Dell XCS modular concept PC

[kalniel]

Windows?

Not yet. You have to restart every time you update drivers. Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead, but I'm envisioning a computer which you don't have to turn off to swap components. Sure - you may enter some kind of standby mode, or a protected mode, but that's about it.

Drivers should be able to load in and out without requiring a restart, the registry should be reloadable and more modular. There's a long way to go before we even get an upgrade friendly OS.

But things have improved - I remember having to restart the computer even just changing the odd network setting.

[chrestomanci]

Hotplug devices?

This design looks as if it will encorage components to be hotplugged, but that would need hardware and OS support.

In theory almost anything can be hotplugged to or from a running system, even CPUs, in practice there is only hardware support for USB, firewire and some SATA devices. Linux has some kernel support for hotplugging PCI devices, memory and CPUs, but userland tools are thin on the ground. (So for example, you might plug in a second graphics card, and your kernel would notice, but your desktop would probably not extend to the extra monitor(s) have been attached).

On the other hand, Dell might decide not to support hotplug, and lock all the slots when the power is on.

only can, and few mother

[CAL3H]

Hmm interesting concept, certainly for the non-enthusiast market. No explanation of differences between PCI, PCI-e, AGP as well as DDR/DDR2, CPU socket types, bus speeds etc. - It has the potential to turn the PC in to a friendly consumer device.

I'm not frowning at it, I feel it would be a bonus for Joe Consumer once there is an Operating system to accompany it. (It just needs to catch on with other OEMs).

Microsoft Vista package #6: Hotswap Edition x32/x64 ?

[chrestomanci]

Hmm interesting concept, certainly for the non-enthusiast market. No explanation of differences between PCI, PCI-e, AGP as well as DDR/DDR2, CPU socket types, bus speeds etc. - It has the potential to turn the PC in to a friendly consumer device.

If I where designing the thing, I would have IDE, SATA and floppy connectors in the ports on one side, and PCI and PCIe connectors on the other, with USB and firewire on both sides.

Microsoft Vista package #6: Hotswap Edition x32/x64 ?

Thats the easy part, the hard part is getting all the 1000s of applications out there to cope if devices are suddenly added or removed. Look at the problems we have at the moment when USB flash drives are removed unexpectedly.

[kalniel]

Right, but it doesn't have to be unexpected removal (nor would it want to be). You don't want to accidentally kick your computer and have the CPU fall out. There should be some kind of physical and software lock for the majority of use, but it should be easy to press a button or something prior to the swapping process.

[MadduckUK]

this doesnt scream xbox360 20GB HDD for £65 at all.. nope!

i see proprietary parts at large price premiums in the future.

[8bit]

i like the idea, mainly because i could get one for my parents then they could do it all themselves, save me having to spend most of the weekend working on their PC when I go home to visit

EDIT: Then again, I could save myself some cash as well - give them the address for the HEXUS forums and you lot can help them

[Bob Crabtree]

i like the idea, mainly because i could get one for my parents then they could do it all themselves, save me having to spend most of the weekend working on their PC when I go home to visit

EDIT: Then again, I could save myself some cash as well - give them the address for the HEXUS forums and you lot can help them

Fully understand the sentiment but have to say that a lot of the "personal" support that I end up doing can be attributed to the OS (and nasties attacking it) with software - not hardware.

[chuckskull]

I smell bugs, years and years of bugs

I also have images of it being dropped and those little cartridges diisintegrating with my mega expensive doohicky inside

[Stoo]

Nice idea in theory, but I think that there are a couple of big limitations at the moment that would prevent it from seeing the light of day:

Cost of manufacturing so many bespoke parts, especially if it's not part of a ratified standard (CTX? ), not to mention getting all the other manufacturers on board?

Cooling? Enclosed parts such as that would mean that they would have to be ultra-low power parts, or it would have to have some sort of in-built watercooling system was was also "hot-swappable".



It would be nice though, no more grubbing about in the innards of your machine, swearing about cable routing, sharp case edgings, lack of power splitters etc..

[Bob Crabtree]

I look about my desk (and surrounding areas) and realise that the PC's not what I want radically overhauled, it's all those peripherals - each with its own data cable (or cables), plus a mains lead or, worse, an external mains adaptor.

