ASUS and Intel Launch Collaborative PC Design Site 85
Jupix writes "There's an interesting new community by ASUS and Intel called WePC. It enables anyone to post their dream PC including not only function, but form as well. You can draw up your dream and describe it in words, and also fiddle with some predetermined properties. No doubt the two companies are looking for common configurations so they can implement them in future products, but according to the press release, even individual designs may get the two companies' backing."
Obvious Reply (Score:2)
cool (Score:1, Offtopic)
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My son says it should be big and purple, dance, and sing a catchy little tune. I love you, you love me....
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so soliciting consumer feedback and doing market research is now a form of corporate laziness?
what is wrong with a PC manufacturer trying to open a dialog with its consumer base? are you afraid that they're going to make a product that you actually like? you don't need to participate or even visit the site if you don't want to. but this gives others the opportunity to influence the direction of two of the biggest companies in the computer industry.
most people contributing to the site probably aren't ever go
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You seem to be taking a hard line stance against this behavior, as if it were purified evil. Ok. Why? What about this behavior do you find to inscrutable?
I honestly don't see anything wrong at all with crowd-sourcing. Especially not when the crowd is so willing to lend its hand.
I think it's more like... (Score:3, Insightful)
Hey! People are clever. Why don't we let them tell us what they like, rather than just pushing the stuff we want to give them.
It's a more humanistic view. I like it. If you don't like it, you don't have to give them your cool ideas. If they actually see what people give them and say "hey, these are neat ideas" and actually implement them, that would be fantastic.
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Just submitted a design for the perfect PC (Score:4, Funny)
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you know what's missing from my computer? drives that are slightly whiter than the rest of my computer. And HDD lights that fall out the third time I press the power button.
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And a turbo button.
Dear Intel:
My computer is doing 66. Please add a button so I can also do 166.
Thanks
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That would be funny, but....
I read through several hundred posts on that site. That's roughly the quality of idea they're getting. I finally ran away screaming since the site lacks a Slashdot-style moderation system. 4010 suggestions, at least half of which were -1 Dumbass.
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Lenovo.
CRASH! (Score:2, Informative)
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IBM Thinkpad T40p series (Score:2)
It's an obsession of mine, but I'd buy a new laptop tomorrow if it had exactly the same form factor, build quality and materials of the original T40p with updated internals. It would have a 14.1in SXGA+ led LCD (no widescreens please), 1 in thickness (or less), fast CPU (Core2Duo or higher) and fast video card (that won't fall out after less than a year), decent battery life (4+ h), etc.
Of course it will never happen, so...
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I've owned the T40p and currently I have a T60p (both 14.1in SXGA+ versions). Believe me, the build quality of the T40p was much, much better. The lid in the T40 was metal (magnesium or titanium, can't remember) while in the T60 it's titanium reinforced plastic. The rubber coating is more prone to scratches, and it doesn't have the same fit.
And I know on the surface they both look like black slabs of plastic, but if you do a side by side comparison, the T40p design is also better (it had some areas angled i
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The lid in the T40 was metal (magnesium or titanium, can't remember)
I think we can discount magnesium :P
It'll react with water, and if you scratch it, the flakes can ignite very easily. It is pretty to look at flaming magnesium strips, but I wouldn't like a laptop made of it.
Back on topic, my fiance used to have a thinkpad of some sort. I never bothered to check what model, but I remember the heavy docking port she used to lug around with it just to read floppies. It also had no trackpad, used to annoy me when I had to use it.
It really put me off thinkpads
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No, not really, since the T40 did have a magnesium alloy lid [google.com].
Unless you being a pedant about it being magnesium alloy, but then you'd be consistent on it not being elemental titanium either.
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One's a hard magnet, FePt in the right phase which might be used for high density perpendicular recording in
You might like... (Score:2, Informative)
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But for images, here [engadget.com] you go.
A proper aspect ratio and no glossy screen...? (Score:3, Insightful)
I'll settle for that.
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Glossy is pretty nice for working with media... colors have a much larger working range.
As for an aspect ratio... I can get a bigger laptop screen on my lap on an airplane with a widescreen than with a "normal" one, and I can get a better keyboard with a smaller screen with a widescreen. Both of which trump your "but it doesn't have enough vertical pixels!" argument. Get something 1440x900 or higher, and it's not that bad to work with, really. 1280x800 isn't enough vertical resolution, I'll give you that
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Proper aspect ratio? That's the one where you can fit two Vim windows side by side right?
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While I agree about the no glossy screen, how do you define a 'proper' aspect ratio?
It very much depends on what you're doing with your laptop..
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To use a starcraft 2 phrase... (Score:2)
"Hell... It's about time"
Request #1: Ditch Flash (Score:5, Informative)
To access the advanced features of this site, please install the latest version of Flash.
