my electronics finished in matt black, not silver.
after reading some of the comments here, it's safe to say that "Black is the new Beige" ;-)
Exercise caution when modding this message up: the author acts like a jerk when his karma is excellent.
The 90ies called, they want their story about nonbeige computers back!
That change has happened years ago. You only see beige from the cheapest case manufacturers. How is this news?
Besides, Apple had only a line of beige when Silicon Graphics already had their superkewl case designs.
Consumers will buy PC's based on what color neons are in the case. Me, I don't even have sidepanels on my desktops and I've considered not bothering with chassis alltogether.
The worst thing about beige is that it gets dirty. Or rather- the fact that dirt easily gets visible.
Anyone remember high school public computers? With layers upon layers of ingrown grease and dirt on the keyboard, mouse and case? That would be my biggest problem with the color beige.
Nobody can possibly enjoy working in an environment where the best reason for learning to touch-type is that you'll keep your lunch (if I can't see it, it won't disgust me).
Three rings for the Elven-kings in the sky
That doesn't only apply to computers. Actually, computers are (again) the last ones to hop onto the fad.
A few decades ago, you bought brands because they were 'better' than nonbranded stuff. They offered more functionality, or they didn't wear out so fast or they simply worked (while that generic stuff didn't). You bought a Mercedes because it didn't break down, compared to that Beetle that required constant tinkering. You bought the brand name chips because they were crispy while the generic ones were bland. You bought an IBM because those "IBM compatibles" were more or less compatible, but not necessarily so.
Now, that has changed. Mid level cars offer the same kind of protection and reliability the luxury cars offer. Generic chips are just as crispy as that overhyped brand stuff. And it's the same with computers. Some very, very cheap boards and cards aside, they all offer the same value. It works. Some run faster, some run slower, but they all work.
Earlier, the brand tried to offer more functionality as a selling point. This worked to some degree, but we're now at the point where the generic version offers anything the customer might want, and he is not willing to spend more for functionality he doesn't want. A good example are cell phones. They offer an MP3 player, digital camera, PDA functionality, some play games and with some I heard you can even make a phone call. What else could you cram into them?
So the next logical step is design. There is no other way to distinguish yourself from the bland, generic versions anymore if you're a brand product. You cannot offer more primary use to your customer, so you have to appeal to his other senses. Not only his logic, but also his emotions. You try to reach him through the 'look and feel' instead of the facts under your hood.
This is anything but a surprising development. It is the logical next step in the attempt to distinguish brand merchandize from generic one.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
"With attention to form, texture and materials, these machines are intended to make a statement about their owners, much the way an elegant wristwatch, the cut and make of a fine suit or a stylish car can suggest taste and social station." So for the 2% of the population of the Western Nations, beige is out? Look out! I need to keep up with the Hiltons right? Thats like saying "Gold is out, people demand platinum". Yeah, rich people. For the rest of us, having a computer modern enough to get the latest games/appz running on it is good enough. Let me think, a fancy looking case, or a better fan, better video card, more ram... hrm... As far as computers go, the rest of the world isnt going to give 2 squats about what their computers "look" like, much like people dont care what their televisions look like, as in most people put their TV's and Computers inside a peace of furniture. Silly yuppie artsy types...
20th century Marxism is not progress...
I like beige so much I'm still using an old compaq-mouse from the early 90's. It weighs about as much as five optical mice, and it only has two buttons and no wheels or any of that fancy stuff. Not to mention it's beige.
GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
that sounds like an old telephone ring?
Face it, beige is here to stay.... just not as much.
For what, 10 years now?
Plus, they're not all wonky-shaped, so they fit into a rectilinear desk.
The latest Slashdot meme.
Dunno about that; my Apple ][ was beige...and so were Macs for a while.
I think you have to give the nod to Dell for the "black" revolution here; I know many server admins who bought Dell's crappy hardware in the early 2000's just because they thought it looked sexier in the fucking server room. (Yeah, like any eligible female would ever make a trip down there.)
Doesn't the Zune come in Beige?
