'Dune Case' for PCs Copies Mac Pro's Cylindrical Design

[DVNIEL]

Nice attempt at getting him to say something that could later be used in court.

I'm loving this thread because it's so entertaining. Reading all of these stereotypes about PC users is hilarious. I don't know why people think you have to choose one or the other. More power to everyone who uses both, I myself have the trash can Mac Pro and a 4-way SLI Titan machine.

And an even better entertainment is this alexandercgomez fellow trying to defend his deliberate theft of Apple's design and trying to be naive of the obvious questions people are trying to get answered.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Hi MH01 thanks for your comment. There are some distinct differences with the Dune case than other cases on the market. The case has been designed from the ground up. The mesh on top of the case, the front panel with a Custom PCB and the whole internals inside the case is very unique.

This is an advantgard approach to the PC case and I hope this can be a start of a new wave of the way we manufacture PC cases.

Is 'The case has been designed from the ground up.' your legal argument? You can design something from the ground up that's still a copy.
Can you elaborate on the 'due diligence' you mentioned in your post on the Kickstarter?

Attached are two images, one from your Kickstarter, the other from Apple's website. Did you hire the same graphic design team as Apple?

 

[Omnisonas]

I registered just to comment here. Long time lurker/reader though.

First off, the fact that Macrumors posted this on their main page is a testament to the designer of the Dune case. Blatant rip off or not, it's getting attention. I for one like the thought of building my own PC based on the Dune chassis. Options and competition are good for business. How many people in the world have never even heard of the new Mac Pro (probably not many, but I'm sure there are a few). With this Dune case being talked about, Apple is getting free marketing. Again, it's all good for business.

I already ordered mine. I am envisioning the gold dune case sitting on my desk. I think it will be beautiful, modern, and different (from existing PC cases). I even thought about buying the 5 pack so I could start transitioning my business PCs into Dune cases.

I run a digital media company and also build and service computers. I love both apple and PC. I actually worked for Apple for over 5 years and am proud of my time there. I also have a PC laptop, Mac Pro tower, and high end gaming PC. I am not just an Apple fanboy, I am a technology fanboy. All tech.

I feel the Mac vs PC argument is old and outdated. These are all tools and you should be able to have whatever tools you want in what ever case design you want. I actually decided not to update my 2008 Mac Pro to the new one because of the lack of upgradability and PCIe slots. I hated the thought of having to spend more money just to use my existing PCIe cards or go without them.

All in all, I hope this case makes it through the Kickstarter process. I for one can't wait to build mine.

J. Ayers
www.Omnisonas.com

 

[MH01]

Hi MH01 thanks for your comment. There are some distinct differences with the Dune case than other cases on the market. The case has been designed from the ground up. The mesh on top of the case, the front panel with a Custom PCB and the whole internals inside the case is very unique.

This is an advantgard approach to the PC case and I hope this can be a start of a new wave of the way we manufacture PC cases.

Hey Alex,

Thankyou for ignore my questions.

Good luck in your venture, though please don't post on a Mac fan site that this was designed from the ground up, when it's a asthetic copy of http://www.apple.com/uk/mac-pro/

Kudos for redesigning the inside. though I suspect you had a Mac Pro handy during the whole process.

Hope you get through the Kickstarter phase, some will really like this case.

[doublepost=1456085108][/doublepost]

I registered just to comment here. Long time lurker/reader though.

First off, the fact that Macrumors posted this on their main page is a testament to the designer of the Dune case. Blatant rip off or not, it's getting attention. I for one like the thought of building my own PC based on the Dune chassis. Options and competition are good for business. How many people in the world have never even heard of the new Mac Pro (probably not many, but I'm sure there are a few). With this Dune case being talked about, Apple is getting free marketing. Again, it's all good for business.

I already ordered mine. I am envisioning the gold dune case sitting on my desk. I think it will be beautiful, modern, and different (from existing PC cases). I even thought about buying the 5 pack so I could start transitioning my business PCs into Dume cases.

I run a digital media company and also build and service computers. I love both apple and PC. I actually worked for Apple for over 5 years and am proud of my time there. I also have a PC laptop, Mac Pro tower, and high end gaming PC. I am not just an Apple fanboy, I am a technology fanboy. All tech.

