IBMs ThinkCentre S50 Desktop, which takes advantage of the newly launched Intel 865G “Springdale” chip set, was built with low maintenance in mind.
Released in May, the S50, which starts at $729, features a tool-free chassis design and is held together by thumbscrews. Components inside the machine, such as the hard drive, are mounted in isolated caddies that are easy to access and swap out. The machine is also quiet—so quiet my cubemates didnt even know it was on.
The S50 model I tested was armed with the 865G chip set and a 3GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor. The desktop, which had 512MB of RAM, also featured Gigabit Ethernet, Serial ATA and eight USB ports (two with front access). Measuring 3.3 inches by 12.2 inches by 14.1 inches, the S50 is 62 percent smaller than the traditional IBM desktop, according to Big Blue.
The S50 also features IBMs Rapid Restore Ultra, a one-button backup and recovery solution that restores previously saved data, settings and applications after a software failure—comfort for every IT manager who has faced the blue screen of death.
More information is at www.ibm.com.