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See, style does matter with PC design!


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foo fighter
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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:
Originally posted by dalamar70
It's interesting that high-end computer manufacturers, whose products very few people actually see, often put a lot more emphasis on design than PC makers.

That's alway's puzzled me as well. If high-end OEMs can design simple stylish UNIX workstations, why can't PC makers design stylish WinTel boxes?

Take a look at these UNIX boxes from SGI:

Attachment: o2_octane.jpg
This has been downloaded 37 time(s).

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05-07-2001 03:13 AM

homer
Member

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

I think this is my favorite case:

http://www.xtrem.com/product/index_xtrem_mac.html

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05-07-2001 03:30 AM

creole
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 347

quote:
Originally posted by foo fighter
To each his own. I do care about style, I am sickened by the fact that PCs haven't for nearly 15 years. This is not 1986, so I don't want an ugly ass PC that looks like it was built during the Reagan administration!

Why should I care about what my box looks like? Or spend extra money on a "cool" case? My computer sits on the floor underneath my desk. Mostly because I have dual monitors, but also because why does it even need to be in sight? The only time I ever even look at my computer is when I put in a disc or CD.

05-07-2001 04:31 PM

dick-richardson
Member

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

quote:
Originally posted by creole

Why should I care about what my box looks like? Or spend extra money on a "cool" case? My computer sits on the floor underneath my desk. Mostly because I have dual monitors, but also because why does it even need to be in sight? The only time I ever even look at my computer is when I put in a disc or CD.

Trying to tell you why you should care about style is an exercise in fatuousness.

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Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

05-07-2001 04:44 PM

Toby
Member

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:
Originally posted by creole
Why should I care about what my box looks like? Or spend extra money on a "cool" case?

Nobody said you should. Some people are saying that they do.

quote:
My computer sits on the floor underneath my desk.

So does mine at the office. The one at home is in a recessed portion of my desk (to keep my daughter from pressing the off button).

quote:
Mostly because I have dual monitors,

I've got dual monitors as well, but that has nothing to do with why the one at work is on the floor. It has more to do with its being a full tower.

quote:
but also because why does it even need to be in sight?

You state one reason here...

quote:
The only time I ever even look at my computer is when I put in a disc or CD.

Well, one other reason is that my LiveDrive is on the front panel, and stuff plugs in there, so it needs to be easily accessible at times.

05-07-2001 04:50 PM

homer
Member

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

quote:
why does it even need to be in sight?

One reason to keep in in sight would be because it looked nice.

Some people like to hide their fridge behind a fake cubbard door. I, on the otherhand, would prefer a nice stainless steel fridge, and make it part of the decor.

Some people shop at Kmart. Some people don't.

To each their own.

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05-07-2001 05:01 PM

foo fighter
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:
Originally posted by creole
Why should I care about what my box looks like?

I used to make this same argument myself, but I've always wanted my PC to look as slick as it performed. It's your choice, you don't have to care what your tower looks like. I just find it rather sad that this is the best the PC industry can do after 20 years. This isn't 1989, and we are now living in the Twenty-First century. The PC has become stagnant, and is being held back by an aging PC culture that is fearful of change. Consumers are already losing interest in computers altogether.

I refuse to buy another beige box. I'm not going to reward PC makers for their lack of innovation and creativity. It's like buying a new car that looks exactly like your old one. I'll either build my own system, or go with a Mac.

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05-07-2001 05:14 PM

creole
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 347

quote:
Originally posted by homer
That said, Apples are still easier to run *for the average consumer*. I'd still MUCH rather have to do a complete system re-install on a Mac (about 20 minutes, including all software) than on a PC (up to 2 hours at times) or linux (don't get me started ).

I would LOVE to see you reinstall the OS (any Mac OS) AND software in 20 minutes or less.

It's not going to happen. The OS 9.5 install on a 333 tower takes at least 20 minutes by itself.

Stop exagerating or people might think Macs are worthwhile computers.

05-07-2001 06:32 PM

creole
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 347

OK guys...Let me respond really quick here.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I wouldn't like a computer that looked nice. What I AM saying is that looks are dead-last on my list of important things to keep in mind when purchasing. As a matter of fact, every time I have purchased/upgraded, I have built my own machine.

To me, performance is the only driving factor when purchasing/upgrading. Why should anything else matter? To me of course...

Now on the other hand, I spend lots of money on a monitor becasue I am a graphic/web designer. That IS important to me because not only will I be looking at it all day, but it is totally out in the open and I DO want IT to look nice. At the moment though it's covered in a fine layer of dust...and stuffed animals.

05-07-2001 06:47 PM

dick-richardson
Member

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

quote:
Originally posted by creole
I would LOVE to see you reinstall the OS (any Mac OS) AND software in 20 minutes or less.

It's not going to happen. The OS 9.5 install on a 333 tower takes at least 20 minutes by itself.

I've done it on my 400MHz G3. OS took 10 minutes and the programs (Nanosaur, Monopoly, Risk, Adobe PhotoDeluxe, Baldur's Gate, Hidden Pictures, scanner and printer software, etc.) took another 10. Then I spent 15 minutes configuring everything the way I like it. Lost my classwork, though. Should've backed up.

quote:
Stop exagerating or people might think Macs are worthwhile computers.

It wasn't exaggeration, and macs are worthwhile computers. WinTels look nice on paper, Macs look nice on desks. As for performance being a main factor, I don't disagree. My mac performs quite well (better, in fact, than the 600MHz machines at school), and is welcome on my desk, as opposed to under it.

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Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

05-07-2001 06:59 PM

homer
Member

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

quote:
I would LOVE to see you reinstall the OS (any Mac OS) AND software in 20 minutes or less.

It's not going to happen. The OS 9.5 install on a 333 tower takes at least 20 minutes by itself.

Stop exagerating or people might think Macs are worthwhile computers.

Where did you find a copy of OS 9.5?

I did it this past week. I installed:

OS 9.04
Photoshop
Illustrator
BBEdit
Freehand
Flash
Fireworks
Dreamweaver

in about 20 minutes.

Try it. It isn't that hard.

quote:
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I wouldn't like a computer that looked nice. What I AM saying is that looks are dead-last on my list of important things to keep in mind when purchasing.

OK. No one was arguing your opinion. We were just saying that a lot of people appreciate the aesthetic value of a product. You don't. That's fine.

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05-07-2001 07:21 PM

JHromadka
VisorCentral Staff

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

quote:
Originally posted by creole

I would LOVE to see you reinstall the OS (any Mac OS) AND software in 20 minutes or less.

It's not going to happen. The OS 9.5 install on a 333 tower takes at least 20 minutes by itself.

Not sure about a 333, but my PowerBook G4 took less than 20 minutes for the installation (once I figured out how to repartition my drive

). OS X took longer to install at about 30 minutes.

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James Hromadka
Old Friend

05-07-2001 07:43 PM

creole
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 347

Homer, this was when I was working at my old shop. Had to use a Blue and White G3. Now that I think about it, we were actually using 9.6, not 9.5.

Sorry.

05-07-2001 09:19 PM