INDESTRUCTIBLE PCs

 

Background

The PC industry is one of the most competitive in the world. The main reason for this is the simple fact that assembling a PC is just not that difficult. Most are assembled from standardized components and there are few barriers to enter the market. As a result, there are thousands of companies making PCs that perform similar functions. This causes the market to be extremely price-competitive.

Since the market is so competitive, vendors often sell at very low margins. Computers are not like many other products, where the company selling the device is making upwards of 50% of the price of the product.  For PCs it is more like 15% or less.

There is probably no other industry that has prices change as dramatically and frequently as the PC industry.  Usually, prices are decreasing. This is good for the consumer but very bad for vendors, because it means that their already low margins get squeezed if prices drop between the time that they buy a product and the time they sell it.

In an environment where margins are low and prices are generally dropping, a stabilizing factor is needed to enable the PC manufacturer, wholesaler and vendor to capitalize on a value added innovation that is indispensable to the end user.

 

Purpose

The purpose of IPC (Indestructible Personal Computer) is to eliminate the need for PC repair through an integrated Repair Technology that is indispensable to the end user.

Worldwide Information Technology services spending doubled by 2005 to $1.4 trillion a year, despite the economic slump, according to a report released by Dataquest Inc.

One of the biggest growth markets, and least serviced, is the small business and home user. The opportunity is perhaps the largest and least serviced of all IT opportunities.

Shoppers contacting customer support are less than satisfied with merchant’s customer support efforts according to a BizRate.com study. When merchant performance is compared to buyer importance, customer support consistently rates as highly important to buyers but is poorly executed by merchants"

"Computer buyers who had contacted customer support preferred doing so by phone (52%) rather than by email (40%), while very few preferred instant messaging (9%) according to the BizRate.com study.

 

Reality

A study released by the University of Michigan shows that customers still rate PCs customer satisfaction lower than several other consumer product categories, including cars and appliances.

"The thing with customer service is to make sure you don't need it," said Claes Fornell, a professor at the University of Michigan and the head of the ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index). Even though servicing a car or dishwasher can induce the same kinds of headaches as PC technical support does, car and appliance makers have done a better job of simplifying their products and reducing the amount of maintenance needed to keep their products going, while PC users continue to flood help lines when faced with complicated problems, he said.

 

Objective

Manufacture a wide range of Indestructible PC’s with premium components and repair-free technology where Computer buyers do not need to contact customer support in line with the saying: "The thing with customer service is to make sure you don't need it."  A PC with added innovation that is indispensable to the end user can only be defined as an Indestructible PC.

 

Indestructible PC’s not only eliminate the high budgeted customer service, but also add $ value to the PC itself as it provides the consumer with a computer that does not require the expenses of repair or downtime. This added feature is unique and new to the PC market, that allows the manufacturer of Indestructible PC’s to set a price that is both: highly profitable and acceptable to PC buyers.

 

ASSEMBLY (Manufacturing)

None of the PC components need to be manufactured in-house. All high-end components are readily available in the market at a low price that provides a low cost end product.

The assembly structure (The Plant) and its production size is determined by the market to which IPC’s will be launched and future projections.

On average, the assembly cost for a PC in North America does not exceed U.S.$15 per PC. That cost includes all plant costs, assembly equipment depreciation, building cost, wages and other running expenses.

 

High-End PC Components and Cost

 

COMPONENT DESCRIPTION

COST

ASUS P5LD2-VM DH/C SKT 775 MOTHERBOARD

U.S.$68

Intel Pentium 4 524 3.06GHz/1MB Socket 775/ Processor with Fan

U.S.$52

Corsair 1GB VS DDR667 DDR2 2x512MB (2X64x64) CAS4

U.S.$47

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 - Hard drive - 250 GB - SATA-300 - buffer: 16 MB

U.S.$32

XFX Geforce 6200A AGP 256MB DDR TV OUT DVI  Video Card

U.S.$34

LiteON 18x DVDRW

U.S.$22

Mitsumi Floppy + Card Reader

U.S.$8

430W TRUE POWER SILENT ATX PSU

U.S.$12

Enlight EN-3101 CASE

U.S.$32

Logitech Rechargeable Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse PS2/USB

U.S.$20

Creative Labs   SBS Vivid 60 Stereo Speakers

U.S.$11

Assembly

U.S.$15

 

 

TOTAL

U.S.$353

 

The above High End PC, without the Operating System or Monitor, retails at U.S.$ 999 but, with Indestructible technology, the same PC can retail for an additional $400 provided a consumer-awareness campaign takes place prior to launching the product.