Microsoft may have missed the memo.
I want my PC silent and small.
Not loud or anything except very small.
If it is very small you do not need design anymore. As a matter of fact design can become a problem then like those cell phones where the keys are so small that people hate them after they bought them.
So this is just a trend. Design is camouflage for unnecessary bulky things.
gray? Oooooo... Ahhhhhh....
DRM? No thanks, I'll just get it somewhere else...
...because we all live inside one. Well OK technically it's not a box but beige container of unknown size and shape isn't quite so catchy.
And behold, a command prompt and he who sat upon it, his name was shutdown and -h 3:11 followed with him
True, and this is acticle #1,000,000 announcing the end of beige cases stretching back over the last 10 years, so computers are not even a new front in the battle.
About a week ago I went to the hardware store to buy a new toilet. There were at least 4 dozen different models priced between $100 and $600 and from what I could tell they all did exactly the same thing in pretty much the same way. The $600 toilet was not, at least according to the salesperson who wandered by, some kind of space-toilet from the future with a built in laser docking system, it was just a fashionably shaped toilet with an elongated bowl offered in a multitude of colors other than standard toilet white. For an additional $500 you can have houseguests comment on how well your toilet's shape matches with the original Dali reprint you have hanging on your bathroom wall.
And that is just the toilets, washers and dryers are another field of fashion all to themselves.
"Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
...they want their article back.
Also in the news: Steve Jobs' triumphant return to Apple plus what our expert pundits have to say about the Y2K crisis!
These stories are free but worth money.
Remembering a long way back, the absurdly powerful 12Mhz 286 with 287 souped-up IBM PC-AT that I first worked with when I left school wasn't beige at all, it was an almost-white shade of grey, and the PC-junior that th eoffice secretary craved was a darker grey. Can anyone confirm that the original IBM PC wasn't beige either?
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
Apple Computer is widely credited with long ago shattering conventions that had for years dictated how a computer had to feel and look. Windows-based personal computers generally lagged far behind in fusing function with form in ways that consumers found exciting. But that is changing, executives from mainstay computer companies like Dell and Toshiba say.
It wasn't the Life Savers style of Apple's machines that made them good. It was the combination or hardware, OS and customer support that spoke English and actually gave a damn.
Dell and Toshiba are only going to reproduce the least important reason why Apple survived the dark times. And when it doesn't help them, they still won't get it.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
My case is a "leet" one in gray with a window and cool blue LEDs.
Guess what? I chose it cause it was cheapest for the basic features I wanted (side fan and uncluttered for easy handling). It was around the equivalent of 50$, and my country is pricey compared to the US.
The window/LEDs were for me an added bonus. It could have been completely bland for all I care.
Also, when I browsed some online shops, I couldn't even find a beige box. They are all either shiny white or in crazy colors.
^_^
True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
has anyone seen a beige laptop in the last 20 years ?
I just press the power button on my LCD screen, for more black, now to wipe out the green blink of the LED light.
AIO systems have lack of choice.
The apple I-mac desktops come with LAPTOP cpu, LAPTOP ram, LAPTOP video card, and other laptop parts. For the same price you can get a faster desktop cpu, more / cheaper ram, and better video card.
The mini should be called a mini head less laptop as it has LAPTOP cpu, ram, hd and gma 950.
Dunno about that; my Apple ][ was beige...and so were Macs for a while.
IIRC, the "beige" was a bit different than the "putty" that everyone else sold.
I think you have to give the nod to Dell for the "black" revolution here; I know many server admins who bought Dell's crappy hardware in the early 2000's just because they thought it looked sexier in the fucking server room.
Black is always good. But I disagree on the Dells. The problem with Dell is they insist on prominently displaying their goofball logo on every item they sell. If it appeals to anyone, then it must appeal to the same bunch that think it's fine to be wearing Tshirts adorned with corporate logos without irony, or new car buyers driving around with a cheap-assed licensed plate holder bearing the name of some car dealership.
