Desktop or floortop?

[Xapplimatic]

An all in one (like an iMac) has to sit on the desk, so it's called a desktop.

A portable (not to be confused with a luggable) notebook can rest on your lap (unless it gets too hot!) so its generally called a laptop.

A mainframe is probably called that because it sits in a framed metal housing that doesn't move (like an A-frame or a picture frame.. it just sits there..)

A 'tower' type "desktop" however is frequently too ugly to dare to put 'desktop' driving many users to hide the unsightly beasts under the desk on the floor..

I suspect that for lack of a better word, towers were allowed to be grouped in with non-towers (horizontal desktop units). They are not however filling the same roles. The difference becomes more sharp when you compare and contrast towers with the so-called "mini-PCs".

What would a more appropriate class type name be for a 'tower' type computer?

• Carpetweight
• Comfooter
• Floortop
• Footwarmer
• Scaremouse
• Subdesktop
• Toestubber
• _________ ?

 

[Finiksa]

Uh? Tower works fine for me.

Besides mine sits on my desk. Towers are beautiful don't hide them away sucking up carpet!

 

[Powerbook G5]

I always had my tower PCs on my desk. Carpets are terrible with dust and static electricity and I wouldn't feel comfortable having a powerful piece of computing hardware sitting on my floor under my desk as if it were no better than my trash can.

 

[Chappers]

If its a PC then obviously its name will be


Electric room heater.

 

[sonofslim]

if you've ever taken apart a unit that's been on the floor for any length of time, you'll know that they might as well be called Dust Traps or Cat-Hair Filtration Units.

 

[cpjakes]

Originally posted by Chappers
If its a PC then obviously its name will be


Electric room heater.

That's actually why I leave my PC on all the time, to keep the temperature up and the humidity down a little...

Well, that and instant access to games.

 

[revenuee]

Beige box PC towers are ugly

Blue and White G3, graphite/ quicksilver G4 and G5 towers are master piece work of arts - i am proud to have mine sit on my desk.

 

[Xapplimatic]

Originally posted by revenuee
Beige box PC towers are ugly

Blue and White G3, graphite/ quicksilver G4 and G5 towers are master piece work of arts - i am proud to have mine sit on my desk.

Ya, I absolutely think the biege TowerMacs were the ugliest ever made, but I didn't like the super plasticky looking blue and whites anymore either.. far too lego/duplo looking for my tastes.. The silver/grey g4s were a major improvement.. The G5 was a shock, but I've come to like it just because its so industrial/tought looking.. looks like the Terminator of computing.. It's the SUV of computing, a real LAN destroyer!.. lol

 

[jefhatfield]

overall, i have seen mac desktop towers, G3s and G4s, on the floor but not as much as i have seen pcs on the floor which is almost always where i see it

i don't think that there is a huge issue with carpet and lint causing any problems with a computer but i think that having a tower on the floor or on the desk is most determined by preference and by available desktop space for a tower

no matter how small my deskspace, i like to keep the sucker on the desk because for me, it's easier to put in floppies, zips, and cd/dvds...but i know as many people who would say that it being on the floor makes it easier to pop in disks

 

[Powerbook G5]

Keeping your PC on the floor does offer one good advantage, though--a heated footrest.

 

[Xapplimatic]

tower on the floor as a heated foot rest...

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
Keeping your PC on the floor does offer one good advantage, though--a heated footrest.

I think I did say that in the original post. It was the cathair sucker that got me rollilng! I've never been so abusive as to stick a computer on a fury surface, so I haven't had the pleasure? of removing such oddities...