Apple's iMac better watch out!

[nichos]

I used to think the new iMac was the most beautiful computer I'd ever seen, but that's before I heard about Dell's "XCS" that's coming out:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/07/07/dell_xcs_pictured/

[apunkrockmonk]

I use to think the new iMac was the most beautiful computer I'd ever seen, but that's before I heard about Dell's "XCS" that's coming out:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/07/07/dell_xcs_pictured/

That is one of the most retarded looking computers i've ever seen.

[netdog]

Time to sell my Apple stock for sure. Between this and Microsoft's coming iPod-killer, they might as well close down the Cupertino campus now and get what they can for the furniture.

[JoeKarame]

I was always under the assumption that good design always went hand in hand with function.

God knows what Dell's designers are playing at...

...Apart from quite obviously wanting to be fired.

[amin]

If that is real, it is nice to see someone else focusing on design, even if it has to be bad design.

[mkrishnan]

It's really cute, but it needs more LEDs, preferably ones that flash. And blue flames painted on it.

[apunkrockmonk]

I wonder if it will run on 9 D cell batteries like the boom box design it so closely mimics.

[CoMpX]

It pains me to say that I think that's a very cool idea for a computer, mainly because of the seemingly hot-swappable parts. I think this could be the future of computing, where computers don't take any certain shape or form, but you add modular peripherals onto the expandable "core" of the machine as you need them. Very innovative.

Something like the shim computing system is what I had in mind.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1928/shimcomputer29qy.th.jpg (http://img300.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shimcomputer29qy.jpg)

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/7808/shimcomputer33ez.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shimcomputer33ez.jpg)

[HughJ]

i can honestly say i dont think ive seen anything as awful as that dell system, what a hunk of junk, smacks of desperation

[Eraserhead]

It's really cute, but it needs more LEDs, preferably ones that flash. And blue flames painted on it.

Sounds like a Dell XPS Laptop, that costs £1700 and looks about as cool as a Ford Focus with neons. ;)

This computer btw, looks rubbish, personally I'd prefer a beige box, it may be boring and not great design but at least it's reasonably easy on the eye.

[m-dogg]

I used to think the new iMac was the most beautiful computer I'd ever seen, but that's before I heard about Dell's "XCS" that's coming out:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/07/07/dell_xcs_pictured/


I don't see any smilies, but you must be joking, right?

Right?

[Blue Velvet]

In case no-one has read the forums that are linked to from that page... it's just a concept from Matthew Ritter. Nothing more. End of story.

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost.php?p=1276925&postcount=16

**Upon being threatened by Dell litigation...their logo has been removed from this product**

http://www.coroflot.com/public/portfolio_file.asp?t=&order_no=2&user_id=119508

[iProd]

Wait, that isn't a speaker system? :P

[mkrishnan]

Sounds like a Dell XPS Laptop, that costs £1700 and looks about as cool as a Ford Focus with neons. ;)

Except that at least the Focus has the benefit of an amazing chassis that lets one toss it around turns and brings a smile to one's face, that bagged it multiple Car and Driver Top 10 placements... Inside the weird box the Dell is just a Windows PC. ;)

[MacRumorUser]

It's just concept, but interesting nether the less.

Hot swappable components is a good idea

Notice how each of the white cartridge type devices are labeled differently WD ( hard drive) Sony (BluRay drive) ATI (GPU)

http://bit-tech.net/content_images/news_images/dellxcs.jpg

I think the future of expandability is definetly like this (but maybe not in this form factor - this looks like some trekkies wet dream)

[QCassidy352]

it needs speed holes. :D

[Bobjob186]

one word...retarded.

[Yvan256]

I agree with the comment under the photo... "it looks like some kind of warp drive thing". At least it's not beige. :D

As for the "cartridge" idea... Aside from missing the obvious "inter-block connectors in-between the components themselves", the Mac mini is already there (stack components vertically).

[smwatson]

Hideous pile of rubbish. Im guessing it was designed by some blind guy that wandered in off the street?

[stefan15]

Awesome idea... although the idea of a component based system like that is not new... and the design of that system is rediculous.

[dornoforpyros]

standing on it's side it makes a bit more sense, could be an interesting design dependent on the size of it.

[Str8edgepunker]

Ewww...

