{"video_id":"fp_zJpzDHmCGt","title":"What happened to horizontal cases?","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2024-07-09T20:37:00.037Z","duration_s":252,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":4.24,"text":"If you're building or buying a new desktop PC, we take it for granted these days","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.24,"end_s":9.24,"text":"that'll probably take the form of a tower. Perfect for fitting in a chunky graphics card,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":9.24,"end_s":14.16,"text":"lots of storage and plenty of cooling. But do you remember the days where horizontal desktop PCs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":14.16,"end_s":19.28,"text":"were common as dirt? I'm talking about those computers that looked like large beige VCRs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":19.28,"end_s":22.44,"text":"that you typically sit your monitor on top of.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":22.44,"end_s":27.44,"text":"It seems like that would save space. So why are they so hard to find these days","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":27.44,"end_s":31.56,"text":"outside of home theater PCs? The question becomes more interesting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.56,"end_s":37.6,"text":"when you consider that today's PCs are descendants of the original IBM PC from 1981,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":37.6,"end_s":42.16,"text":"which used a horizontal chassis. Back then, the base model of the IBM PC","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":42.16,"end_s":46.88,"text":"didn't even come with a hard drive, meaning you were dealing with swapping out floppy disks","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":46.88,"end_s":51.96,"text":"whenever you wanted to run a different program. And given that you were fiddling with floppy so often,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":51.96,"end_s":56.16,"text":"it was very convenient to have the floppy drives right in front of you within ARM's reach.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":56.16,"end_s":60.04,"text":"On top of that, the CRT monitor that shipped with the original PC","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":60.04,"end_s":65.16,"text":"wasn't all that big at only 12 inches, meaning it was advantageous to have the PC chassis","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":65.16,"end_s":69.16,"text":"act as a monitor stand to make the screen easier to see.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":69.16,"end_s":73.2,"text":"And although tower computers were present throughout much of the 1980s,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.2,"end_s":78.2,"text":"the advantage that they could be moved off of a desk and onto the floor wasn't always useful","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.2,"end_s":81.36,"text":"if you weren't running a more powerful workstation.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":81.36,"end_s":84.84,"text":"Towers could often fit more disk drives and expansion cards,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":84.84,"end_s":88.28,"text":"but this wasn't the paramount concern of the average user","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":88.28,"end_s":91.88,"text":"for whom the horizontal form factor was probably more practical.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.88,"end_s":95.88,"text":"So when and why did towers become more popular?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":95.88,"end_s":98.92,"text":"Even though it wasn't the first tower PC,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":98.92,"end_s":103.64,"text":"the IBM PS2 is sometimes credited with popularizing the form factor.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":103.64,"end_s":107.2,"text":"Ironically, not all that different from the similarly named game console","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":107.2,"end_s":111.84,"text":"that would come out 13 years later. And also, I can't believe that's just a 13 year gap.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":111.84,"end_s":115.62,"text":"That's crazy. A couple of the original PS2 models were designed as towers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":115.62,"end_s":120.7,"text":"because they were meant to hold more drives and cards, as previously mentioned, but both IBM's market power","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":120.7,"end_s":124.22,"text":"and the fact it was the first time we saw an Intel CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":124.22,"end_s":128.14,"text":"inside an IBM tower meant that it seriously got people","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":128.14,"end_s":131.78,"text":"thinking about buying a computer that was built to sit on the floor.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":131.78,"end_s":134.86,"text":"A few years later, Apple came out with its first tower PC,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":134.86,"end_s":139.18,"text":"the Macintosh Quadra 700. Launched in 1991, the Quadra 700","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":139.18,"end_s":143.74,"text":"was unsurprisingly aimed at creatives, much like today's Apple products still are.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":143.74,"end_s":146.76,"text":"Back then, the Macintosh lineup already had a reputation","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":146.76,"end_s":151.82,"text":"for being popular among desktop publishers and performing visual design on a computer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":151.82,"end_s":155.14,"text":"means that larger monitors have obvious advantages.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":155.14,"end_s":158.78,"text":"But this was, of course, well before the era of the flat panel display","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":158.78,"end_s":163.32,"text":"that's relatively lightweight, even at bigger sizes. Instead, the Quadra 700 was paired","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":163.32,"end_s":167.78,"text":"with a gigantic CRT monitor that weighed 79.6 pounds","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":167.78,"end_s":170.38,"text":"or 36.1 kilograms. Big boy.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":171.14,"end_s":174.54,"text":"That kind of weight didn't exactly lend itself well","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":174.54,"end_s":178.58,"text":"to the monitor living on top of the computer case. That monitor that we mentioned earlier","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":178.58,"end_s":182.36,"text":"that paired with the original IBM PC was only 12 and a half pounds.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":182.36,"end_s":186.7,"text":"So that would be like stacking six of these on a single case, plus a little extra.