We loved the well-considered design of Hewlett-Packard's new Vectra XU 5/90C. We tested the 90-MHz version of this PCI-based system; a 100-MHz version should be available by the time you read this. The XU series offers mass storage (both IDE and SCSI-2), networking, and video integrated on the motherboard via the 32-bit PCI bus. The standard on-board video accelerator is an S3 chip set that can display up to 1280- by 1024-pixel resolution. However, our test model was configured with an optional higher-performance video card, Matrox's MGA II. Standard networking features are the 32-bit PCT Ethernet interface and both coaxial and 10Base-T UTP (unshielded twisted-pair) connectors.
The internal design of the system is ingenious for making it easy to access components (see the phot
ographs). On the right side of the Vectra XU, the hinged power supply swings up onto the midsection of the system, out of the way, to expose the SIMM slots, the secondary cache, and a second available Pentium socket. The internal hard drive, at the center rear, also flips up (after the removal of one screw) to expose the backs of all the other drives, as well as all the cabling for the integrated controllers.
Photograph: With the power supply up, memory and CPUs (two here) are easily accessible.
Photograph: The power supply and hard drive flip up for internal access.
Flexible C++
Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it
is
theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.
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We loved the well-considered design