 

Components:

ASUS P5LD2-C

This extraordinary Asus Socket 775 motherboard provides a versatile, high-performance platform for powerhouse LGA775 processors. And it’s specially crafted to drive the dynamic new dual-core CPUs. Based on the Intel 945P chipset, this marvelous motherboard supports Intel Pentium D, Pentium 4 and Celeron Intel EM64T CPUs at 106/8--/533 MHz FSB with Hyper Threading Technology. The Asus P5LD2 also supports 4 X DIMM memory up to 4GB, DDR2 666/533/400, SATA, 8-channel high-definition audio and PCI-E Gb LAN. It features 7 expansion slots (1 PCI-E x16, 3 PCI-E x1 and 3 PCI) as well as 8 USB 2.0 ports. Combining the world’s most innovative technology with ingenious design and engineering, the Asus P5LD2motherboard represents a powerful, high-performance solution at an exceptionally low cost.

Specifications

Product Description

ASUS P5LD2-C Intel Socket 775 ATX Motherboard

Device Type

Mainboard

Form Factor

ATX

Multi-Core Support

Core 2 Duo

Processor

0 ( 1 ) - LGA775 Socket

Compatible Processors

Intel Celeron w/ EM64T, Intel Pentium 4, Intel Pentium D

Memory

0 MB (installed) / 4 GB (max)

Supported RAM Technology

DDR II SDRAM

Supported RAM Integrity Check

Non-ECC

Audio Output

8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC

Max Bus Speed

1066 MHz

Chipset Type

Intel 945P, Intel ICH7R

Storage Controller

6 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s

Dimensions (WxDxH)

30.5cm x 23cm

 

 

Socket
This motherboard features a Socket 775 design. The Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) style socket makes it easy to install and upgrade your processor.




Chipset
The P5LD2 motherboard is based on the Intel 945P Northbridge chipset and the Intel ICH7R Southbridge chipset. It supports Intel Pentium D, Celeron D (w/ EM64T), and Pentium 4 Processors, with Hyper-Threading Technology and 533/ 800/1066MHz Front Side Bus.

Memory Expansion
The P5LD2 provides 4 DIMM sockets using 240-pin DDR2 with a total capacity of up to 4GB. You can install DDR2 400/533/667MHz Memory.




PCI Express Support
The P5LD2 fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high-speed interface is software compatible with existing PCI specifications.



IDE
The P5LD2 includes built in IDE facilities that support Ultra DMA 33/66/100

Audio
The P5LD2 comes with a Realtek ALC822 audio codec which supports high quality 8-channel audio.

Serial ATA RAID Support
The P5LD2 supports the Serial ATA technology through the Serial ATA interfaces. Doubles bus bandwidth which provides blazingly high disk performance, up to 3Gb/s.

 

 

Intel Pentium 4 531 3.0GHz

The new Intel Pentium 4 processor at 3.0 GHz with an advanced 800 MHz system bus offers higher levels of performance, creativity and productivity. Based on Intel NetBurst microarchitecture and built with Intel's 0.13-micron technology, the Pentium 4 processor delivers significant performance gains for use in home computing, business solutions and all your processing needs. The Pentium 4 processor at 3.0 GHz with an advanced 800 MHz system bus also supports Hyper-Threading Technology, enabling you to multitask more efficiently when you run demanding applications at the same time.

Specifications

Product Description

Intel Pentium 4 531 3.0GHz

Product Type

Processor

Processor Type

Intel Pentium 4 531

Compatible Slots

1 x processor - LGA775 Socket

Clock Speed

3.0 GHz

Bus Speed

800 MHz

Cache Memory

L2 1 MB

 

 

Corsair 1GB VS DDR667 DDR2 2x512MB (2X64x64) CAS4

Corsair Value Select line provides quality, tested, compatible desktop memory at competitive prices. The Value Select line is qualified for major current desktop systems.