I feel the Mac vs PC argument is old and outdated. These are all tools and you should be able to have whatever tools you want in what ever case design you want. I actually decided not to update my 2008 Mac Pro to the new one because of the lack of upgradability and PCIe slots. I hated the thought of having to spend more money just to use my existing PCIe cards or go without them.

All in all, I hope this case makes it through the Kickstarter process. I for one can't wait to build mine.

J. Ayers
www.Omnisonas.com

Great comment..... You are right.

Like I said , best of luck to him. I may think it's a blatant copy, though competition is great and some here would love a case that looks like the new Mac Pro.
[doublepost=1456085305][/doublepost]

Nice attempt at getting him to say something that could later be used in court.

It's the elephant in the room, so be it, at least he is answering questions about the case that don't relate to where the design came from.

Its for apple to take action, if they have patents they believe have been breached. if he had not breached any patents, good like to him

 

[dylin]

Hi MH01 thanks for your comment. There are some distinct differences with the Dune case than other cases on the market. The case has been designed from the ground up. The mesh on top of the case, the front panel with a Custom PCB and the whole internals inside the case is very unique.

This is an advantgard approach to the PC case and I hope this can be a start of a new wave of the way we manufacture PC cases.

Wait, are you still dodging the question he asked?

I do like the case, but it does bother me that you aren't even trying to answer a question that some people are asking.

The question was, "Did you not copy the Mac Pro?"

It's a simple yes or no.

Whether you choose yes or no, you will still have your process and design and none of us can really prevent you from achieving your goal of making this case a reality.

Best of luck to you.

 

[ZipZap]

Truly beautiful. http://imgur.com/5P0suqc

That's an ugly mess of dongles.
[doublepost=1456091870][/doublepost]

APPLE WILL SUE THEM INTO OBLIVION. THE DUNE WILL GET ZUNED!

Yeah, and Apple won't ever fix that error 53 right...

 

[trifid]

Wait, are you still dodging the question he asked?

I do like the case, but it does bother me that you aren't even trying to answer a question that some people are asking.

The question was, "Did you not copy the Mac Pro?"

It's a simple yes or no.

Whether you choose yes or no, you will still have your process and design and none of us can really prevent you from achieving your goal of making this case a reality.

Best of luck to you.

Companies like Samsung, HP, Microsoft etc that have all copied Apple in the past, in some cases quite blatantly, they never admit copying or even "inspired", and these companies make billions. You will never get a yes or no from them. Why are you trying to force a single hobbyist to answer this question?

To anyone shaming or suggesting it, stop it. Or have you guys forgotten this...

 

[ZipZap]

Yes. But there are people who want a very powerful consumer-level machine. Other PC manufacturers cover that really well, and Apple doesn't at all. So we either make Hackintoshes or get old Mac Pros because Apple hates us. I'd say Windows users have it easy... if they weren't stuck using Windows.
[doublepost=1456046548][/doublepost]
It's meant to be the same shape as the fan. Doesn't the fan have almost the same radius as the case? I don't know how well a triangular case would have worked; it would have required a much smaller fan or a much larger case.
[doublepost=1456046883][/doublepost]
They've got the exact same vent layout and tapering on the top and bottom. There are definitely ways they could have done it differently.
[doublepost=1456047094][/doublepost]
Unix is one big reason. Also the non-janky UI and excellent developer tools.

I dont need to know Unix to get things done on Windows. To do similar things on the MAC I am trapped by unix. Most users do not have the expertise to use unix.

 

[alexandercgomez]

I hope it succeeds nonetheless - maybe I'll pick one up for new HTPC build - just not in that colour.

Hi skinned66 we will also be doing it in black .. What color did you have in mind?

 

[MH01]

Companies like Samsung, HP, Microsoft etc that have all copied Apple in the past, in some cases quite blatantly, they never admit copying or even "inspired", and these companies make billions. You will never get a yes or no from them. Why are you trying to force a single hobbyist to answer this question?

To anyone shaming or suggesting it, stop it. Or have you guys forgotten this...

And a great quote it is ! There is a difference though between stealing great ideas and implementing them as your own version/vision, and blatant knock offs

Apple has always stolen great ideas, but I challenge you to find one product they have blatantly copied aesthetically like this . Never has a Apple desktop copied another case almost 1:1

Anyway , this story was just put up as click magnet over the weekend, hoping for this endless debate. I'm out

 

[Taz Mangus]

I dont need to know Unix to get things done on Windows. To do similar things on the MAC I am trapped by unix. Most users do not have the expertise to use unix.