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":186.7,"end_s":190.5,"text":"So yeah, Apple decided to make the Quadra 700 a tower","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":190.5,"end_s":194.16,"text":"so the absolute chungus of a monitor wouldn't be placed on top of it.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":194.16,"end_s":199.84,"text":"And even if you weren't getting the biggest monitor out there, larger, heavier screens were becoming more common","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.84,"end_s":205.16,"text":"for average users. Simultaneously, by the early 90s, we'd come a long way from the days of needing to insert","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":205.16,"end_s":209.86,"text":"and remove floppies quite as often, meaning the extra flexibility and space savings","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":209.86,"end_s":215.32,"text":"of a floor-standing tower eclipsed the older-style horizontal PC in popularity.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":215.32,"end_s":220.5,"text":"So of course, now it's ironic that tower PCs are now commonly kept on desk as statement pieces,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":220.5,"end_s":225.4,"text":"at least if you're a gamer. But of course, towers still do usually offer more space","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":225.4,"end_s":229.0,"text":"to build in than horizontal cases while having a smaller footprint,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":229.0,"end_s":234.08,"text":"contributing to their continued status as the go-to option for a freestanding PC.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":234.08,"end_s":238.22,"text":"However, case manufacturers still do make horizontal cases.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":238.22,"end_s":242.96,"text":"I'd just be a little leery about relying on a piece of tempered glass to support the entire weight","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":242.96,"end_s":247.02,"text":"of your fancy, ultra-wide. Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, check out our other video","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":247.02,"end_s":250.22,"text":"on the evolution of computer cases. Comment with video suggestions,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":250.22,"end_s":252.26,"text":"and don't forget to subscribe and follow.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"If you're building or buying a new desktop PC, we take it for granted these days that'll probably take the form of a tower. Perfect for fitting in a chunky graphics card, lots of storage and plenty of cooling. But do you remember the days where horizontal desktop PCs were common as dirt? I'm talking about those computers that looked like large beige VCRs that you typically sit your monitor on top of. It seems like that would save space. So why are they so hard to find these days outside of home theater PCs? The question becomes more interesting when you consider that today's PCs are descendants of the original IBM PC from 1981, which used a horizontal chassis. Back then, the base model of the IBM PC didn't even come with a hard drive, meaning you were dealing with swapping out floppy disks whenever you wanted to run a different program. And given that you were fiddling with floppy so often, it was very convenient to have the floppy drives right in front of you within ARM's reach. On top of that, the CRT monitor that shipped with the original PC wasn't all that big at only 12 inches, meaning it was advantageous to have the PC chassis act as a monitor stand to make the screen easier to see. And although tower computers were present throughout much of the 1980s, the advantage that they could be moved off of a desk and onto the floor wasn't always useful if you weren't running a more powerful workstation. Towers could often fit more disk drives and expansion cards, but this wasn't the paramount concern of the average user for whom the horizontal form factor was probably more practical. So when and why did towers become more popular? Even though it wasn't the first tower PC, the IBM PS2 is sometimes credited with popularizing the form factor. Ironically, not all that different from the similarly named game console that would come out 13 years later. And also, I can't believe that's just a 13 year gap. That's crazy. A couple of the original PS2 models were designed as towers because they were meant to hold more drives and cards, as previously mentioned, but both IBM's market power and the fact it was the first time we saw an Intel CPU inside an IBM tower meant that it seriously got people thinking about buying a computer that was built to sit on the floor. A few years later, Apple came out with its first tower PC, the Macintosh Quadra 700. Launched in 1991, the Quadra 700 was unsurprisingly aimed at creatives, much like today's Apple products still are. Back then, the Macintosh lineup already had a reputation for being popular among desktop publishers and performing visual design on a computer means that larger monitors have obvious advantages. But this was, of course, well before the era of the flat panel display that's relatively lightweight, even at bigger sizes. Instead, the Quadra 700 was paired with a gigantic CRT monitor that weighed 79.6 pounds or 36.1 kilograms. Big boy. That kind of weight didn't exactly lend itself well to the monitor living on top of the computer case. That monitor that we mentioned earlier that paired with the original IBM PC was only 12 and a half pounds. So that would be like stacking six of these on a single case, plus a little extra. So yeah, Apple decided to make the Quadra 700 a tower so the absolute chungus of a monitor wouldn't be placed on top of it. And even if you weren't getting the biggest monitor out there, larger, heavier screens were becoming more common for average users. Simultaneously, by the early 90s, we'd come a long way from the days of needing to insert and remove floppies quite as often, meaning the extra flexibility and space savings of a floor-standing tower eclipsed the older-style horizontal PC in popularity. So of course, now it's ironic that tower PCs are now commonly kept on desk as statement pieces, at least if you're a gamer. But of course, towers still do usually offer more space to build in than horizontal cases while having a smaller footprint, contributing to their continued status as the go-to option for a freestanding PC. However, case manufacturers still do make horizontal cases. I'd just be a little leery about relying on a piece of tempered glass to support the entire weight of your fancy, ultra-wide. Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, check out our other video on the evolution of computer cases. Comment with video suggestions, and don't forget to subscribe and follow."}