Portsmouth-based manufacturer and retailer Novatech has helped to design the world’s first PC using the Intel Centrino 2 Montevina chipset.

One of the main advantages of the all-in-one Solo desktop PC product is that its mobile technology uses 50 per cent less electricity than a normal PC, according to commercial director of Novatech, Kriss Pomroy.

The larger 19in screen and tidy design of the PC will also appeal to users. PCs do not have to be ugly to be green, he argued.

Pomroy himself produced most of the specifications for the Solo range. “It looks very simple with a classic design. It is packed with features, but they are all neatly tucked away.

“It comes loaded with communications gadgets ­ it has Bluetooth, Firewire and HDMI. It offers easy access through a rear panel to allow engineers quick access to the components if any work needs to be carried out,” he said.

Making the project engineer-friendly might endear the vendor to the corporate IT buyer. On the other hand the look and feel of the product have been designed to appeal directly to the user.

Ambience is important in PC design, he said. By optimising power, the Solo, which stands for ‘so low’, need only have one fan.

Noiseless PCs help create a nicer work environment, he argued.
The system took 18 months to design, with Pomroy and colleagues collaborating closely with Clevo, its Taiwanese manufacturing partner. Surprisingly, given the language differences, they achieved this through instant messaging rather than a visual conference system such as videoconferencing.

“It looks very interesting and it should be a very exciting new product,” said Sally Chen, Chevo’s client liaison manager.
In today’s brutally competitive PC market, said Pomroy, it is absolutely vital to think creatively in order to differentiate your product.