[ Thanks to Phillip Brown for this
link. ]
From Part I:
“The move away from the beige case is largely the result of
increasing competition amongst hardware suppliers, desperate to
find a means of making their product stand apart from the
competition. Computer cases are now available in a variety of
materials, from elegant brushed aluminium to clear perspex, with
designs ranging from a clean, almost puritanical box, through to
artistic designs with references to the classic shapes of the art
deco period.“In parallel to this much welcomed concern for the visual
appearance of the computer, technology changes are allowing the
computer to occupy less space. The last twelve months has seen a
growing trend for more and more functionality to be integrated into
the motherboard – networking, audio, video, Bluetooth wireless,
RAID, USB, IEEE1394, and so on. Simultaneously, the older bulky
standards such as ISA slots, PCI slots and parallel ports are being
rapidly phased out and there is a growing trend to standardise on
the new compact high-speed serial connections such USB 2.0 and
IEEE-1394 (Firewire). Even the trusty IDE connector and 80-way
ribbon cable is taking its curtain call, as motherboards begin to
come supplied with the much smaller Serial ATA connector.“One of the most significant manufacturers to recognize and
exploit this emerging trend has been Shuttle, with the launch and
growth of their Shuttle XPC small form factor computing range. In
addition to developing their own small form factor motherboard
standard, Shuttle have focussed on developing a distinctively
simple, but elegant, computer housing a quarter of the size of a
standard PC…”
Complete
Story (Part I)
Complete
Story (Part II)