 

Specifications

 

Product Description

Corsair Value Select memory - 1 GB ( 2 x 512 MB ) - DIMM 240-pin - DDR II

Memory Specification Compliance

PC2-5300

Storage Capacity

1 GB ( 2 x 512 MB )

Technology

DDR II SDRAM

Form Factor

DIMM 240-pin

Memory Speed

667 MHz

CAS Latency

CL5

Manufacturer Warranty

Limited lifetime warranty

 

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 - Hard drive - 250 GB - internal - 3.5" - SATA-300 - 22-position plug - 7200 rpm - buffer: 16 MB - Bare Drive

DiamondMax 10 drives feature native command queuing along with the company's exclusive dual-processor technology and large buffers to deliver unparalleled speeds compared to traditional drives in their class. This unique set of features combined with Maxtor's latest firmware technology, allows the drive to self-balance its workloads for a more efficient hard drive operation. With DiamondMax 10 hard drive-enabled systems, consumers can easily run multiple applications, such as games and music, at the same time without overwhelming the PC. Designed for multimedia PC users, graphic artists, system integrators and white box builders, the 7200 RPM DiamondMax 10 drives are ideal for performance desktop computing storing high-resolution images, multimedia content, and personal and business information.

 

 

Specifications

Product Description

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 - hard drive - 250 GB - SATA-300

Device Type

Hard drive - internal

Form Factor

3.5" x 1/3H

Capacity

250 GB

Interface Type

Serial ATA-300

Connector

22-position Serial ATA (SATA) plug

Data Transfer Rate

300 MBps

Average Seek Time

9 ms

Spindle Speed

7200 rpm

Buffer Size

16 MB

Weight

0.6 kg

Dimensions (WxDxH)

10.2 cm x 14.7 cm x 2.6 cm

Manufacturer Warranty

3 years warranty

 

Features & Benefits

Serial ATA with native command queuing
The DiamondMax 10 drive incorporates the latest features of the Serial ATA interface, with data transfer rates and functions to accelerate system performance, and supports native command queuing, which intelligently reorders read and write commands to improve performance.

16 MB buffer
The large 16 MB buffer delivers industry-leading benchmarks and blazing performance.

RoHS-compliant
Significantly reduced levels of lead complies with all environmental legislation.

Shock Protection System and Data Protection System.
The DiamondMax 10 drives deliver high reliability and data integrity using the Maxtor-developed Shock Protection System™ and Data Protection System™ to give the drive enhanced protection against operating and non-operating shock.

 

XFX Geforce 6200A AGP 256MB DDR TV OUT DVI

NVIDIA introduces the GeForce 6200 GPUs, featuring a revolutionary design that delivers best-in-class performance on today's hottest games and applications. The GeForce 6200 powers the latest effects without compromising performance. In addition, support for the latest bus architecture - PCI Express - increases both graphics and overall system performance. Now, NVIDIA announces select GeForce 6200 GPUs with TurboCache technology: delivering advanced GeForce6 Series' features and turbocharged system performance to PCs.


Features

NVIDIA CineFX 3.0 Technology
Powers the next generation of cinematic realism. Full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. Next-generation shader architecture delivers faster and smoother game play.

Intellisample 3.0 Technology
The industry's fastest antialiasing delivers ultra-realistic visuals, with no jagged edges, at lightning-fast speeds. Visual quality is taken to new heights through a new rotated grid sampling pattern.

NVIDIA TurboCache Technology
Shares the capacity and bandwidth of dedicated video memory and dynamically available system memory for turbocharged performance and larger total graphics memory.

NVIDIA PureVideo Technology
The combination of high-definition video processors and NVIDIA DVD decoder software delivers unprecedented picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, and precise image scaling for all video content to turn your PC into a high-end home theater. (Feature requires supported video software.)

Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
Part of the NVIDIA Forceware Unified Software Environment (USE). The NVIDIA UDA guarantees forward and backward compatibility with software drivers. Simplifies upgrading to a new NVIDIA product because all NVIDIA products work with the same driver software.

nView Multi-Display Technology
The nView hardware and software technology combination delivers maximum flexibility for multi-display options, and provides unprecedented end-user control of the desktop experience.

NVIDIA Digital Vibrance Control (DVC) 3.0 Technology
Allows the user to adjust color controls digitally to compensate for the lighting conditions of their workspace, in order to achieve accurate, bright colors in all conditions.

Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Optimizations and Support
Ensures the best performance and application compatibility for all DirectX 9 applications.

OpenGL 2.0 Optimizations and Support
Ensures top-notch compatibility and performance for all OpenGL applications. NVIDIA nView Multi-display Advanced technology provides the ultimate in viewing flexibility and control for multiple monitors.


 

 

 

 


Technical Details

 

LiteON 18x DVDRW

 

LiteOn's exceeds its customers' expectations by providing solutions with outstanding performance, competitiveness, and punctuality.

