Encasing the Beast
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When you think of Intel what thoughts spring to mind? Perhaps, like me recognising that the company is the world's largest chip maker, you immediately think of processors. Or maybe you plump for Intel's work in developing motherboards for various systems. However this could all change in the near future. This is not to say that Intel is planning to abandon the production of processors and motherboards - the company is still firmly committed to such devices for many more years yet to come. The change in popular perception could come because of what appears to be a complete change of direction as Intel becomes involved in furniture.
Really the change of direction is not more than a slight diversion as Intel puts its undoubted weight behind a futuristic look at how the latest media centre PC can be incorporated into the modern living environment. The reasoning behind this latest Intel initiative comes about as the results of a study Intel conducted into how the 21st Century living room will be perceived. This study revealed that 42% of British households felt that technology hardware was taking over and forcing them to retreat from their rooms.
It was discovered that there was an average of five remote controls being used for various home entertainment equipment. I can count four remote controls in just my living room - I hate to think what the final number would be if I included all the rooms in my flat. Around 25% of living rooms contain more than seven separate technology devices but this number will probably include each of the separate components of a hi-fi system.
You can then add one vital piece of information revealed by the study. Approximately half (49%) of households were dead set on not allowing a traditional PC into their living room. The main reasons for this being that the PC lacked any aesthetic quality and no fashion appeal.
If the computer, in its Media Centre guise, is not acceptable in its current format, then two possible courses of action spring to mind. Either totally redesign the appearance of the box or devise a way to camouflage the device by encasing it in a more appealing shell. Intel decided to support the latter option.
Putting its corporate think cap on, Intel came up with the concept of the Home Entertainment Shell (nicknamed the 'E-Shell'). Knowing its limitations, or perhaps taking a leaf out of Pure Digital's book who authorised Wayne Hemmingway to design its Bug digital radio, Intel called on the design skills of Ryan McElhinnery.
As one of the UK's most exciting new designers of contemporary furniture and spaces (I'm reliable informed that you can design a space - I had thought it was just a lack of content), McElhinnery, a winner of the Peugeot Oxo Design Award for his "Knot Sofa", designed the "E-Shell" to appeal to the fashion conscious and also provide an attractive container for the technological living room invader. The unit is made out of fibre glass re-enforced with steel tubs. When talking about his new design, McElhinnery said "The "E-Shell" doesn't apologise for its presence or try to hide under the TV. It's proud to stand alone as a piece of furniture in its own right."
The curved, white 'E-Shell', with a strong abstract feel to it, certainly catches the eye as I discovered when I saw it being displayed at a recent event hosted by Intel. It is not the type of furniture that would sit comfortable in my living room or any of my friends and acquaintances. However it was never intended to have mass market appeal even when it comes with a Hi-Grade DMS II entertainment PC complete with a 3.4GHz Pentium 4 Processor supporting Hyper-Threading technology, 512MB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Time will tell if the "E-Shell", or another equivalent approach, will make its presence felt in out homes - personally I am not holding my breath.
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