So you do most of your work using the command prompt in Windows. Most users who use a Mac do so without needing to know Unix. You should pick up a book on basic knowledge about Unix. Unix is quite easy to learn. Besides it is always good to know and understand how different OSes work.
[doublepost=1456093510][/doublepost]

And a great quote it is ! There is a difference though between stealing great ideas and implementing them as your own version/vision, and blatant knock offs

Apple has always stolen great ideas, but I challenge you to find one product they have blatantly copied aesthetically like this . Never has a Apple desktop copied another case almost 1:1

Anyway , this story was just put up as click magnet over the weekend, hoping for this endless debate. I'm out

That quote is dragged out and used without really understanding what it means.
[doublepost=1456093773][/doublepost]Wow, imagine that Mac Rumors giving away free advertising. Or is it?

 

[duervo]

Hi skinned66 we will also be doing it in black .. What color did you have in mind?

You should do a limited edition Kickstarter green one, or a limited edition black one with a green Kickstarter logo. If not as a normal reward, then as a stretch goal or something. Or maybe at least limited edition Kickstarter green fan/LED with the black case.

 

[CatBookPro]

I registered just to comment here. Long time lurker/reader though.

First off, the fact that Macrumors posted this on their main page is a testament to the designer of the Dune case. Blatant rip off or not, it's getting attention. I for one like the thought of building my own PC based on the Dune chassis. Options and competition are good for business. How many people in the world have never even heard of the new Mac Pro (probably not many, but I'm sure there are a few). With this Dune case being talked about, Apple is getting free marketing. Again, it's all good for business.

I already ordered mine. I am envisioning the gold dune case sitting on my desk. I think it will be beautiful, modern, and different (from existing PC cases). I even thought about buying the 5 pack so I could start transitioning my business PCs into Dune cases.

I run a digital media company and also build and service computers. I love both apple and PC. I actually worked for Apple for over 5 years and am proud of my time there. I also have a PC laptop, Mac Pro tower, and high end gaming PC. I am not just an Apple fanboy, I am a technology fanboy. All tech.

I feel the Mac vs PC argument is old and outdated. These are all tools and you should be able to have whatever tools you want in what ever case design you want. I actually decided not to update my 2008 Mac Pro to the new one because of the lack of upgradability and PCIe slots. I hated the thought of having to spend more money just to use my existing PCIe cards or go without them.

All in all, I hope this case makes it through the Kickstarter process. I for one can't wait to build mine.

J. Ayers
www.Omnisonas.com

The last time I was in the Apple Store, I can't remember even seeing the Mac Pro displayed. I could've missed it (there was tons of people there), but it was definitely not a high-profile product they were pushing.

Yes... It's a total ripoff lol, so I'm kind of curious to see how far this gets before Apple chimes in (if they do).

As for your comment about the fanboy status: I'm with you - I'm a fanboy of technology... good technology especially. I'm a fan of Apple... And yes, a fan of MS

 

[Devie]

The last time I was in the Apple Store, I can't remember even seeing the Mac Pro displayed. I could've missed it (there was tons of people there), but it was definitely not a high-profile product they were pushing.

At the CBD store here there is one in the corner attached to a third party monitor (NEC I think?). It's really not on their priority list. They'd rather sell you an iPad I think.

 

[alexandercgomez]

I registered just to comment here. Long time lurker/reader though.

First off, the fact that Macrumors posted this on their main page is a testament to the designer of the Dune case. Blatant rip off or not, it's getting attention. I for one like the thought of building my own PC based on the Dune chassis. Options and competition are good for business. How many people in the world have never even heard of the new Mac Pro (probably not many, but I'm sure there are a few). With this Dune case being talked about, Apple is getting free marketing. Again, it's all good for business.

I already ordered mine. I am envisioning the gold dune case sitting on my desk. I think it will be beautiful, modern, and different (from existing PC cases). I even thought about buying the 5 pack so I could start transitioning my business PCs into Dune cases.

I run a digital media company and also build and service computers. I love both apple and PC. I actually worked for Apple for over 5 years and am proud of my time there. I also have a PC laptop, Mac Pro tower, and high end gaming PC. I am not just an Apple fanboy, I am a technology fanboy. All tech.

I feel the Mac vs PC argument is old and outdated. These are all tools and you should be able to have whatever tools you want in what ever case design you want. I actually decided not to update my 2008 Mac Pro to the new one because of the lack of upgradability and PCIe slots. I hated the thought of having to spend more money just to use my existing PCIe cards or go without them.

