14 DAY TRIAL // This year's CeBIT expo in Hanover, Germany was literally packed with more types of products and product concepts than one could possibly remember, which means that the devices on display had to be especially unique if they were to stand out. Most companies went for the traditional approach, which implies making a product more powerful and feature-packed than all others of its kind. Others, such as Lian Li, for instance, decided to show off a completely new approach to how components were usually made.
The product by which Lian Li stood out amongst its many PC chassis-making peers was an unusual open air case that gravitated towards the animal kingdom. Known as the PITSTOP PC-T1, it imitated, or took on, the form of those small creatures that were known for their ability to instill the full variety of feelings inside a person, from utter terror to interest and even fascination. Fortunately, the spiders’ tendency to immobilize their prey and slowly suck out its blood is not replicated.
The four-legged, quasi-animate object barely fits into the open air case/testing bench category of PC cases, is built out of aluminum and measures 227 (W) x 272 (H) x 345 (D) mm. Due to its design and shape, it can only accommodate motherboards using the mini ITX form factor, a 3.5-inch hard disk drive or SSD for storage and a slim, 5.25-inch optical drive.
The chassis also lacks fan holders. Fortunately, the spider's abdomen was, at least, spacious enough to fit a standard size ATX power supply. Basically, those that like to test different parts in a unique way or simply like to have a giant arachnid next to them will find a use for the PITSTOP PC-T1.
Unfortunately, the four-legged critter hasn't reached the world of humans yet. It will eventually make its appearance by the end of May, in the red version seen at CeBIT (for $123), as well as incarnations colored black and silver ($108).