A new case would be cool whatever it is...apple just dosen't make stuff thats not top of the line. But personally, I doubt we will see a new case with the new processors. We didn't get one with the intro of G3's, nor the G4. Then again, it is an old design?but also a very good one. I would expect another change simular to the mirror door revision. But I'd be more than happy to be totaly blown away w/ s.t new
I don't understand where the current case is such a mess, as Eugene put it. A mess compared to what? When I see one opened up, Ok, not an MDD, but DA PM's or a slow silver, they look pretty straight forward to me. Flip door down, add a card, remove a card, drop in an HDD. Considering the MDD's take 2 opticals and 4 HDD's, they seem to me an improvement, if not aesthetically, over the SlowSilver. Cleaning up the plastic fascia a bit would be more than enough, to me. Also the case looks smaller to me than most cases that can hold 6 drives (2 optical and 4 HDD's).
I'd be really happy with the current case, mildly restyled, who cares what the vintage is, the design works, and STILL hasn't been bettered by any PC case of similar size. Yes, there are easy access PC cases, but they're HUGE.
I'd definitely go for a smaller PM if they made 2 sizes, 3 and 6 slot, 1 and 2 optical, smaller square and larger square (when viewed from the side). Mebbe one 13x13x9, and the other, slightly larger than the current machine 19x19x9.
7" wide cases always look spindly and wrong to me. Apple's are currently 8.9", they're fine as they are (I just rounded to 9 for simplicity's sake)
I like the modular idea... But maybe not just vertical. I think it would be cool to be able to attach the modules side-by-side as well as ontop.
I'll try and make a mock up later (on crappy laptop at the mo). But the basic idea would be that everything was a module, maybe 10" - 12" deep and 2" high.
You can expand / upgrade your system as you need. eg. swap your nVidia 64meg 17" flat panel display module for a 128Meg module with external connectors for 23" cinema display.
3) PCI cards on top with no way to exhaust the hot air
4) poorly ventilated
ATX PSUs with two fans are important. In PCs, the bottom fan sucks hot air from the CPU and the rest of the components into the PSU while another fan sucks that air out of the case.
The heatsink is ridiculous. If there was more air being blown into the case directly, things would be much better. That 120 mm fan in the middle of the case barely does anything buy create turbulence.
The PCI cards dissipate heat...where does the heat go? The heat can't go up... And there's no exhaust fan...
I'd like to see Apple use two low speed 120 mm fans...one exhaust, one intake. On the heatsink itself, it depends...In the case of one heatsink being used for two CPUs, I'd say a 92 mm fan + shroud/duct sucking air off the thing would work nicely.
Ok, but does that really require massive changes to the case exterior?
Some of the internal layout will have to be a little different than standard ATX in order to accomodate the drop down door, which to me seems like a winning feature that they ought to keep.
A fan on the heatsink, with some ducts to exhaust air, and a slight reworking of the PSU could probably do the trick. I don't think the cards are that much of a problem that heat issues can't be solved as you suggest with a couple of slow turning fans (intake and exhaust)
PS, I really like your idea about big and little PM's, 3 and 6 slot, I think they could be made into perfect squares (from the side) and would look very stylish and in keeping with Apple's current design language. I think they should keep the handles though.
Ugh, you've just described the typical SFF PC that Shuttle, Soltek, FIC and other brands make. No thanks. So, it's a cube with one PCI slot...big whoop. If Apple's going to go back to selling more than one Pro machine, I'd think a 19" tower with 6 PCI slots and a 14" mini-tower with 3 PCI slots would be the way to go. Also, 9" is spectacularly wide. My PC cases are both 8 inches wide with plenty of extra space on the side. You could go as narrow as 7" before you start getting really cramped.
As stated, the El Capitan case is 9" wide. But details, details. I'm fine with shrinking a consumer desktop to 16 x 8 x 8. It's not a cube, but it has an elegant ratio of dimensions. But my idea is an $800 machine so I can get the 20" LCD.
As stated, the El Capitan case is 9" wide. But details, details. I'm fine with shrinking a consumer desktop to 16 x 8 x 8. It's not a cube, but it has an elegant ratio of dimensions. But my idea is an $800 machine so I can get the 20" LCD.
As stated, the El Capitan case is 9" wide. But details, details. I'm fine with shrinking a consumer desktop to 16 x 8 x 8. It's not a cube, but it has an elegant ratio of dimensions. But my idea is an $800 machine so I can get the 20" LCD.
It's 9" at the bulges. It's about 8.5" at the faceplate. It's about 8" without the thick polycarbonate!