All in all, I hope this case makes it through the Kickstarter process. I for one can't wait to build mine.

J. Ayers
www.Omnisonas.com

Hi Omnisonas .. wow I am very humbled by your comments. I am also a technology fanboy on all platforms I remember when I started my first business back in the late 90s I was building PC for friends and family and that business has grown into one of the largest retailers of computers in Melbourne. Some of the most successful brands started that way. They build something that their customers want. Steve Jobs and Woz started in their garage building a desktop computer and many at their time didn't believe in their product. Micheal dell started doing custom builds in his garage too when at the time he was competing with the heavy weights. I'm not putting my self in that same category but encouraging anyone with an idea to like yours omnisonas to just go and do it and humbled that you are going to make Dune Case into a business. And it is that spirit that brings breakthrough and diversity in the place we live in. I know that not everyone likes the Dune Case as its not for everyone. And I am not afraid if people think Dune Case will fail which I believe it wont. What I do fear is not doing something I have always wanted to do. I had envision to do something. I executed and sacrificed time, money and energy doing so. And one year later we have the Dune Case. The kickstarter platform has given me a place to show the world that maybe we can do something different for the PC case. I am grateful for the comments here on macrumors weather you are for it or not. Thanks for your comments omnisonas

 

[robzr]

Unix? It's horrible and sluggish. Back when it was fitst released and still is today. On any hardware.

Try out A/UX - this is a "real" UNIX... big and clunky, not intended for desktop computers. Slow and greedy, no matter what hardware you throw at it...

Too good OS X is based on a BSD.. originally. Today not so much anymore...which is a pity, I think.

Apples UNIX - certification is mostly eye-candy. OS X is about as POSIX - compliant as a Windows NT Server with an installed Unix services subsystem..

I've read this a few times and can't make any sense out of it. Unix is horrible and sluggish? What planet are you living on? UNIX happily runs on routers with 2 mb of flash a 4 mb of RAM, it powers countless embedded devices and 97% of today's smartphones, where efficiency (which directly correlates to battery life and therefore physical footprint) and stability are amongst the most important considerations. UNIX powers the vast majority of servers these days, the only real competitor in the last 25 years has been in a massive and steady decline. UNIX (tm), POSIX, is academic and irrelevant, the UNIX philosophy and UNIX derivative OS's make up essentially everything that is relevant today.

Rob

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

I guess all of the ignored questions are enough of a statement...

 

[robzr]

You could have done all those things without copying Apple's designs. We're not saying you've made your own Mac Pro, so stop suggesting that. We're saying you've made a blatant copy CASE design. Which Apple could still sue you for!

He has repeated avoided addressing or countering this claim, which I think is a pretty straightforward admission that it's true. Should he address it directly, it would be totally indefensible, and clearly the best tact in this situation is to avoid addressing it. I think everyone here knows exactly what the case is - a clone of what is by most accounts the most desirable desktop computer on the market.

That said, to me, the quality and attention to detail do look significantly better than pretty much any other PC case on the market. And the aesthetics, while they are a compromised and blatant copy of an Apple product, are still a step above the vast majority of the largely stagnant and unimaginative PC market. Which says a lot about the gap between Apple's designs and the PC industry.

Hahahah I feel you there with the the wife.... The new iMac is really good and the 5K display is really in a league of its own. How they got the 5k to work is amazing considering the Dell 5k needs 2 DP 1.2 cables to run it externally.

That is because they do not have to rely on external video connectivity, one of the benefits of a high quality integrated "non-upgradeable" design. The plastic Dell UP2715K 27" 5K monitor sells for $1600 and lists for $2200, while Apple lists a CNC'd and laser cut aluminum 27" 5K display of far higher physical build quality including a complete computer for only $1800. These sorts of comparisons and details are exactly why many Apple customers feel many Apple products are an excellent value. It really is a shame none of the major players in the PC market choose to compete with high quality products like this, but it ultimately speaks to the values of their customer base.

Hi MH01 thanks for your comment. There are some distinct differences with the Dune case than other cases on the market. The case has been designed from the ground up. The mesh on top of the case, the front panel with a Custom PCB and the whole internals inside the case is very unique.

