Cover Story (sidebar) / October 1995

On The Cover: New PC Designs

Tom R. Halfhill

Now that PC architecture is being overhauled (see main story), how different will your next PC look? Our cover shows three possibilities: The Apple Sweep and IBM Leapfrog are industrial designs, while the Archistrat 4b was scheduled to ship commercially as we went to press. All three are significant because their capabilities, as well as their external design, are made possible by the new technologies being incorporated by the next generation of PCs. Sweep designer Tim Parsey says the flat-panel display inspired Apple to create a desktop system built around components that are smaller and thinner than conventional PCs, but offer the same computing power as the stacked boxes we're used to working with. Inside the Sweep is a standard motherboard that can house next-generation PowerPC chips. The keyboard tucks away into the horizontal stand. The main vertical segment holds CD-ROM, hard-disk, PC Card, and floppy drives. Built-in audio gets a boost from two tweeters and detached external speakers. The Leapfrog also uses the LCD to break the bounds of the desktop mold. The portable display panel holds the CPU, as well as the hard-disk, floppy, and PC Card drives. The pen stylus and pen-based software launch applications. For a more traditional desktop unit, attach the LCD panel to the docking station (nicknamed the lily pad), which features a slide-out keyboard. The Archistrat Systems 4s and 4b computers use a custom connector that sits between a partitioned motherboard and a passive backplane. The architecture lets you mix and match CPUs, I/O subsystems, and other fundamental components to accommodate your needs (for details, see the sidebar "Coming Soon: Archistrat 4s"). The New PC The new PC of the next two to five years will be much sleeker because the external card bays, USB port, and integrated motherboard devices minimize the need for internal expansion slots. Low-voltage components and advanced power management mean the computer uses less electricity and runs cooler. A software-shutdown feature saves all your files and leaves the OS in a stable state before it turns the power off. The Old PC Take a fresh, hard look at the PC on your desk. Many users don't notice what's wrong because they either assume that computers are inherently difficult to use or they've grown accustomed to walking with a pebble in their shoe. Mac users needn't smirk; some of this applies to your machines, too. Copyright 1994-1998 BYTE

Return to Tom's BYTE index page