If this has the track record like the Dell systems I've worked on, those removable drives will die within a year.

[Shasta]

Psh... So now to get windows to actually boot we have to cross our fingers AND blow into the cartridge nintendo style... I'm glad technology is progressing

[Foxglove9]

Even if that was a gaming console it still looks ugly. Though if i had to buy a windows pc I'd rather that on my desk than an ugly beige desktop.

[MattG]

Not just ugly, fugly. Eww.

[Macmaniac]

Its actually an interesting design, the concept of being able to easily access parts and replace them is a great idea.

It may not look that great, but the idea is solid.

[Jaffa Cake]

Its actually an interesting design, the concept of being able to easily access parts and replace them is a great idea.

It may not look that great, but the idea is solid.Agreed, I think it's an interesting idea. I'll say this too – Dell and companies of their ilk are criticised when they copy Apple's ideas in software and industrial design, but when they 'think different' as it where and try to come up with something original of their own they're also roundly criticised. I'm sure there are things lurking in the bowels of Apple's R+D department that are just as bizarre looking, if not more so.

[WildCowboy]

I'll say this too – Dell and companies of their ilk are criticised when they copy Apple's ideas in software and industrial design, but when they 'think different' as it where and try to come up with something original of their own they're also roundly criticised.

In case you missed Blue Velvet's post, Dell had nothing to do with this. Some kid fresh out of college did it as a mockup, and Dell has threatened to sue him for using their logo.

[FullmetalZ26]

Its actually an interesting design, the concept of being able to easily access parts and replace them is a great idea.

It may not look that great, but the idea is solid.
Does anyone remember the Jonathan concept Apple had going on in the mid-80's? The basic idea was that the entire computer would be modular, and the machine would be an I/O-board 'base' with various modules that plugged into it. There were plans for Macintosh (680x0) modules, DOS (x86) and Unix modules, plus hard disk, floppy disk, RAM, and all kinds of other little add-ons that would just plug into the base. If you ran out of room on the base, you could purchase a larger one to attach to your existing base. Was a great idea, but perhaps a bit ahead of its time, and it ended up getting nixed. In any case, that's the first thing I thought of when I saw this.

[Jaffa Cake]

In case you missed Blue Velvet's post, Dell had nothing to do with this. Some kid fresh out of college did it as a mockup, and Dell has threatened to sue him for using their logo.Ah... yes... sorry, missed that. I'll go and stand in the naughty corner. :o

[Xander562]

i dont get it
i like the bookshelf idea tho...

[Electro Funk]

looks like a boom box, or a sub woofer...

[tdhurst]

I used to think the new iMac was the most beautiful computer I'd ever seen, but that's before I heard about Dell's "XCS" that's coming out:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/07/07/dell_xcs_pictured/

What exactly IS that? That is actually a computer? Just a pretty box? Huh?

[codo]

I, I mean. What. Why?

Seems like a waste of plastic to me. All those ridgey bits - Could have made it a sleek, long, thin "thing" covered in aluminium - I would purchased that.

[twistedlegato]

Ok.. thats looks terrible. And people are still gonna have to buy an external display because there is no integrated one in that computer. And the display is most of the imacs beauty. Imagine the imac without a screen...*imagining*:eek: :eek:

It would be a white block with a gray apple in the middle.. i Mean sure it would look nice but integrated screen are the way to go. Sometimes i wish the apple display were integrated into the powermacs (mac pro's)...

-O.N-

[Eraserhead]

Except that at least the Focus has the benefit of an amazing chassis that lets one toss it around turns and brings a smile to one's face, that bagged it multiple Car and Driver Top 10 placements... Inside the weird box the Dell is just a Windows PC. ;)
Fair point, the Focus isn't too bad a car, actually my family has a Honda Civic (I don't drive yet too expensive) which is pretty similar and a nice car but not very exciting. Maybe a Lada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada) with neon's would be more accurate ;)

[pknz]

Mmmmm futuristic toaster.

[lamina]

That thing looks like a boombox I wanted back in 1997.

[SheriffParker]

Psh... So now to get windows to actually boot we have to cross our fingers AND blow into the cartridge nintendo style... I'm glad technology is progressing

rofl


I rather like it. It could use a redesign with sleeker cartidges and different colors, but that is an awesome concept.