To be fair, the mesh on top is only necessary because of the compromised, off the shelf fan. But it does have nice aesthetics. Out of curiosity did you consider using a bottom mounted fan to isolate it from the noise (in either push or pull config), dual fans at top or bottom, or even going with a larger radial or centrifugal fan? It seems to me this thing is going to be loud - 30 dB is a lot for something sitting a few feet from you. My projector puts out 26 dB about 6 feet away from me and I hear it over movies and it drives me nuts. Apple clearly prioritized noise volume when designing the 12 dB (at idle) and 16 dB (at full load) custom centrifugal fan on the Mac Pro.

This is an advantgard approach to the PC case and I hope this can be a start of a new wave of the way we manufacture PC cases.

It does remind me in some ways of the Hoojum Cubit ITX case that I used to lust over, it doesn't seem like they ever got too much traction though.

I remember when I started my first business back in the late 90s I was building PC for friends and family and that business has grown into one of the largest retailers of computers in Melbourne. Some of the most successful brands started that way. They build something that their customers want. Steve Jobs and Woz started in their garage building a desktop computer and many at their time didn't believe in their product.

Can we just take a pause from patting our visionary selves on the back and put this in perspective. You're making a (admittedly, very nice), but blatant copy of an Apple product, and marketing here on an Apple oriented forum. It does rub me the wrong way that you do this, after making a dig at Apple for being a "fruity" company, which is not only in really poor taste considering that dig is based on a gay slur - and it's 2016 - but also the hypocrisy that you take that dig in the process of marketing the closest you could come to a carbon copy of an Apple product that uses off the shelf (and compromised) PC components. That is right out of Samsung's playbook, and frankly to me seems like the low road in capitalism. I'd have a lot more respect for you if you just owned it, acknowledged it, and didn't take digs at who you're copying - it's tacky.

You clearly have some design talent, attention to detail, willingness to put time, effort and energy into making something high quality. And the PC world really would benefit from some truly top notch, high quality chassis designs, perhaps optimized around specific components, where the form truly follows the function. I think you could do it, and I'd love to see the results because I think they'd probably be pretty nice. With all that aluminum mass and CNC'ing you could come up with some impressive heatsinking, perhaps integrated thermo-electric heat piping, etc and really do something unique and lust-worthy.

Rob

 

[alexandercgomez]

I guess all of the ignored questions are enough of a statement...

Hi Mr_Brightside_@ ... I think most of your questions on due diligence and how I build this case case been already mentioned on this thread. It's actually not a bad read from the comments. If you haven't read it maybe take some time to have a read .. But just to reaffirm what has been stated we have done our due diligence on this case and it is simply that a PC case not a desktop computer. The Dune Case is unique and a different approach for the PC. I designed a door which is a GPU mount and it also hides cables and a place for HDD. This is very unique and it is the first that I have seen in PC case designs in this configuration.

Also the placement of PSU and how it splits the airflow into different chambers of the case is also a first and advantgard approach when comparing to conventional case.

The cables piped through the middle of the case is also a different way of cable management.

I hope that answers your question that this is very different to other cases out there and we did build this from the ground up. Thanks for your comments

 

[skinned66]

Hi skinned66 we will also be doing it in black .. What color did you have in mind?

Yes the black looks nice and would be my first choice. If I had to pick an alternate colour it would be bead blasted or silver powder coat. I really like what Stojan is holding at 0:29. Is that just raw aluminum?

Best of luck with the project. Backing so far looks promising.

 

[alexandercgomez]

He has repeated avoided addressing or countering this claim, which I think is a pretty straightforward admission that it's true. Should he address it directly, it would be totally indefensible, and clearly the best tact in this situation is to avoid addressing it. I think everyone here knows exactly what the case is - a clone of what is by most accounts the most desirable desktop computer on the market.

That said, to me, the quality and attention to detail do look significantly better than pretty much any other PC case on the market. And the aesthetics, while they are a compromised and blatant copy of an Apple product, are still a step above the vast majority of the largely stagnant and unimaginative PC market. Which says a lot about the gap between Apple's designs and the PC industry.



That is because they do not have to rely on external video connectivity, one of the benefits of a high quality integrated "non-upgradeable" design. The plastic Dell UP2715K 27" 5K monitor sells for $1600 and lists for $2200, while Apple lists a CNC'd and laser cut aluminum 27" 5K display of far higher physical build quality including a complete computer for only $1800. These sorts of comparisons and details are exactly why many Apple customers feel many Apple products are an excellent value. It really is a shame none of the major players in the PC market choose to compete with high quality products like this, but it ultimately speaks to the values of their customer base.