Me, I think the typical consumer PC should be black, or subtle enough that it resembles hi end audio equipment, and look more like a smaller version of a 2U server than anything else. Unfortunately, that opinion prevents me from even considering shiny white plastic Macs.
For about the same price you can get a black case. And black is really timeless classic.
It's quite ironic that the aluminum cases on Apple's G5s and Mac Pros are pretty close to the color beige...
Most PC case designs look atrocious. Current PC design apparently is dictated by how many LEDs, windows and vents can be forced onto a case.
I miss the days of clean, beige cases simply because most of what's available is over-designed and gaudy. There are the rare exceptions, and companies like Dell, Sony and others are designing some decent looking machines. The problem is that companies like Dell aren't involved in the entire manufacturing process. They're normally designing an existing shell, so they're always going to be constrained in how creative they can get. It doesn't help that they're normally trying cut corners to reduce costs.
That's the huge advantage Apple has. They're involved in the design and engineering process at every step. So they can get creative not only with design, but the use of materials and construction. It's also why the software integrates so well with the system. That's not really possible in the PC world, unless Microsoft began designing and manufacturing PCs. Although, somehow I doubt most people here would welcome that.
I think in general many electronic devices have gotten uglier. Where devices used to have nice clean lines and designed in more thoughtful colors too many products today are bloated, overly organic, covered in contrasting textures and almost always come in frosted silver or black. It's like manufacturing has gotten easier, allowing for more unusual shapes and designers have gotten carried away. Another part of the problem is that because of cost cutting measures companies are putting less effort into design, having the Chinese manufacturers handle design. It's either that, or they're just trying to rip off Apple's design. Although, as nice as current Apple designs are, the previous generations, starting with the first iMacs, were horrendous. They look even worse today, and they unfortunately spawned an entire generation of ugly electronics.
I don't know what it is about the American electronics market, actually, because in Asia, well, Taiwan, Korea, in Japan there are plenty of cool-looking products to be hand. Phones out there are light years beyond anything available in the US, not only in terms of technology, but design. And this applies to all electronics, PCs included.
A mark of good design is how it ages. If something was well-designed it should look good 10, 20 or 50 years later. Its style might look out-of-date, but it should still be appreciated for it's good design. The vast majority of current PC cases don't look good today, let alone how they will look 5 years ago.
My Thinkpad if you removed the keyboard, monitor, battery would not be any bigger than its power supply.
So store bought computers are dull. So what. Real geeks build their own. I haven't had a beige PC in a long time, and none of them are gaudy overlit pieces of crap. I will take my brushed aluminum wavemaster over any other design, apple's or anyone else's. Thing is people can put a PC in anything. I saw one that had a PC in the belly of a department store mannequin.
Ooh, and remember the classy Acer? All black and pock marked? Sexy, like a meteor. Or a black burnt plastic husk.
and in another 10 years, the modders will be trying to make the lovely-coloured machines of the future look like my old Turbo XT.
1996? Although there were non-beige computers at that time, it was the original iMac (announced in 7 May 1998) that started the non-beige craze.
Circumcision is child abuse.
Who gives a flying whatever about the style of a desktop PC? In fact, who even HAS their PC ON their desktop these days?
I visit businesses all over the US, Canada and the Caribbean and I don't think I've seen ONE PC on a desktop in the last four years, unless it was an iMac lamp-style system. The reason why is simple: almost every PC these days in an office environment is a tower design.
A tower case takes up WAY too much real estate on a desk's surface, so it gets put on the floor or inside the special cabinet IN the desk, itself, that's designed to HOLD the ugly, squat, humming monster in durnace vile, out of sight!
Why else do desks these days ALL have cable runs and holes in them?
So, no matter HOW cool a desktop PC might look, NO ONE IS GOING TO SEE THE STUPID THING!
Now, if the manufacturers would spend more time designing them for ease of access for things like upgrades... THAT would be design dollars better spent!
Lee Darrow, C.H.
1995 called. It wants its slang back.
The first box I bought was a 386 and it wat 20% cheaper then a newer model that had identcal hardware with just a slightly more modern box.
