Intro

The envelope has been pushed. While not quite as earth shattering as a lunar landing, some measure of spectacle has occurred, and it will be duly noted. Toss the status quo aside and let a new age be heralded. Causing this stir would be a silver, toaster-sized box, known as the Shuttle X. Well actually I wish it was named that, the full name is a bit anticlimactic after the build up given to it. Leave it to the Taiwanese to take the fun out of anything – Shuttle X PC SS51G. Doesn’t have quite the same ring eh?

Hi there!

Note the size! Headphones make this thing look small.

Historically, to have a bleeding edge computer, you needed a mammoth of a computer case. Ironically, as computer parts have gotten smaller, the cases seem to have gotten bigger. While this probably doesn’t hold true for supercomputers like ENIAC, the PC in the last decade hasn’t gotten much smaller, and in many cases the powerhouse computers are still gigantic. A simple case in point: my main system - the Antec 1030B can hardly be mistaken for being petite or light. While I’ve never bothered to weigh this thing, I’m pretty sure that it, like most of the US population (me included), could stand to lose a bit of weight. The Shuttle X weighs in at a scant thirteen pounds fully loaded. It is essentially the Calista Flockhart of the computing world.

Side shot

Overhead

Some of you might recall the Utron LAN Gear ES. We were decently pleased with that machine, but there were some issues we just couldn’t get over with it. The front ports, the butt ugly exterior, etc, etc, etc. The Shuttle X is exactly what Utron should have been aiming for, but missed in their attempt. While it did have some redeeming points, the 2U server case can hardly be pushed into the awaiting public’s arms. Apple’s iMac proves that style counts.