To be fair, the mesh on top is only necessary because of the compromised, off the shelf fan. But it does have nice aesthetics. Out of curiosity did you consider using a bottom mounted fan to isolate it from the noise (in either push or pull config), dual fans at top or bottom, or even going with a larger radial or centrifugal fan? It seems to me this thing is going to be loud - 30 dB is a lot for something sitting a few feet from you. My projector puts out 26 dB about 6 feet away from me and I hear it over movies and it drives me nuts. Apple clearly prioritized noise volume when designing the 12 dB (at idle) and 16 dB (at full load) custom centrifugal fan on the Mac Pro.



It does remind me in some ways of the Hoojum Cubit ITX case that I used to lust over, it doesn't seem like they ever got too much traction though.



Can we just take a pause from patting our visionary selves on the back and put this in perspective. You're making a (admittedly, very nice), but blatant copy of an Apple product, and marketing here on an Apple oriented forum. It does rub me the wrong way that you do this, after making a dig at Apple for being a "fruity" company, which is not only in really poor taste considering that dig is based on a gay slur - and it's 2016 - but also the hypocrisy that you take that dig in the process of marketing the closest you could come to a carbon copy of an Apple product that uses off the shelf (and compromised) PC components. That is right out of Samsung's playbook, and frankly to me seems like the low road in capitalism. I'd have a lot more respect for you if you just owned it, acknowledged it, and didn't take digs at who you're copying - it's tacky.

You clearly have some design talent, attention to detail, willingness to put time, effort and energy into making something high quality. And the PC world really would benefit from some truly top notch, high quality chassis designs, perhaps optimized around specific components, where the form truly follows the function. I think you could do it, and I'd love to see the results because I think they'd probably be pretty nice. With all that aluminum mass and CNC'ing you could come up with some impressive heatsinking, perhaps integrated thermo-electric heat piping, etc and really do something unique and lust-worthy.

Rob

Rob ... What can I say?? from the original comments to this comment I take my hat off to you .. You said "significantly better than pretty much any other PC case" .. and .. "You clearly have some design talent, attention to detail, willingness to put time, effort and energy into making something high quality" ... I am really humbled by your comments and in some ways to see some change in views and appreciation for what I have done I'm really lost for words .. thanks mate ..

While we don't share same views on everything we both agree that there is clearly a gap in the PC market for quality builds, designs, and attention to detail. I personally feel that in the PC space that too many designers are playing it safe and not taking risks. Just sticking to what they know (the traditional box design) and making it look better. And keeping cost down with cheaper materials and processes that can be put into mass production to maximize profit.

I hope that the Dune case is a breakthrough in the way the PC market manufactures and designs PC cases. Thanks for you comments Rob ... Alexander Gomez
[doublepost=1456104700][/doublepost]

Yes the black looks nice and would be my first choice. If I had to pick an alternate colour it would be bead blasted or silver powder coat. I really like what Stojan is holding at 0:29. Is that just raw aluminum?

Best of luck with the project. Backing so far looks promising.

Here is a picture for you mate .. its not anodized but its raw aluminium that is polished .. But yes the offering is in Gold and Black

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Hi Mr_Brightside_@ ... I think most of your questions on due diligence and how I build this case case been already mentioned on this thread. It's actually not a bad read from the comments. If you haven't read it maybe take some time to have a read .. But just to reaffirm what has been stated we have done our due diligence on this case and it is simply that a PC case not a desktop computer. The Dune Case is unique and a different approach for the PC. I designed a door which is a GPU mount and it also hides cables and a place for HDD. This is very unique and it is the first that I have seen in PC case designs in this configuration.

Also the placement of PSU and how it splits the airflow into different chambers of the case is also a first and advantgard approach when comparing to conventional case.

The cables piped through the middle of the case is also a different way of cable management.

I hope that answers your question that this is very different to other cases out there and we did build this from the ground up. Thanks for your comments

The Mac Pro is a PC that includes a case that looks like the attached. What are the differences between it and your case? Can you stop repeating 'we've done our due diligence' and actually discuss what was involved with that?

Why are you ignoring my comments about the graphics?

 

[robzr]

While, like they say in marketing and politics - answer the question you wish you were asked instead of the question you were asked, and there's no such thing as bad publicity. You at least have those down.

