Features you would like to see in a new Tower case

[Boot_WB]

Hi,

I'm looking for brainstorming ideas, and you guys & gals are the experts.

What features would you expect/like/wish to see in any new tower case designed for existing amiga motherboards.

Examples: front USB ports, multiple drive LEDs, temperature controlled case fans..

Fantasise - there are no boundaries here, all suggestions are welcome, please do not criticise or flame any suggestions at this stage.

Thanks. :-)

[Angus]

For starters, how about easy access?

Most Amiga people are going to be inside their towers a fair bit, I would think. Asmuch as I like my Power Tower, the 4 (screwdriver required) screws and lift off the top-n-sides piece is a bit of a pain, with too much potential for damage and impact, if you know what I mean.
 

[LawlessPPC]

the one most important feature i would like to see in a future tower has got to be a new amiga with OS4 installed



L8rs

[amigadave]

@LawlessPPC,

You beat me to the best suggestion.

 :-D

[DrDekker]

If we're considering tower cases for towerising A1200's say, and not just new builds, then I'd like to see a vga port complete with SD/FF and/or at the very least, a scart socket in there.

[cv643d]

For the A1200 I would like to see the motherboard laying down horizontal and a U-adapter for the turbo board shipping with the tower. If you could fold the turbo board over the motherboard, the size of the A1200 could dramatically be shortened and making a smaller tower could then be a reality.

[Effy]

I would like to have as much expansions as possible and doing it the complicated way : use a pc motherboard with everything on board, usb, firewire, network, and then link the pc to the A1200 with pcmcia networkcard. This way you have access to firewire and usb devices that are connected to the pc  :lol: In other words, use the pc as a slave  :-D

[marcfrick2112]

Hmm, I would like a front-panel 'media-bay' USB, memory card
slots,
not sure about the feasability of FireWire on Amigas. (has to
be built into an accelerator card, I have heard??)
A second vote for an easier-to-open tower case....also have a Power Tower
 and I love it, but worry about when I have to take off the
cover to upgrade RAM, replace floppy drive, etc. BUT, I would
want any new tower to be built as strong as the PowerTower,
....it's not the prettiest, doesn't have all the fancy features,
but it works,....my current A1200 PowerTower setup has
outlasted any other Amiga system I have ever owned...

I actually would like an LED-lighted fan controller thing, if
it was made in a color that matched the tower case....


Would kind of like a special power LED/switch done in the shape of a
boing ball, maybe with one of those color-cahnging LED's,
hooked up to some sort of relay/timer to cycle colors for
about 10 seconds, while the Amiga boots....no, I don't know how
this would be done...but the LED's are available in the US.

[Boot_WB]

@Angus, marcfrick2112

Agreed about the easy access bit, I'm just glad they used standard case screws and not custom ones, as I'd have worn the thread off of them by now otherwise :-D .

@DrDekker

You're right, although the cost increase in this as a standard feature could make it prohibitive.  The VGA/scart could be something to plan for as an option, perhaps having a monitor switcher built in could be the way to go about it, thus allowing the user to fit a scandoubler (if required).

@CV643D

Something I've thought about myself in the past also.  Two things have always got in the way - Having a U-bend over the motherboard would prevent the fitting of a mediator/other busboard, having the u-bend bent under the motherboard would make the case excessively deep.  Perhaps a right-angled bend so that the turboboard extends in a direction away from the backplane?  I'm not sure whether this would affect timings or any such like - I would imagine not, given that such extenders exist (albeit in a smaller form) for the busboards.  

@Effy

I like it!  Similar to, but more modern and more focused than, the siamese-system hardware/software solution.  Perhaps a mini-itx motherboard with just ethernet and a small dedicated hard-drive.  It would be nice to get one of those SBC pci cards.

@marcfrick2112

Agreed, no infinitiv plasticky crap :-) ! I like the sound of the LED colour changer - possibly reflecting hard-drive activity?

Thankyou all, please keep the suggestions coming.  Can't promise they will all be implemented, or indeed that any product will eventually appear, but the design process is something I personally find rewarding.  The minimum result will be a product design specification.  The maximum result will be a new Amiga tower case.

@LawlessPPC, AmigaDave

Alas, it is not within my power to produce such.  Perhaps something will appear in Italy later this month.  :roll:

[keropi]

an AGA/RTG switch built in, automatic!

[motorollin]

keropi wrote:
an AGA/RTG switch built in, automatic!

That's the best suggestion yet!

--
moto

[stopthegop]

* I would like to see an all (or mostly) metal design.  The plastic front on the mediator gets inevitably cracked the more times you assemble/disassemble the case.  

* I would also like MORE ROOM, especially greater distance laterally betwween the front and rear 3.5" and 5 1/4" drive bays.

* A better solution to those crappy LED/power connectors.  How about running all those wires to a single PCB that is mounted safely out of harms so they don't pop loose every time you have to stick your hand down in there to change a jumper?

* Ability to access the Amiga accelerator card without total disassembly.  For example, to change a defective SIMM, set a jumper, etc..    

[maffoo]

Not really a feature as such, but I'd like towers available at a much cheaper price. The only thing keeping me from getting a DBox tower is the cost (£139 for the tower, before I even consider essentials like a keyboard interface, floppy drive with fascia etc.) A bit too much really, when el-cheapo PC cases can be had for £10 or less. I know I can't really compare as an A1200 tower needs to be designed with a suitable backplate etc. and also allow addons like Mediator, but it would be nice if they were a little cheaper!

What I want is an affordable, decent looking tower (doesn't have to be flashy, just not repulsive!) with a good variety of upgrade options (Mediator, scandoubler etc.)

[Boot_WB]

@stopthegop

I guess you're talking about the infinitiv tower?  Totally agree, plastic was a big mistake there.

@keropi, motorollin - tricky to do without building in a scandoubler, as the reliance would be on a monitor syncing down to 15kHz.  Perhaps having a monitor switch (automatic or manual) with input ports on the backplane, so RTG and (either) scandoubled output or AGA (for those with multisync) could be connected into the switch.

@Maffoo

Price is always an issue :-) - am thinking possibly of a basic package with 'options' available for those who want them, such as the monitor switch, etc.

[Framiga]

a good cooling scheme, a removable side panel and a (most important thing) a custom/replaceable back panel for A1200 and A4000 .... thats all i need :-)

Edit- and as big as the PowerTower at least.