{"video_id":"oK9XgPNXeUI","title":"What happened to HORIZONTAL PC cases?","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2025-05-04T14:58:16Z","duration_s":286,"segments":[{"start_s":0.04,"end_s":5.879,"text":"if you're building or buying a new desktop PC we take it for granted these","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.0,"end_s":10.08,"text":"days that it'll probably take the form of a tower perfect for fitting in a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.2,"end_s":14.12,"text":"chunky graphics card lots of storage and plenty of cooling but do you remember","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":12.04,"end_s":17.88,"text":"the days where horizontal desktop PCS were common as dirt I'm talking about","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":16.24,"end_s":23.519,"text":"those computers that looked like large beige VCRs that you typically sit your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":20.56,"end_s":28.199,"text":"monitor on top of it seems like that would save space so why are they so hard","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":26.679,"end_s":32.32,"text":"to find these days outside of Home Theater PCS the question becomes more","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.0,"end_s":38.2,"text":"interesting when you consider that today's PCS are descendants of the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":34.92,"end_s":40.8,"text":"original IBM PC from 1981 which used a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":38.2,"end_s":44.76,"text":"horizontal chassis back then the base model of the IBM PC didn't even come","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":43.2,"end_s":48.44,"text":"with a hard drive meaning you were dealing with swapping out floppy discs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":46.8,"end_s":52.399,"text":"whenever you wanted to run a different program and given that you were fiddling","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":50.64,"end_s":56.16,"text":"with floppy so often it was very convenient to have the floppy drives","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":54.16,"end_s":60.359,"text":"right in front of you within Arms Reach on top of that the CRT monitor that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.16,"end_s":65.64,"text":"shipped with the original PC wasn't all that big at only 12 in meaning it was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.079,"end_s":70.04,"text":"advantageous to have the PC chassis act as a monitor stand to make the screen","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.6,"end_s":74.0,"text":"easier to see and although Tower computers were present throughout much","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":71.92,"end_s":78.4,"text":"of the 1980s the advantage that they could be moved off of a desk and onto","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":76.24,"end_s":83.079,"text":"the floor wasn't always useful if you weren't running a more powerful","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":80.36,"end_s":87.28,"text":"workstation Towers could often fit more disc drives and expansion cards but this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":85.439,"end_s":91.88,"text":"wasn't the Paramount concern of the average user For Whom the horizontal","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":89.36,"end_s":97.04,"text":"form factor was probably more practical so when and why did Towers become more","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":95.079,"end_s":100.88,"text":"popular we'll give you some answers right after we thank ODU to try and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":99.2,"end_s":106.079,"text":"carve your own space in the digital world without a website is Bonkers with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":104.119,"end_s":110.32,"text":"ODU you can design and get your very own website up and running in no time at all","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":107.92,"end_s":115.36,"text":"thanks their intuitive codefree drag and drop elements and if you find yourself","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":112.479,"end_s":119.079,"text":"experiencing some writers block odu's AI copywriter is there to help you out oh","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":117.2,"end_s":122.799,"text":"and did we mention that it's uh free that's right and you even get unlimited","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":120.88,"end_s":126.64,"text":"hosting and a fully paid custom domain name for the first year visit our Link","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":125.24,"end_s":131.959,"text":"in the description and start building your very own website with ODU even","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":129.039,"end_s":137.08,"text":"though it wasn't the first Tower PC the IBM PS2 is sometimes credited with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":134.76,"end_s":140.319,"text":"popularizing the form factor ironically not all that different from the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":138.28,"end_s":144.959,"text":"similarly named game console that would come out 13 years later and also I can't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":143.4,"end_s":148.68,"text":"believe that's just a 13-year Gap that's crazy a couple of the original PS2","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":147.0,"end_s":152.28,"text":"models were designed as Towers because they were meant to hold more drives and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":150.239,"end_s":157.12,"text":"cards as previously mentioned but both IBM's Market power and the fact it was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.68,"end_s":161.599,"text":"the first time we saw an Intel CPU inside an IBM Tower meant that it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":160.0,"end_s":165.92,"text":"seriously got people thinking about buying