Personally, I'd rather have a slimline desktop vs. a fake cube. If the thing's only going to have one AGP and one PCI slot, the slots can be rotated 90 degrees (on a riser). Think something as tall as an Xserve, maybe slightly taller to allow for more cooling options. I'm thinking 14"x14"x4"
It gives you more placement options too...you could stack your monitor on top of it to save deskspace. You could stack several of them... You could buy a stand and mount it upright too. With a 16"x8"x8" block PC, you don't really save that much space. Since I'd lose deskspace with it anyway, I'd just put it on the ground, where vertical space is plentiful. The typical SF PC only makes sense to me if you're going to buy several of them and stack them up...
Personally, I'd rather have a slimline desktop vs. a fake cube. If the thing's only going to have one AGP and one PCI slot, the slots can be rotated 90 degrees (on a riser). Think something as tall as an Xserve, maybe slightly taller to allow for more cooling options. I'm thinking 14"x14"x4"
It gives you more placement options too...you could stack your monitor on top of it to save deskspace. You could stack several of them... You could buy a stand and mount it upright too.
I like pizza box designs too. Considering the design of Apple LCD panels, a pizza box would have to be mounted upright anyways. But I could grant the Apple LCDs being redesigned. As far as stacking several of them, I only intend to have one of them per desk.
For the box dimensions, I'd like it flatter and wider; make it stand out. So, I'd rather have it 16 x 16 x 2 inches.
Quote:
With a 16"x8"x8" block PC, you don't really save that much space.
The footprint is going to be 8 x 8 inches, like the G4 Cube. That's small enough for me. On top of that, the optical drive can be horizontal for "upright" configurations, and there will be lots of room for a heatsink and perhaps a large low-RPM fan. I would hope it runs silent.
It's a computer bathed in oil for cooling. Over time, most oils will cause fiberglass and other weak plastics to break-down though.
3M produces some kind of liquid which does not conduct electricity. I have seen it in Ontario Science Centre, but can't remember the name. They have a tv immersed in it and of course working.
Cool. Will a CDROM drive work if it's submerged in the stuff? And perhaps more importantly, does it look like water?
It does look like water. The solid state components of a computer don't care about whether the environment is gas or liquid, as long as it is non-corrosive and non-(electrically)-conductive.
But the HD and CD drives are not solid state, and not designed for the increased resistance to their mechanisims. I would be very surprised if any worked. Be thankful you own a Mac with FireWire booting.
Comments
Originally posted by Barto
Post my Power Mac 970 mock up you say?
***Slightly revised from original post several months ago***
At WWDC in June, the Power Mac G5 will be introduced.
The biggest news: Modular form factor.
- Barto
If the ,Biggest News' is that case mockup, I'll be disapointed indeed.
Originally posted by tyson
If the ,Biggest News' is that case mockup, I'll be disapointed indeed.
You're so kind. You bring joy to these forums. You really do.
Barto
EDIT: To everyone else: Thank you for your supportive and constructive comments.
I'd be really happy with the current case, mildly restyled, who cares what the vintage is, the design works, and STILL hasn't been bettered by any PC case of similar size. Yes, there are easy access PC cases, but they're HUGE.
I'd definitely go for a smaller PM if they made 2 sizes, 3 and 6 slot, 1 and 2 optical, smaller square and larger square (when viewed from the side). Mebbe one 13x13x9, and the other, slightly larger than the current machine 19x19x9.
7" wide cases always look spindly and wrong to me. Apple's are currently 8.9", they're fine as they are (I just rounded to 9 for simplicity's sake)
I'll try and make a mock up later (on crappy laptop at the mo). But the basic idea would be that everything was a module, maybe 10" - 12" deep and 2" high.
You can expand / upgrade your system as you need. eg. swap your nVidia 64meg 17" flat panel display module for a 128Meg module with external connectors for 23" cinema display.
1) slimline PSU - it sucks
2) massive heatsink
3) PCI cards on top with no way to exhaust the hot air
4) poorly ventilated
ATX PSUs with two fans are important. In PCs, the bottom fan sucks hot air from the CPU and the rest of the components into the PSU while another fan sucks that air out of the case.
The heatsink is ridiculous. If there was more air being blown into the case directly, things would be much better. That 120 mm fan in the middle of the case barely does anything buy create turbulence.
The PCI cards dissipate heat...where does the heat go? The heat can't go up... And there's no exhaust fan...
I'd like to see Apple use two low speed 120 mm fans...one exhaust, one intake. On the heatsink itself, it depends...In the case of one heatsink being used for two CPUs, I'd say a 92 mm fan + shroud/duct sucking air off the thing would work nicely.
Some of the internal layout will have to be a little different than standard ATX in order to accomodate the drop down door, which to me seems like a winning feature that they ought to keep.
