What was it about the tower PC form factor...

[JonnyStarks]

That was superior to the older "laydown flat" type of pc from 10 or 12 years ago?
What made the tower the dominant form factor?

 

[yourdeardaniel]

room for drives

 

[FoBoT]

it makes people feel like they have a big pc-penis with a large tower

 

[DaveSimmons]

Under the desk instead of on the desk. More desk for you!

 

[StevenYoo]

smaller footprint?

 

[edro]

People set their monitors on the lay down ones, so to open them, you had to take the monitor off. Also, falling pieces would sit on the motherboard, causing a higher short risk.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: edro13
People set their monitors on the lay down ones, so to open them, you had to take the monitor off. Also, falling pieces would sit on the motherboard, causing a higher short risk.

 

[mchammer]

Now they call them HTPC and charge you 2x the price.

 

[JonnyStarks]

Originally posted by: edro13
People set their monitors on the lay down ones, so to open them, you had to take the monitor off. Also, falling pieces would sit on the motherboard, causing a higher short risk.

Makes sense.

 

[Future Shock]

I think there was a thought that "well, heat rises right? So let's make a case that puts the hottest parts like the power supply, right at the top, and put the exhaust fan behind it. Then we'll take cool air from the front-bottom part, and create some nice airflow...". And hence became the ATX spec for towers. And there IS some truth to that.

Space for drives, as mentioned above, was another reason. Most desktop cases could only expose 1-2 bays, but as soon as people started wanting CD readers AND CD writers, plus a floppy, then we needed 3 bays at a minumum. Add in a harddrive or two and your average desktop couldn't cope. Nowadays, we have dropped the floppy on a lot of new systems, and having a single DVD read/writer is all most people need, and harddrives are huge...so Small Form Factor cases are back in style.

Future Shock

 

[Tbirdkid]

They got in the way of bosses having ()() with the secretaries...

 

[Pepsi90919]

they're called "desktops" not "lay down ones"

 

[vi edit]

They just took up too much desk space. It's a lot easier to put a tower under or next to the desk on the floor.

Plus you didn't have idiots setting cups of coffee or plants on them if they were under the desk and out of the way.

 

[Tylanner]

it's easier doing it standing up.

 

[vi edit]

Space for drives, as mentioned above, was another reason. Most desktop cases could only expose 1-2 bays, but as soon as people started wanting CD readers AND CD writers, plus a floppy, then we needed 3 bays at a minumum. Add in a harddrive or two and your average desktop couldn't cope. Nowadays, we have dropped the floppy on a lot of new systems, and having a single DVD read/writer is all most people need, and harddrives are huge...so Small Form Factor cases are back in style.

Not to mention what integration has done. 5 years ago, and earlier, you almost always needed a card for video, a card for sound, and a card for networking. Now you can get all of that built right into the motherboard. Plus with USB, many devices that required external ports can easily be linked together via a hub. The integration of devices allows for much smaller board layouts and less need for expansion since so much is built in already. Perfect for office use.

 

[JonnyStarks]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
they're called "desktops" not "lay down ones"

Potato potahto

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Under the desk instead of on the desk. More desk for you!

 

[AntisociaL]

Its easier, and not to mention more fun to kick a tower square dead in the side when your pc pisses you off.
Try kicking a desktop case,it doesnt move much and kinda hurts. Sure you could stomp the hell out of it but that means you have to remove your monitor if its on top and its just more of a hassle and that fit of anger is usually gone by then.

 

[thirdlegstump]

It's because Apple came out with the tower Power Mac models so like the floppies, the PeeCee Wintel crowd just followed right along.

 

[MichaelD]

The big tower alerted them to the fact that they were posting IN THE WRONG FORUM!

 

[suse920]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Under the desk instead of on the desk. More desk for you!

 

[suse920]

Originally posted by: deathkoba
It's because Apple came out with the tower Power Mac models so like the floppies, the PeeCee Wintel crowd just followed right along.

hahahahaa