While we don't share same views on everything we both agree that there is clearly a gap in the PC market for quality builds, designs, and attention to detail. I personally feel that in the PC space that too many designers are playing it safe and not taking risks. Just sticking to what they know (the traditional box design) and making it look better. And keeping cost down with cheaper materials and processes that can be put into mass production to maximize profit.

The gap doesn't exist because bridging it hasn't been tried, it's because every time PC manufacturers try, they fail. Perhaps you'll have better luck, but the burden will be on you. Kickstarter's own stats shows that Technology projects have a 19.96% success rate. CNN reports 84% of the top 50 funded projects missed their delivery dates. The 120 day timeline seems extremely aggressive, specs are vague, this is very much a "trust me" project, and based on your dodginess in answering some basic questions, and the fact the entire thing is a shameless clone (down to the kickstarter video), I'd be careful. None of the prototype pictures look anything like the renderings. Have you even tested a prototype that matches the rendering and drawings? So in 120 days you are going to prototype, make revisions, ramp up production and ship?

No way. I've worked with Asian manufacturers enough to know that ain't gonna happen.

And all that aside, the case design is completely compromised. It looks sharp from the outside, but without the heat sink core that makes this design work for Apple, without a custom fan, relying on off the shelf components, this chassis is all about aesthetics at the expense of functionality.

- The case is 70% larger by volume than the Mac Pro. People who are expecting something with the compact footprint of a Mac Pro are going to be disappointed.
- Despite that, it looks very tight inside. The page suggests it will fit any Mini-ITX motherboard, but there's no specifics on boards that have been tested to fit, and will work with the header board. Again, "trust me, it will all all work fine". But without a working prototype, he probably doesn't even know what will work.
- The spec'd case fan is rated at 30 dB. That's loud. And that's just the case fan, there's also the CPU fan and GPU fan(s). It's gonna be loud and run hot unless you're using low power components. It's a single 140mm fan in a case with very questionable airflow, and since it doesn't use custom or even consistently spec'd components, what can be done with ducting is limited. Expect to figure that out yourself as a customer, or just run it loud and hope for the best. If you've ever looked at the ducting inside the pre-2013 Mac Pro's, it's extremely well designed and precise. That's critical. And that is not what is happening here.
- While the case fan cover does look nice, it also looks restrictive. How much does it effect airflow? Has it been tested? Again, just trust them that it'll work.
- The CPU and GPU fans are oriented perpendicular to the general airflow in the case, and will exhaust pretty much directly against other flat surfaces. That is extremely sub-optimal.
- The website claims that it will run the fastest i7 on the market. Which would be 140w TDP. Yet it also states it's only been tested with a 50mm x 90mm CPU heatsink/fan. That's not going to cool 140w, especially when the heatsink fan sits right against a flat wall and is perpendicular to the flow of the case. So what will it work with? Another "trust me".

It's a compromised design, all the pictures are renderings except for prototypes that are dramatically different (ATX power supply?), the engineering is extremely questionable, the timeline is unrealistic. I give it 50/50 that it ships in a year and comes close to living up to the specs and promises. And that's assuming there are no legal issues.

Rob

 

[alexandercgomez]

The Mac Pro is a PC that includes a case that looks like the attached. What are the differences between it and your case? Can you stop repeating 'we've done our due diligence' and actually discuss what was involved with that?

Why are you ignoring my comments about the graphics?

Hi Mr Brightside .. really appreciate your deepest concerns about the Dune Case and my purpose here is to help and educate people to understand what is the Dune Case and its offering. Firstly the Dune Case is a PC case not a desktop computer. Second this case has been designed from the ground up. As stated before the internal design of this case is really different to anything out there in the PC case market .. Please look at the image bellow:

Front Panel
The front panel is the Input and Output connections for the case. It serves as the bridge to connect the external devices to the motherboard, graphics card, and power supply. The connector consists of the following:
4 x USB 3.0 Connectors
2 x HDMI 2.0 Connectors or 2 x Display Port Connectors
1 x 3.5mm Female Headphone / Speaker output
1 x 3.5mm Female Microphone jack input
1 x Ethernet port – Supports up to 1 GigE 1 x Power on / off button

The connectors are all put on to a custom PCB. USB, Audio, Ethernet and power cables connect to the PCB and is routed to the motherboard. The display connectors are the same but connects to the graphics card or motherboard if a graphics card is not present and motherboard has on-board graphics. The custom cables are sized to fit exactly to the dimensions of the case.

