14 DAY TRIAL // Ultimate Windows computers... have little to do with what's under the hood (just forget about system memory and processors for a moment). Or with the particular version of the Windows operating system they are running. Ultimate Windows computers is essentially a reference that points to the surface of a machine. The fact of the matter is that a standard case, with standard keyboard and mouse, and with a standard monitor won't do any more. And this is equivalent with original equipment manufacturers stepping up their industrial design game.
At this point in time, Apple is without a doubt the leader of the pack when it comes down to computer design. But the rest of the industry is catching up. In fact, you will be able to feast your eyes on no less than five computer design concepts via the images integrated in this article, courtesy of the Ammunition Design Group.
"Microsoft Cobalt convertible notebook/tablet system. Microsoft Oxygen concept desktop system that converts from typical use mode to media viewing to pen input. Microsoft Argon concept entertainment biased all-in-one PC. Microsoft Carbon concept micro PC with high object value. Microsoft Zinc concept intended for countertop use", is the description provided by the Ammunition Design Group.
"After years of just taking their boxes and maybe tweaking the shapes and materials a bit, in the end you still had the regular old PC. Now, the industry is finally realizing these things are personal objects. It's the whole idea of the product and how it fits into people's lives", explained Robert Brunner, with Ammunition Design Group, according to Wired.
The fact of the matter is that Microsoft has been a driving force behind new lines in industrial PC design, pushing for the adoption of a new aesthetics strategy. But at the same time Microsoft, unlike Apple, controls only the development of the operating system, and not that of the hardware. Still, the company has introduced initiatives such as the Next-Gen PC Design Competition, meant to revolutionize PC design. And with continued efforts in this direction, we might even have the chance of experiencing these designs first hand as consumer products, and not just as concepts.