If someone could find a way for the USB or FireWire cable to carry the power to these things (okay, you'd need a 900W+ power supply in the PC, but so what?), then I could lose a LOT of cable clutter

* Three PCs (each with kettle-lead mains and connected to the KVM - cables detailed below but there are probably a total of eight USB or FireWire cables not covered there)
* Four-way KVM switch (bus-powered - so five lots of keyboard, mouse and monitor leads)
* UPS (one mains kettle lead, plus eight outputs - also has network and modem in/out but not used)
* 4-in-one printer (external mains, USB, phone cable)
* Dot-matrix priner for labels (standard kettle mains lead, parallel cable)
* Two DECT phones (so 2x external mains and 2 x phone cables)
* One wired phone (1 phone cable - there's a lesson here, surely)
* MiniDV VCR (Firewire, composite video, S-video, L/R audio, eternal mains
* USB hub (1x USB, to PC, 1 x external mains, up to seven USB to peripherals)
* Wireless router (external mains, up to four Ethernet, phone)
* 56K external serial modem in case broadband goes down (external mains, phone, serial)
* Gigabit switch - (external mains, up to four Ethernet)
* Seven external hard disk drives (three with external adaptors, three with built-in transformers, one that's bus-powered - one FireWire or one USB to each)
* One external DVD burner (external mains, USB)
* External memory card reader (1 USB only)
* Three-way speakers (mains adaptor, two output cables for satellite speakers, three cables bring inputs from three speakers)
* Flatscreen monitor (standard kettle lead for power; analogue and digital input cables)
* External digital TV tuner box for PC (aerial-in and USB)
* Freeview digital Tuner NOT for PC (fixed mains, aerial in/out)
* VCR (fixed mains cable; two Scarts, 2x S-video, 2x composite video, two pairs L/R audio, aerial in/out)
* DVD player (fixed mains cable, 1x Scart)
* 15in CRT TV set (fixed mains - [Scart already accounted for]
* Monitor capture box (external mains, FireWire, analogue monitor in/out)

And this is pretty much the stuff that's alway here - it doesn't include ANY review kit that might be on or near the desk - and currently there are only two that fit that bill, each USB and each with an external mains adaptor.

So, forgetting the three phones and the printer, there are how many permanent external mains adaptors?

I make it 12 - so that's 12 mains sockets that are require, 12 adaptors that are taking power 24/7 and 12 cables that could be eliminated if the power to all these apps came via the data bus.

Actually, of course, the total number of saves could be more if the peripherals that I'm currently grateful do have built-in transformers were also bus-powered.

Add that kind of bus-powering facility to a PC (and give me peripherals that can use it) and I'd be REALLY impressed.

[xrob]

looks like dell have employed some retarded 3d product designer straight out of school. my god what are they thinking! ahaha makes me laugh tho.

[CAL3H]

If I where designing the thing, I would have IDE, SATA and floppy connectors in the ports on one side, and PCI and PCIe connectors on the other, with USB and firewire on both sides.

Yeah that would certainly work - split things that could be removed and things that cant. I suppose they could integrate a 'sensible' sized hard disk into the unit so that it couldn't be removed during use and then add in removable storage by way of removable SATA/IDE drives. Alternatively, perhaps they could use something clever like that array of RAM as the root drive for quick boots and write times and then have additional storage.

Thats the easy part, the hard part is getting all the 1000s of applications out there to cope if devices are suddenly added or removed. Look at the problems we have at the moment when USB flash drives are removed unexpectedly.

To some extent this is true. Yes they would need to manufacture some sort of locking system to stop certain components being removed when the power is on. It would also be a test to get the system running so fluidly that the 1000s of hardware accessories and peripherals could be exchanged in the manner depicted. For example windows does a pretty damn good job at the moment considering the amount of hardware available but if you connect a usb device to a different usb connector than usual, it re-recognises 'new' hardware. This system would have to be completely transparant if they aim to market the machine as an easy to use device.

An example here is with a VCR- you put the tape in and record to it. I was speaking to a new user of a DVD camcorder the other day, however, when they put in the DVD, they were of course confronted with formatting options in 'video' or 'vr' mode. If you're technically minded and have background information this isn't a problem but its hurdles like this than confuse the novice user. Whilst its easy to keep the techie happy, the big manufacturers need to consider full seamless, jargon free use for the novice.