What I want now is no mox at all. I want to hide my box as much as possible. All I realy need is an enclosure. All I need is a CD/DVD burner/reader and enough connections for my USB/FireWire/memorory chips. That way I can put the box itself somewhere where I don't see it.
The enclosure I can tape/screw to the bottom of my desk. Better would be to have all that inside the flatscreen. Now just see that all is done over 1 wire, instead of 25 and I am a happy camper.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
I think you have to give the nod to Dell for the "black" revolution here; I know many server admins who bought Dell's crappy hardware in the early 2000's just because they thought it looked sexier in the fucking server room. (Yeah, like any eligible female would ever make a trip down there.)Couldn't give a fuck what they looked like, bought Dell servers because they were cheap, had relatively standard hardware and could throw the POST out on a serial line. Admittedly, we just installed FreeBSD on them and used them for apache / bind / sendmail etc and didn't give a crap if they blew up. Only had one fail on us over a 3 year period, and that was no big deal as we had redundancy in place.
These days (new job) we have IBM and Sun servers, the IBM stuff sucks really badly. Very very rarely have a problem with the Sun boxes.
Honestly, I never thought my post would get mod'ed up on Slashdot without a reference to "sharks with lasers" or some fawning reference to Google.
Don't worry, this phrase will be cutting edge again in five years with our current pop-culture memory; the other day I posted a Caddyshack quote and it took about ten replies before someone figured it out.
IBM? You ARE fucked. I extend you my full sympathy. We often have to work with these clowns at other companies and it seems they rotate personnel every three months just to spin up training costs. (And no, they never hand off any information to the next team, so you get to explain/train it all over again.)
More than the looks,what's far more important to me is a quiet computer which will not break the bank.Most of the cases i have found so far are £100 and above.
I have been thinking about underclocking my new system or buying a huge midi tower and sticking in some ducting at the exhaust.
Any suggestions,anyone?
Wanted : A Signature.
Bio-degradeable, cheap, easily repaired (gaffa/duct tape), anti-bling, cardboard:
h tml
http://www.lupo.co.jp/develop/ccpc/ccpcbox_index.
Shame on Slashdot's editors for passing on this piece of PR crap disguised as a story...
That is all.
In the movie Brazil the tv adverts are for the latest ventilation ducts in amazing new colours, rush out and buy them. It was deeply depressing then and still is now.
Yeah, definitely a little late considering beige, brown, and woodgrain and coming back. Go look at Sony's new line of consumer electronics. And the Zune comes in a cream brown. Also worth noting that this is not the first time Silver and Black have been popular.
Technically, toilets do differentiate in their ability to flush well.
Some cheap toilets do well, others do not. Same with expensive toilets.
There are actually some expensive ones which have electric pumps to help move the water through faster.
If thats true, then I damn well hope those admins were fired.
Ironically, the women who would be intrested in looking at those boxes would be turned off by the fact that they were not made from quality equipment.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
http://www.silentpcreview.com/
This site has been very helpful for me.
IMO the reason that PCs are ugly isn't anything to do with the colour (that can be changed easily), it's the form factor. The size of components, makes the only reasonably workable shape is a mini-tower.
Make a 8" square motherboard, with the same power and expandability as current machine, and you'll make cube shaped cases and built into monitor style designs more possible.
Honestly, what I'm seeing more and more is that the "beige box" is dying because we've reached the point of diminishing returns with hardware upgrades. I used to be a serious hardware hacker, upgrading my hardware after only a couple of months of use. Yeah, that upgrade cycle still exists for video cards at the moment, but even then I am beginning to see huge investments for very little actual return as we're reaching the point where the human eye can no longer distinguish the difference. Essentially, there's fewer reasons to buy a "beige box" any more because 99% of what you want to do any more can be accomplished by a reasonable off-the-shelf machine.
:) ). That relegated my desktop box to a games machine... a $1000 games machine excluding the investment of my time and the components I transferred from the "old box". Where's the value proposition in that?
