• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Computers in Desks

falter

falter

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
6,573
Location
Vancouver, BC
This is a fad I never quite understood... offering computers that were built into desks. Like this Noval:

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sour...Vaw3UovL9ov8kLCOuBhEEMDY9&cshid=1548142370735

Or the Altair 8800b desk machine. Or SWTPC's machine with Winchester hard drive.

What was the appeal? Did no one consider the issue of repair and upgradibility? Did people really buy these things? Personally I've never seen one up close except for that Altair that was online recently. Have never seen one of the SWTPC ones... only catalog photos.
 
For a system to be used in an office environment rather than a server room, the thought was probably that if it was to big to go "on" your desk, it saved space to go "in" your desk.
 
Exactly, it is too big to go under a normal desk, and using a smaller desk would lose workspace. So an all-in-one would ultimately save floor space.

That has FOUR 8 inch floppy drives? (mmmm, floppies... drool drool drool.)
 
falter said:
This is a fad I never quite understood... offering computers that were built into desks. Like this Noval:

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sour...Vaw3UovL9ov8kLCOuBhEEMDY9&cshid=1548142370735

Or the Altair 8800b desk machine. Or SWTPC's machine with Winchester hard drive.

What was the appeal? Did no one consider the issue of repair and upgradibility? Did people really buy these things? Personally I've never seen one up close except for that Altair that was online recently. Have never seen one of the SWTPC ones... only catalog photos.
Click to expand...

Great now I want a Noval! I agree with ScutBoy, for small businesses and schools that do not have dedicated server rooms, the in-desk design saves space and is pretty efficient. Probably heated the room for free in the Winter too!
 
rpiguy2 said:
Great now I want a Noval! I agree with ScutBoy, for small businesses and schools that do not have dedicated server rooms, the in-desk design saves space and is pretty efficient. Probably heated the room for free in the Winter too!
Click to expand...

I really want a Noval now too! I've never seen anything like that before!
 
@eeg: I worked with the folks who developed those Diablo systems.

@falter: Nothing new or unusual: e.g., the CDC 160A:

wp53166a27_06.png
 
I wonder how many Noval actually sold. I've only found one contemporary picture of one, which CHM has.
 
I found a reference to Noval in a book. Apparently the machine was really good for programming games. It was used by Sega developers to program Carnival
 
Personal opinion, the built in pc concept is a very clean approach - no pesky wires running down the back or across the desk. It also stows away when not in use.

I haven't seen anything that elaborate, however I worked at a place that had a training room with desks with monitors that would raise and lower from inside the desk. Funny thing was users would use the usb ports on the side of the display, then flip the switch to lower the display, and break the usb stick off.
 
Where would an iCustomer find space for an iDesk? Starbucks probably wouldn't appreciate such a thing. Maybe if Apple teamed up with iKea.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top