Dell's Dimension XXXX era


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fClXA.jpg

Every time I see one of these things, I can't get over how ****ing ugly they are. Were these somehow considered tasteful back when they were produced, or were they as ugly then as they are now? I mean, I like classic cars, and old-styles houses, so it's not like I'm just anti-old.

So happy they moved on to their silver and black styled models, rather then that ugly purplish crap.

dell_vostro_220mt_3__46693.jpg

Now THERE is a fine looking desktop PC.

ITT, sexy computer designs from standard OEM builds (and their older counterparts just for fun and comparison, if you want)

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Were these somehow considered tasteful back when they were produced, or were they as ugly then as they are now?

Tasteful, possibly. Stylish, yes, at the time.

What you need to realise is that before that, every PC case was a boring beige box. Literally a box in some cases, as style was often an after thought. Later, as the "home" PC began to take off, curves, scallops and other interesting shapes began to appear. Then came colour, which was primarily black and grey, and often in the same designs as their beige predecessors. It was all new and continually evolving, including the manufacturing processes.

As it still is today. One day I guarantee you'll look back at today's PC cases and say exactly the same thing.

What about this Dimension XXXX model:

Dell5150_Big.jpg

That is what my Dimension looks like, it looked good when I got it and still looks good now (well I think so) :happy:

However, the one posted in the first post? that thing looks hideous....

The Vostro above looks nearly the same as my HP Pavilion Elite. I've noticed that nearly every major OEM has gone to that "piano black with chrome trim" look now. It looks nice, but it is damned hard to tell the difference between different models other than the logo on them. Walk into Best Buy and all you see is a wall of shiny black boxes.

Between those older Dimensions and the Optiplex, hard to tell which are the ugliest, but then again, I didn't care what they looked like as long as they worked.

My wife is still using that exact computer in first post running Windows 7 Ultimate on one drive and Windows 7 Professional on another. Works perfectly!

My wife is still using that exact computer in first post running Windows 7 Ultimate on one drive and Windows 7 Professional on another. Works perfectly!

Just curious, what possible reason would someone have for dual-booting both Ultimate and Professional?

What about this Dimension XXXX model:

Dell5150_Big.jpg

True, I forgot about those. They are nice looking. I was thinking of the purely numeric models though, not the EXXX ones.

I think you'll find it's called "Midnight Grey" ;)

Haha. That's like choosing vomit yellow as your color, and calling it "Forest Green".

I think they should have called it "Spoiled Grape"

IMO it's got nothing on this:

102711736.01.01.lg.JPG

ITS TEH FASTEST COMPUTAR IN TEH WERLD!!!

Haha. That's like choosing vomit yellow as your color, and calling it "Forest Green".

I think they should have called it "Spoiled Grape"

I've never understood how anyone who had actually seen that model in real life (other than just pictures - I admit the picture above has a purple tint, but the whole picture looks a little off due to the flash being used) could call that color anything but gray. Where are people seeing "purple" in it??? I had a similar model, and have worked on many (MANY) more, under many different lighting conditions, and I've never seen one that didn't look gray.

I just looked it up, and those are the new style too.

I guess I got a bit mixed up. Seems like they switched their style over after 4xxx

Edit: Unless you mean the 5150 laptop, which I also have sitting in front of me. And those things are only slightly less ugly then the old desktops

I've got a couple dozen sitting on a shelf across the room from me, plus the dozens I work on every month. I don't see how it ISN'T purple....

Now, the question is, which one of us is colorblind?

What kind of light source are you using?? I know that I'm not colorblind, but until you started this thread, I've never seen one that looked purple. Maybe you have ones from an odd batch where the plastic was tinted a little differently than the ones we had here in the US. I've also never heard anyone refer to them as purple either.

That is what my Dimension looks like, it looked good when I got it and still looks good now (well I think so) :happy:

However, the one posted in the first post? that thing looks hideous....

I still have one of these too. If it didn't work so well I'd replace it, but there isn't anything wrong with it functionally so it is difficult to justify the outlay of replacing it.

I've had it for 4 years now and it is still running strong...

What kind of light source are you using?? I know that I'm not colorblind, but until you started this thread, I've never seen one that looked purple. Maybe you have ones from an odd batch where the plastic was tinted a little differently than the ones we had here in the US. I've also never heard anyone refer to them as purple either.

I live in NYC... and every one I see is the same sickly color as the one in my first post.

Do you have a photo of a grey one?

Edit: TBH, I call them black when I'm in the shop, but that's more because I feel dumb saying "the purple dimension 3000".

I still have one of these too. If it didn't work so well I'd replace it, but there isn't anything wrong with it functionally so it is difficult to justify the outlay of replacing it.

I've had it for 4 years now and it is still running strong...

Yep, mine is nearly 4 years old too and running strong. Has a few minor issues that can be delt with and just like you, while it continues to run well can't justify replacing it :)

IMO it's got nothing on this:

102711736.01.01.lg.JPG

Oh dear Lord :rofl:

I remember that being sold in the Scholastic book flyer back in elementary school, complete with blue CRT monitor, keyboard, and mouse. There was a Barbie equivalent if I recall correctly. I thought it was a pretty cool looking machine at the time - way better than my beige box. :p

edit: It was either the flyers, or Toys 'R Us. Probably the latter.

I still have the Dim 8400. Guess what? It works Win Vista and 7 just fine.

I agree with the others re: "it's just a box," as long as it's not that hideous beige.

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