IBM's smallest desktop ever
Published: 10 Jun 2004
So long as the cost of office space remains high, companies will want to make ever more efficient use of it. This is a major driving force behind IBM's latest desktop PC, the ThinkCentre S50 'ultra small', which the company says is the smallest it has ever made.
At the unveiling of this diminutive desktop, the general manager of IBM's Personal Computing Division, Fran O'Sullivan, spoke of 'excitement' about the new product – not a word often heard about desktop PCs these days. The S50 ultra small is certainly compact: it measures 28cm wide by 26cm deep by 8.5cm high, planting a footprint that's actually 8 per cent smaller than that of a ThinkPad T41 notebook. The 6kg system is also 35 per cent smaller (by volume) than the current S50 model.
But IBM is at pains to stress that this is a fully functional PC. Models will be based on Pentium 4 or Celeron processors, will have an internal power supply rather than an external brick, one PCI slot, six USB 2.0 ports, serial and parallel ports, a slimline optical drive bay that will accept drives from the ThinkPad notebook range, and a 3.5in. (desktop) hard disk up to 160GB in capacity.
The S50 ultra small is also the strong and silent type: IBM claims that the system unit will bear the weight of a 22in. CRT monitor if necessary, and that noise has been reduced from 41dBA to 39dBA thanks to the use of rubber damping on the hard disk caddy. Access to the system is 'totally tool-free' according to IBM.
All of these physical improvements to the S50 are complemented by IBM's suite of ThinkVantage services, which include backup and recovery of disk images to guard against software failure (Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore), software image management (ImageUltra), and local/online technical support (Access IBM). Like many other IBM systems, the S50 ultra small also comes with IBM's Embedded Security Subsystem, a hardware- and software-based solution that securely stores sensitive data.
The new ThinkCentre S50 ultra small will be priced from around $600 (~£330) and will be available through IBM's usual channels from August 2004.
Did you find this article useful?
29 out of 54 people found this useful
Full Talkback thread
2 comments
New Products
Dell Adamo XPS: a first look
More details have finally emerged on Dell's ultra-thin, ultra-stylish Adamo XPS. Check out our preview and image gallery.
iPhone 3G S: a first look
Apple's third-generation iPhone will be available on 19 June. Here are the highlights from its unveiling at the WWDC 2009 keynote.
Dell Adamo: a first look
Dell's much-anticipated Adamo, a high-end 'luxury' notebook, has finally been announced. Here's a hands-on look at a pre-production version.
Microsoft Windows 7 Special Report Special Report
How Microsoft can make Windows 7 a success
Comment Many businesses have given Vista a wide berth; Microsoft must focus on five areas to make sure Windows 7 doesn't suffer the same fate, argues TechRepublic's Jason Hiner
News Microsoft: Many Windows 7 features can be disabled
Leader Windows 7 — as good as it gets
Test Your Desktop Management Systems
How good are your company's desktop management solutions? How do they compare with those of your peers?
Take two minutes to complete our new Desktop Management and Energy Consumption benchmark, and find out what issues your business needs to focus on.