Fail.
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After submitting your dream system, instead of asking unique identifier ask for registration with email address.
=> Fail.
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The real fail is that they expect you to draw your idea. ARTISTS ONLY! (you can pick one of their EXTREMELY LAME pictures instead...)
Wide Case or vertical rack (Score:2)
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There are plenty of "cube" server cases which would fit your needs. That sort of PC has been a popular build for many years.
Not this (Score:2)
Any community/crowd sourcing app should start off with clear terms of use. I don't see them. It looks more like an opportunity for intel/asus to advertise to me.
Personally I am looking for something like the Gigabyte M192 (?) but with a good keyboard and battery life (minimum 5 hours). Current designs are limited by the OS, to a fetish degree. Vista Ultimate? Give me a break.
A notebook should be better than a real notebook, an ideapad in the truest sense, where we can mix text and graphics and reference-abl
Please please please (Score:5, Insightful)
The HP 2133 is the only one, but it's got that garbage chip in it and apparently also runs too hot to use on your lap.
PLEASE give me an Eee/Wind/Aspire One with a decent resolution!
Linux or Vista? (Score:2)
How about putting a 1280x768 or better resolution screen on any netbook
What operating system would you use with your 720p-class netbook? I thought Microsoft wouldn't sell the OEM a copy of Windows XP unless it is to be installed on a machine whose monitor has no more than 1024 pixels across. Are you talking about Xandros[1] or Windows Vista?
[1] The flavor of Linux used on ASUS Eee PC.
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I had a Xandros EeePC 701, it wasn't that bad when you turned off easy mode. I was running compiz fusion at a decent speed. Ubuntu netbook remix looks pretty nice.
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From what I've heard, the VIA Nano is at least on par with the Atom, if not better. I'd love to see an HP mini-note with a Nano instead of the older VIA processor.
Won't they just end up with (Score:3, Funny)
the Homermobile? [webridestv.com]
I love my Eee, but it could do with a companion... (Score:2)
I'd like a clamshell device with the same outer shell as the Eee PC and the same screen as the Eee PC, even the same battery as the Eee PC, but instead of being a computer I'd like it to be a portable DVD player, BUT with a VGA in so that the screen can be used as the second screen for my Eee PC AND with a USB port that lets you connect the DVD drive
Here's what WE want (Score:3, Interesting)
I want something like an Eee Box, but optimized for movies and gaming. We could call it the "We Box".
We Box would be a PC roughly the size of a Mac mini. The front has four USB ports, one SD card slot, and one optical drive. The back has two more USB ports, HDMI, and S-video output. The inside has the best GMA that Intel makes, as well as Bluetooth (or wireless USB) and Wi-Fi. And it should boot to some Linux flavor from an internal SSD, using the recent 5-second boot optimizations [lwn.net] for console-style instant on, with an Eee PC style full-screen tabbed start menu. Don't forget to put in easy access to CNR to buy apps and games, and bundle a wireless keyboard, trackball (not mouse), and gamepad for usability from the couch.
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I don't care about the optical drive because they're becoming useless and you can always attach an external one through USB.
I do care about HDMI and the ability of the cpu/gpu to handle 1080p h264 video decoding.
I would also like to see a wider selection of small wireless keyboards (num-pad-less) with integrated track pads or pointing devices. They can use an FN key to simulate the numpad but please put the FN key between the ctrl+alt keys, not on the corner. This applies to netbooks and laptops too.
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I would also like to see a wider selection of small wireless keyboards (num-pad-less) with integrated track pads or pointing devices.
The diNovo Edge or diNovo Mini from Logitech pretty much cover this (minus the Fn key numpad).
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I don't care about the optical drive because they're becoming useless
It's not fun to try to download a multi-GB game over sub-Mbps DSL or (worse) dial-up. It's also not fun to try to move to a place with a higher cost of living just to get a faster home Internet connection.
and you can always attach an external one through USB.
But then that defeats the purpose of a relatively standardized gaming and media rig, as publishers can't assume there's an optical drive present.
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S-video??? The '80's called; They want their video back. And what I see missing is any mention of copper/optical digital audio input/output that can be plugged into a home entertainment system.
S-video for DVD recorders and SDTV monitors (Score:2)
S-video??? The '80's called; They want their video back.
What if you want to record a video of your performance in a video game to post to YouTube? I was in the DVD recorder aisles of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target, and I couldn't find a single DVD or hard disk recorder that took component, VGA, DVI, or HDMI input. They could all do component and HDMI output, but not input. And the installed base of CRT SDTVs can't take HDMI, VGA, or even progressive component input.
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"I want something like an Eee Box, but optimized for movies and gaming. We could call it the "We Box". "
It already exists, it's called the Xbox 360. Also if Intel consolized their margins on CPU's would go way down.