A fan on the heatsink, with some ducts to exhaust air, and a slight reworking of the PSU could probably do the trick. I don't think the cards are that much of a problem that heat issues can't be solved as you suggest with a couple of slow turning fans (intake and exhaust)
PS, I really like your idea about big and little PM's, 3 and 6 slot, I think they could be made into perfect squares (from the side) and would look very stylish and in keeping with Apple's current design language. I think they should keep the handles though.
Originally posted by Eugene
Ugh, you've just described the typical SFF PC that Shuttle, Soltek, FIC and other brands make. No thanks. So, it's a cube with one PCI slot...big whoop. If Apple's going to go back to selling more than one Pro machine, I'd think a 19" tower with 6 PCI slots and a 14" mini-tower with 3 PCI slots would be the way to go. Also, 9" is spectacularly wide. My PC cases are both 8 inches wide with plenty of extra space on the side. You could go as narrow as 7" before you start getting really cramped.
As stated, the El Capitan case is 9" wide.
Originally posted by THT
As stated, the El Capitan case is 9" wide.
I agree totally.
all I can say is wow ! Maybe too tall... but wow again.
If Apple can do a mix between the Alien case + an xServe + El Cap...
all without the noises... I will be in heaven !
Originally posted by THT
As stated, the El Capitan case is 9" wide.
It's 9" at the bulges. It's about 8.5" at the faceplate. It's about 8" without the thick polycarbonate!
Personally, I'd rather have a slimline desktop vs. a fake cube. If the thing's only going to have one AGP and one PCI slot, the slots can be rotated 90 degrees (on a riser). Think something as tall as an Xserve, maybe slightly taller to allow for more cooling options. I'm thinking 14"x14"x4"
It gives you more placement options too...you could stack your monitor on top of it to save deskspace. You could stack several of them... You could buy a stand and mount it upright too. With a 16"x8"x8" block PC, you don't really save that much space. Since I'd lose deskspace with it anyway, I'd just put it on the ground, where vertical space is plentiful. The typical SF PC only makes sense to me if you're going to buy several of them and stack them up...
Originally posted by jeromba
anybody saw the new alienware cases ?
all I can say is wow ! Maybe too tall... but wow again.
If Apple can do a mix between the Alien case + an xServe + El Cap...
all without the noises... I will be in heaven !
Well, they're not really new. It's basically the same chassis as before, with spiffy exterior panels.
Originally posted by piwozniak
no problem with cooling :
Originally posted by Whisper
a new dell...well..dells answer to the imac
Originally posted by Eugene
Personally, I'd rather have a slimline desktop vs. a fake cube. If the thing's only going to have one AGP and one PCI slot, the slots can be rotated 90 degrees (on a riser). Think something as tall as an Xserve, maybe slightly taller to allow for more cooling options. I'm thinking 14"x14"x4"
It gives you more placement options too...you could stack your monitor on top of it to save deskspace. You could stack several of them... You could buy a stand and mount it upright too.
I like pizza box designs too. Considering the design of Apple LCD panels, a pizza box would have to be mounted upright anyways. But I could grant the Apple LCDs being redesigned. As far as stacking several of them, I only intend to have one of them per desk.
For the box dimensions, I'd like it flatter and wider; make it stand out. So, I'd rather have it 16 x 16 x 2 inches.
With a 16"x8"x8" block PC, you don't really save that much space.
The footprint is going to be 8 x 8 inches, like the G4 Cube. That's small enough for me. On top of that, the optical drive can be horizontal for "upright" configurations, and there will be lots of room for a heatsink and perhaps a large low-RPM fan. I would hope it runs silent.
Originally posted by Whisper
It's a computer bathed in oil for cooling. Over time, most oils will cause fiberglass and other weak plastics to break-down though.
Originally posted by Eugene
It's a computer bathed in oil for cooling. Over time, most oils will cause fiberglass and other weak plastics to break-down though.
3M produces some kind of liquid which does not conduct electricity. I have seen it in Ontario Science Centre, but can't remember the name. They have a tv immersed in it and of course working.
It's very popular in hardcore overclocking.
Barto
Originally posted by Barto
Flurinert (get it? it's a fluride, and it's inert? Those 3M people have such an imagination...)
It's very popular in hardcore overclocking.
Barto
Cool. Will a CDROM drive work if it's submerged in the stuff? And perhaps more importantly, does it look like water?
Originally posted by Whisper
Cool. Will a CDROM drive work if it's submerged in the stuff? And perhaps more importantly, does it look like water?
It does look like water. The solid state components of a computer don't care about whether the environment is gas or liquid, as long as it is non-corrosive and non-(electrically)-conductive.
But the HD and CD drives are not solid state, and not designed for the increased resistance to their mechanisims. I would be very surprised if any worked. Be thankful you own a Mac with FireWire booting.
Barto