a computer that was built to sit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":163.76,"end_s":171.08,"text":"on the floor a few years later Apple came out with its first Tower PC the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":167.84,"end_s":173.4,"text":"Macintosh Quadra 700 launched in 1991","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":171.08,"end_s":177.36,"text":"the Quadra 700 was unsurprisingly aimed at creatives much like today's Apple","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":175.519,"end_s":180.92,"text":"products still are back then the Macintosh lineup already had a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":179.04,"end_s":185.56,"text":"reputation for being being popular among desktop Publishers and Performing visual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":183.2,"end_s":189.92,"text":"design on a computer means that larger monitors have obvious advantages but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.159,"end_s":193.599,"text":"this was of course well before the era of the flat panel display that's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":191.799,"end_s":199.2,"text":"relatively lightweight even at bigger sizes instead the Quadra 700 was paired","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":196.159,"end_s":204.2,"text":"with a gigantic CRT monitor that weighed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.2,"end_s":206.519,"text":"79.6 lb or 36.1 kg big","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.2,"end_s":210.48,"text":"boy that kind of weight didn't exactly lend itself well to the monitor living","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.319,"end_s":214.48,"text":"on top of the computer case that monitor that we mentioned earlier that paired","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":211.76,"end_s":219.12,"text":"with the original IBM PC was only 122 lbs so that would be like stacking six","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.84,"end_s":224.159,"text":"of these on a single case plus a little extra so yeah apple decided to make the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":222.0,"end_s":228.08,"text":"Quadra 700 a tower so the absolute chungus of a monitor wouldn't be placed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":226.239,"end_s":232.079,"text":"on top of it and even if you weren't getting the biggest monitor out there","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":229.92,"end_s":236.04,"text":"larger heavier screens were becoming more common for average users","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":234.04,"end_s":239.36,"text":"simultaneously by the early 9s we'd come a long way from the days of needing to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.56,"end_s":244.4,"text":"insert and remove floppies quite as often meaning the extra flexibility and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":241.599,"end_s":249.28,"text":"space Savings of a floor standing Tower eclipse the older style horizontal PC in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":247.28,"end_s":253.68,"text":"popularity so of course now it's ironic that Tower PCS are now commonly kept on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":252.04,"end_s":258.32,"text":"desk as statement pieces at least if you're a gamer but of course towers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":255.799,"end_s":262.32,"text":"still do usually offer more space to build in than horizontal cases while","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":260.44,"end_s":267.44,"text":"having a smaller footprint contributing to their continued status as the go-to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":264.639,"end_s":271.84,"text":"option for a freestanding PC however case manufacturers still do make","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":269.72,"end_s":275.56,"text":"horizontal cases I'd just be a little leery about relying on a piece of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":273.84,"end_s":278.96,"text":"tempered glass to support the entire weight of your fancy ultrawide thanks","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":277.84,"end_s":284.16,"text":"for watching guys if you like this video check out our other video on the evolution of computer cases comment with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":282.28,"end_s":287.36,"text":"video suggestions and don't forget to subscribe and follow","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1}],"full_text":"if you're building or buying a new desktop PC we take it for granted these days that it'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 discs 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 Arms Reach on top of that the CRT monitor that shipped with the original PC wasn't all that big at only 12 in 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 disc 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 we'll give you some answers right after we thank ODU to try and carve your own space in the digital world without a website is Bonkers with ODU you can design and get your very own website up and running in no time at all thanks their intuitive codefree drag and drop elements and if you find yourself experiencing some writers block odu's AI copywriter is there to help you out oh and did we mention that it's uh free that's right and you even get unlimited hosting and a fully paid custom domain name for the first year visit our Link in the description and start building your very own website with ODU 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 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 lb or 36.1 kg 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 122 lbs 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 9s 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 eclipse 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 ultrawide thanks for watching guys if you like 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"}