Another factor is that the OTS machine actually costs a lot less than it used to. Sure, I'd be the last person to buy your low-end Dell machine because... well... they're crap. But for 75% of the populous they're usually just good enough to get the job done... and do it cheaply and effectively. Why buy a "beige box" from a no-namer or the kid down the street that will probably cost more because of economies of scale, even if they cut corners all over the place. Hell, the last Dell a friend of mine bought cost less than the comparable components I could buy from NewEgg... in fact I think as I recall the motherboard, CPU and HD came to the same price, excluding the case, memory, power supply etc. etc.
There's also been a problem with hardware in that without a "secret decoder ring" half of the product descriptions mean nothing. The Pentium 4 for all its warts was pretty simple; it was a PIV at xGhz. Even then though the problem came in trying to match hardware when building a beige box; not a trivial proposition for most. The last computer I built was an Athlon, but even then the smorgasbord of different memory types and power supply styles just became a little overwhelming... and I do systems for a living!
So we're down to the point that people prefer to buy OTS machines because all the components are pretty assured to work together when you get it home and unbox it. They're cheap, they're disposable... so yes we've come down to the point that they're consumer electronics devices because unless you're a serious gamer or hobbyist then you're not interested in customizing your components. For a large percentage of the computer-buying population, OTS is good enough, and if it's not then they'll replace it in two years. I am not rich, I don't make a huge income... but a $350 expense is almost a throwaway in this country (the US). OK, I'm not going to hand some bum on the street $350, but I can justify buying an OTS machine for my kids for $350 that does everything they need today (basic email, web browsing and a little educational gaming and homework) that may last a year or so before I have to upgrade it or replace it because it's crap. I don't really care.
Another factor to consider is the growth of laptops into truly workhorse machines. I spent $800 upgrading components in my Athlon box mentioned above (Athlon 64), and I didn't even buy a new hard drive or case... just upgraded the motherboard memory and CPU. Sure, I slapped a new video card in there shortly afterward that bought my expenses up to about $1000 give or take... but what did that get me? Well, it was state of the art then, but was rapidly surpassed and is now passe. But my needs changed a little as well, so the box languished as I continued to use my PIII-733 laptop for most of my work (running Linux and OpenOffice) because it did exactly what I really needed my computer for (mostly) with the added advantage of portability (it also had a 7 hour battery life, which I sort of miss these days
My latest computers... three of them in the last 12 months have all been laptops. One Acer for my wife, a Gateway for my kids and an Apple for me. They're less power hu
They already exist - miniATX - or whatever they are called these days, there are some even smaller. Yeah, generally they lag a bit behind in tech trends, but they do exist. Even the big boxes can be attractive.
I know I'm asking for trouble bringing up Apple in a thread like this, but the PowerMa**** Mac Pro looks pretty damn sexy for being a regular expandable (not so) mini-tower. The Imac hides most of the computer behind the monitor, I believe they use laptop components for most of their stuff, not too customized. Sure Apple's minimal design might not be your cup of tea, but the point is that they are able to do some neat things with existing technology, surely Dell, HP, everyone else can make some good looking things too. There are lots of great Industrial Designers out there, get them don't just let your Engineers (no offense to Engineers meant) design everything.
As an ex-Intel developer I've had first hand experience "trying" to develop new form factors - new looks - "new excitement" for the PC industry. Back in '99 whne the defacto PC was a full ATX tower running a Pentium III and making 45dB in noise. We designed a radical pyramid shaped legacy-free PC (only USB, Firewire, LAN, VGA) that would fit on a mouse pad ad produced only 37dB in noise. It was an experiment in shock therapy for the PC industry. We went on to do many others - but the bottom line is the PC is what it is because of strict standards ... standards for each and every component from shape of motherboard to cases and screws. This is one of te reasons PCs can be built so cheaply -- think cookie cutter to the nth degree.