The cables are connected to the front panel PCB from the bottom of the PCB. Once connected it routes into the PSU holder.

PSU Holder – Cables
The PSU holder has an Input and Output opening for cables. The input opening of the PSU holder joins directly to the bottom of the front panel. The input opening allows cables from the front panel to route into the PSU holder and to continue routing to the output opening which leads to the middle section of the case and finally to the motherboard / graphics card. The input opening also allows the power cable to be connected to the SFX PSU from the front panel.

The output opening enables routing from the input opening to continue, but also allows cables from the PSU to be distributed to the motherboard, graphics card, hard drives.

PSU Holder – Mount and Airflow
The PSU holder mount has two purpose, mounting and air flow. When mounting the PSU, it will be accessed from the bottom of the case. The positioning of the PSU needs to be air input from the bottom and pushing the air horizontally out towards the front panel. The design of the mount was to also segregate the air input from the bottom vents of the case into two section, graphics card and motherboard. This is done with air vents from the bottom of the case flowing directly to the graphics card and air vents for the CPU is sourced through the PSU pulling air from the bottom.

Mid-Section – Cable Management and Hard Drive Mounts
The mid-section of the case is positioned between the motherboard plate and behind the GPU door. It is a very important part of the case and helps with air flow distribution inside the case. The mid-section also manages the cables from the output opening of the PSU mount and provides a pathway for the cables to connect to the GPU and motherboard. The Mid-section has 2 x 2.5 inch brackets for hard drives. The power for the hard drives are sourced from the PSU through the output opening of the PSU mount. The SATA cables are managed through the motherboard back plate with an opening for power, SATA cables, and front panel motherboard connectors. The top of the Mid-Section is left open to allow the display cables to connect to the GPU and other cables to be connected to the motherboard back plate.

GPU Door Mount
The GPU door mount is unique and has two functions, mount GPU and hide cables. The door has an opening for the PCIe port to allow GPU card connect to the motherboard. A PCIe extender is mounted to the door near the opening to avoid any vibration from the GPU. The PCIe extender is then routed through the mid-section of the case and connects to the PCIe port on the motherboard. The door also hides the cables that resides behind when closed. When the door is open it allows access to the cables management of the case and mounts for the hard drives. The GPU door mount is built for GPU with a maximum of 2 slots and a maximum length of 185mm

140mm Case Fan
On top of the chassis of the case, a 140mm case fan is placed to help accelerate hot air out of the case. The fan mount for the fan is an exact fit allowing for optimal air flow. The fan pulls hot air from both GPU and CPU areas. Other non-standard fans can be replaced provided it is the same shape and size. The specs for the 140mm case fan is the following:
Dimensions: L150 mm x H140 mm x W13 mm
Rated Speed: 700~1300RPM±15% Noise Level: 30.6dBA(Max.)
Air Flow: 64.52CFM

Wi-Fi
The place for additional Wi-Fi antennas (optional) is placed on the Case Fan mount and position for best performance. The Wi-Fi antennas are not included.

CPU Clearance
The CPU cooling fan has a potential maximum height of 60MM.

Testing Equipment
We tested the Dune Case with the following equipment:
Intel i7 4770k
Intel Stock Fan (50x90x90mm)
Asus P8Z77-I DELUXE
Corsair 16GB DDR3
Silverstone ST45SF-G 450W Gold Certified
Intel 535 Series 2.5" 240GB
GALAX GeForce GTX 970 OC  

Case Temps
When testing with the equipment listed we used Prime 95 to do 100% stress test on all cores on the CPU. We tested this with outside climate of 30 degrees Celsius and humidity of 80-95%. We constantly got CPU temps between 58-59 degrees’ Celsius left for more than 6 hours of testing. We tested the GPU using Furmark stress test. In the same weather conditions and a 100% stress test on the GPU core we achieved a consistent 65 degrees Celsius.

I hope that gives you a better understanding in detail of what this case to offer and how different it is to the conventional PC case

 

[Michael Scrip]

It looks sharp from the outside, but without the heat sink core that makes this design work for Apple, without a custom fan, relying on off the shelf components, this chassis is all about aesthetics at the expense of functionality.

Exactly.

It looks like the Mac Pro on the outside... but it's missing all the cleverness of the inside of the Mac Pro.