[Eidorian]

*sigh* I remember PC World running something about modular computers. One day with PCI-Express, eSATA, and UWB we could just have LEGO modular computers.

The "bookshelf" computer looks rather familiar.

[keithbennis]

That is one of the most retarded looking computers i've ever seen.
^^

[gloss]

I just shat out my eyes.

[Sun Baked]

looks like a boom box, or a sub woofer...I'd lean more toward sub woofer -- and not one that is the centerpiece of the system along with the amp.

But more along the lines of something that needs to be hidden in the trunk or under a seat. :o

[w_parietti22]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Words can not explain how ugly that is.

[Electro Funk]

But more along the lines of something that needs to be hidden in the trunk or under a seat. :o

i can hear license plates ratteling already... :p

[Infinity]

Wouldn't it be funny if it had an Apple brand on this concept design, I'm sure the comments about this thing would be quite the opposite. In fact people would be quite defensive of it.

This design is in a totally different design direction from where Apple is/wants to be so I doubt this would compete against any of Apple products. I'm no fan of Dell by any means but c'mon people, this design is just **** hot! Its better than whats out there for the PC market.

[Pistol Pete]

good idea for consumers...

buuuuttttttt its bad design.

[Foxglove9]

I disagree. For example the iPod Hi-Fi speaker was bashed a lot on these forums.

Wouldn't it be funny if it had an Apple brand on this concept design, I'm sure the comments about this thing would be quite the opposite. In fact people would be quite defensive of it.

[Abstract]

That thing needs some spinners and fake bullet-hole stickers to complete the "look."

[Xeem]

it needs speed holes. :D

and racing stripes, too!

[dextertangocci]

I bet Steve Jobs is busy shaking in his boots. Apple is probably going to shut down when this thing is released:rolleyes: Between microsofts iPod "killer" and this thing, how will Apple ever make any more money?

Seriously. You'd have to have rocks in your head to even think that is a nice computer. It is one ugly machine, and those stupid engineers at dell were obviously on speed when they designed this thing. I hate dell.

:)

[lilstewart]

I wouldn't buy it... it's very unique, though. :)

[generik]

Actually.. if Dell can pull this off, it spells technological innovation beyond anything Apple can ever conceive of.

You so called Apple users are so intrigued by simple LEDs underneath keyboards and a monitor with a computer stuck behind it? Jeez, that's so 21st century.

That Dell, if it actually materialises, will be using some kind of super universal bus architecture that actually lets you swop, mix and match stuff like PCIe graphics cards, hard drives, and various peripherals with a simple slot. That's amazing by my book.

Apple? They can barely make a laptop right, with luck they will probably stay relevant for a while :rolleyes:

[abeyk]

the imac doesn't even compare to that :confused:

[steamboat26]

It is a cool design, but maybe for 20 years from now. Plus it is a dell.

[thejadedmonkey]

Not bad looking, but at the end of the day it would make for larger computers- Apple would never have that.

Dell, on the other hand...:rolleyes:

[benthewraith]

Psh... So now to get windows to actually boot we have to cross our fingers AND blow into the cartridge nintendo style... I'm glad technology is progressing

lol

Funniest thing I've read today. :D

[benthewraith]

I bet Steve Jobs is busy shaking in his boots. Apple is probably going to shut down when this thing is released:rolleyes: Between microsofts iPod "killer" and this thing, how will Apple ever make any more money?

Seriously. You'd have to have rocks in your head to even think that is a nice computer. It is one ugly machine, and those stupid engineers at dell were obviously on speed when they designed this thing. I hate dell.

:)

There's no threat to Apple. Apple will keep making the same things they've made all along. Sure, we might get a few less switchers, but with all the spyware and malware, I'd say we will still get it. The iPod will remain with the iPod generation, but the up and coming generation will get the Microsoft "killer" because they're too young to remember the iPod generation. Then you have all the "what's Apple?" people who think it's the greatest innovation of all time. :rolleyes:

This is no Apple killer. Dell made me switch. ;)

[WildCowboy]

This is no Apple killer. Dell made me switch. ;)

**climbs to the mountaintop to yell once more**

Of course it's not an Apple killer...it's not a real product. It's just a computer-generated mockup by a kid. Dell threatened to sue him over his use of their logo...I doubt they're rushing to put it into production.