XNA limitations (Score:2)
It already exists, it's called the Xbox 360.
As I understand it, you can't develop XNA games using free software: you need Windows ($300) to run XNA Game Studio, and you need to install XNA Creators Club ($495 for a 5-year subscription) on your Xbox 360. Nor can you port an existing game to XNA without either rewriting pretty much everything in C# or writing the whole thing in Lua and running it in a Lua interpreter written in C# [xnua.com].
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No need for Intel parts; it could be a UVD2-based AMD chipset. I was thinking VIA miniITX board, but none of them seem to support h.264 decoding which would have been nice, but a few support PCIE x16 so you could always add in a HD4450 or whatever.
Oh, and it has to be low price. 400$-500$ tops.
I have an idea, but is mine all mine (Score:2, Offtopic)
G
why not GPL our PC/netbook designs? (Score:4, Insightful)
According to their terms of use [wepc.com] about the "Create your own PC" activity:
[we] may freely use the User Content you submit in the design of a personal computer or netbook with no obligation to provide compensation or reimbursement to you [...] you assign to the [us] all rights, interests and titles you now possess or will possess in the future (especially the right to register patent rights)
Personally I would prefer to put my designs on my website under the GPL. Manufacturers could still get my design and build it, but I would be able to get their modifications back and further improve my design.
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Personally I would prefer to put my designs on my website under the GPL. Manufacturers could still get my design and build it, but I would be able to get their modifications back and further improve my design.
Or they could just steal your ideas, reimplement them from scratch, and say they have no idea who you are.
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sure (Score:1)
Here's an idea for all these manufacturers, how about standard form factor laptops so they can be upgraded easily with a new mobo/cpu deal? Why is it this is completely common on the desktop, where you can just pick a case and go from there and assemble exactly what you want, and then upgrade components as you see fit and want to afford, but they act like it is an affront to civilization to be able to do this with laptops?
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"but they act like it is an affront to civilization to be able to do this with laptops?"
It would be an affront to profitability through planned obsolescence. The ideal consumer electronic item would die at purchase, be too expensive to repair, and immediately be replaced with something newer. Laptops are very often beyond economical repair unless you have an organ donor machine.
It's also no accident that Dell desktops don't have standard form factors, and no accident that most automobiles and light trucks h
Aaargh! It's been Rick-Rolled! (Score:2)
After submitting my design for the Überbook, I had a quick browse through the efforts of the other users.
What I saw in there was Goatse times a thousand—more than my Joo-Jantas could bear.
Totally awesome system (Score:2)
(2x) SPARC64 VII 2.4 GHz
(2x) UltraSPARC T2+ 1.2 GHz
(2x) Intel Core 2 QX9775 3.2 GHz
Now add 8GB RAM for each of them. 1080p Graphics for the Intel and similar for the S64 VII
Graphics for the T2+ don't matter so much just throw in something with 2 outputs
Now add a couple of disks for each (SATA 6.0 Gbit/s in a Raid 0 array 1 terabyte each)
Build in at least 10 USB ports for ea
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Disposable PC (Score:2)
How about this?
A big fraction of users don't need more than that. It's sort of an OLPC f
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Enough processing power to run a fast browser. Something at the Atom/Via level.
18 hour or better battery life.
I would like a perpetual motion machine, too.
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I would like a perpetual motion machine, too.
It's not unreasonable to get 18 hour battery life. You're not going to get it with some multicore power hog machine, at least not yet, but for a lower-powered processor in a somewhat larger case, why not? The OLPC does it, and with less space for the battery.
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I posted a proposal to lower power consumption.
1-Many uses for a PC are text based. Email - Text editing - Twitter - News - Blogs - Movie Times - Weather - Wikipedia - Instant Messaging
2-A few can be satisfied with a low-res display: Youtube - Newscasts - Picture Viewing
The Ideal device has TWO LOW COST- LOW POWER SCREENS.
1- A Text-Only LCD screen with efficient GUI (i.e. norton commander)
2- A Small color LCD display (less than 2 inches)
To extend battery life Display #2 can be deactivated when
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I'd hope that the environmentalists keep this one from the table.
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The display is too small, especially for the elderly. Also plenty of people do not need a portable, so I propose the alternative for those people:
Like American Idol wasn't bad enough (Score:2)
Now we have PC Idol. Do not get me started on how American Idol has skewed the ambitions of budding musicians. Imagine a computer company/platform that has shyte hardware, shyte OS, but makes an iMac look like an iMutt. Imagine every non-IT educated consumer running to Walmart to buy them.
Think it can't happen? Imagine a Dick Cheney taking over Microsoft when Bill Gates hangs up his gloves. That's all it would take.
Remove the numlock key (Score:1)