Our work on form factors really went no-where as both the industry AND consumers are hooked on cheap PCs (cost cost cost). In the end we did manage to influence acoustics - ergonomics - and a slight reduction in size for some PCs. But all along my overall major issue was that the "real user experience" is more than color and plastic ... its the OS that you interact with - its useability / intuitiveness / stability / and security. Making a PC blue and silver does not cover up the warts that XP sprouts on the screen and the user experience. In the end - the data plainly indicated that what users really wanted was a PC that just *%$#(@ works !!! Clearly indicating major issues with XP (complexity to basic security to stability). Of course such things (stability - security) are boring ... they don't have the pizzaz of "Aero windows" or what ever else is in Vista.
I type this comment on my G5 iMac -- it has a small foot-print - quiet - and OS X just works (stable & secure). It costs more than a PC - but then its not a PC - thats the point. It sits next to my custom built Pentium 4 PC (quiet and power efficient) in a standard mico-ATX case running Ubuntu Linux - it just works and its stable and secure. Both can create compatible documents to share with the "XP world" - thats all that matters.
The "standard PC" will continue to evolve based on advances in CPUs & highly integrated chips / memory / hard drives. But cost is the primary driver for the masses be they businesses or individuals. Most importantly the true "user experience" of the OS is perhaps coming to point of change -- Vista - OS X - Linux - Google OS(?). In the very near future you will be able to run multiple OS's concurrently -- couple that with a hot pink PC and you just might be on to something .....
Its not the years, its the mileage
I look forward to the day of laser engravings on the top of laptops (and PCs, I suppose) for automated customization in very quick turn around times.
The funny thing is that Apple basically invented the Beige thing in the first place, although not really on purpose... they just happened to use beige plastic (for whatever reason) and big the biggest computer seller very early on in the industry.
Comment of the year
As if that were somehow a new thing. It seems like Apple's iTV has certainly got a lot of press despite the fact that it's a long way from being a product and it's mostly a ripoff of a Windows Media Center Extender. How is that any different?
"...has only as much power as a Mac PowerBook having less than half the weight..."
What kind of bullshit is that? A Powerbook is in no way comparable to the Dell machine you are referring to, and anyone considering either product wouldn't consider the other. Does a Powerbook have a 20" screen or two hard drive bays? I think not. By your standards, no one should want to buy an iMac either. After all, an iMac "has only as much power as a Mac PowerBook having less than half the weight."
"...and people think that this is interesting?"
I would imagine Dell will find out. It's obviously targeted at users that wish to transport their computers but not use them in their laps, and it's not the first time a machine like this has been made. The article itself includes a picture of a very early example.
Whilst I can understand someone wanting their laptop, cellphone, mp3 player, etc. to look cool and stylish, I really don't get why it matters what a desktop PC looks like. Despite the name, I don't know anyone who actually puts their PC on their desks - they go under the desk or wedged between the desk and the wall where noone can see them; so who cares what they look like?
I guess if you shell out a couple of hundred on the latest case, you might be tempted to put it in full view, but then everyone would just think 'look at that idiot with a glowing PC on his desk'..
Back when the Apple ][ came out, personal computers cases resembled like the Altair's
It's worth getting one with a widened err... "throat". American toilets block up way too often. Only time I ever had one block in the UK was when I tried to flush a TP roll as a kid. Here in the US it's a monthly occurance.
Rich
It's just a matter of time before the "beige box" or "Black box" or whatever becomes the "no box." Wireless USB, 802.11x, wireless monitors (like mira) and other simple things will allow you to stick the box (if you even need one) in the closet, cupboard, or somewhere else. At that point, fashion will be more relevant to the monitor than the box.
People who think they know everything really piss off those of us that actually do.
The cheese-box: cbox_che.jpg cbox_front.jpg
Cut down on your fiber (fibre?) a bit. You'll be fine.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
colour, with the use of ABS for the Apple II cases.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
... is black and the ratio of its sides is 1 : 4 : 9 ....
while lots of people credit apple with design savvy, think it merits pointinig out that Dell has always been the leader in the industry at customized products and services to specifically meet whatever the customer wants and needs from techhnology.
If the article is correct than going forward, Dell is well positioned to build on that custoomization and add a little more design savvy....then the future should be a bright one.