Product Description

LiteOn LH-18A1H - DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM drive - IDE

Device Type

DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM drive

Write Speed

48x (CD) / 18x (DVD±R) / 8x (DVD±R DL)

CD / DVD Rewrite Speed

32x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 12x (DVD-RAM)

Enclosure Colour

Black, beige

Buffer Underrun Protection

SMART Burn

Disc Labeling Technology

LightScribe Technology

Enclosure Type

Internal

Interface

IDE

Dimensions (WxDxH)

14.5 cm x 17 cm x 4.1 cm

Weight

0.9 kg

Optical Storage

DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM - 5.25" x 1/2H

Read Speed

48x (CD) / 16x (DVD)

OS Required

Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows XP

 

 

 

 

Mitsumi Floppy + Card Reader


 

The FA404M is designed for low power consumption and operates as a USB bus power supply device.

Product Description

Mitsumi 7 in 1 Media Drive FA404M - Floppy disc drive / card reader - Floppy/USB

Device Type

Floppy disc drive / card reader

Enclosure Type

Internal

Enclosure Colour

Black / Beige

Interface

Floppy/USB

Supported Flash Memory

CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II, Memory Stick, Microdrive, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, SmartMedia Card

 

430W TRUE POWER SILENT ATX PSU-TAURUSX-J

 

Approved 430 Watt Power Supply! It will fit into any standard ATX case and will handle as many add-ons as your case can take! Noiseless operation and high quality performance.

Device Type

Power supply

Power Provided

430 Watt

Form Factor

ATX 12V v2.0

Output Voltage

+3.3V, ±5V, +12V1, +12V2, -12V, +5Vsb

Product Description

430W ATX PSU

 

 

Enlight EN-3101

Manufacturer: Enlight   Manufacturer Part Number:  EN-3101

Enlight EN-3101 ATX Midi Tower Case

Reliability and outstanding performance comes your way thanks to the EN-A3101 ATX midi tower case, made from rustproof galvanised JIS steel for a lifetime of hassle-free computing operation. Fully EMI shielded, ready for all kinds of modern processors and high-frequency components of the future, this strong case is capable of housing PC components with protection from interference.

The thermal venting technology, combined with a specially validated fan duct design reduces residual heat, meaning a superbly cooled operation inside, even for intense CPU tasks, meeting Intel's 38°C chassis requirement. The unique spring exhaust design of this unit allows for advanced airflow and thermal capabilities.

With a padlock loop in the rear chassis, and with a special design that keeps the front panels from being removed externally, security has been in mind during the creation of the EN-A3101 ATX midi tower case.

The provided flexibility and capacity for your internal components are remarkable for this midi tower case. Giving you seven full-size expansion slots and a pre-installed USB/Firewire (IEEE 1394) front bezel, this U-seam case allows for building and modifying your system to a very high degree. With CE, FCC and UL endorsed safety standards, this is the true choice for durability, effiency and computing power.

Enlight are major chassis manufacturers trusted by the tier 1 P.C. manufacturers which makes it the name to trust when it comes to choosing your system case.

Specifications

Product Description

Enlight EN-3101 Case

Supported Mainboard Form Factor

ATX (12" x 9.6")

Case Type

ATX Midi Tower

Expansion Slot

7 full size

Drive Bays

3 x 5.25" , 1 x 3.5" , 4 x 3.5" (Hidden)

Dimensions

190 x 474 x 431 mm

 

Features

Logitech Rechargeable Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse PS2/USB

 

The all-new Cordless Rechargeable Desktop by Logitech OEM is the first rechargeable desktop specifically designed for system integration and the VAR channel. This affordable rechargeable desktop utilizes the successful OEM Cordless Desktop Optical keyboard with a newly enhanced version of the new Logitech LX700 Cordless Click! Rechargeable Optical Mouse. Together, this perfect combination leverages plug-and-play installation convenience, extended F-Lock features, 3D wheel with the industry's best tilt wheel technology and the hassle free convenience of Logitech's famous rechargeable technology.

Features:

Enhanced F-key functions

Cordless Rechageable Desktop contains:

 

 

 

Creative Labs   SBS Vivid 60 Stereo Speakers

Power Rating 3 Watts RMS per channel (2 channels) Frequency Response 110Hz ~ 20kHz Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) 77dB Dimension (L x W x H) 6.0cm x 8.3cm x 9.8cm PACKAGE CONTENTS One pair of Creative SBS Vivid 60 Speakers
One Power Supply Adapter