ANTEC Interview Questions

[Computer-Ed]

Guys it will take me a while to parse out exact quotes and some of them are a bit long but here are the answers to each of your questions:

onebxr: Why the move by so many case manufacturers from the use of removable motherboard trays?

Answer: The removeable motherboard tray might be a nice feature for the serious tweaker but for the vast majority the need to remove the baord and easily swap parts just does not exist. Additionally the removable tray just adds another place for vibration to become a factor and reduce quiet PC operation. For most consumers this is a none issue and thus why companies have begun to abandon the design. Also of note Antec only has one case EVER in it's hisotry with the removable tray.

gvblake22: Over the years many companies have recieved critism for making front door panels out of flimsy material, especially when compared to the side panels. With the P182 we this is corrected, will we see the same treatment on future Antec cases.

Answer: Antec is looking at beefing up the doors and hinges on future designs. On the P180 with the P180b and P182 the door went from a 2 panel to 3 panel build, thus beefing it up a lot. The new Sonota will also have a better made door. However the door front design is beginning to fade, the original need which was due to not finding optical drives to match case finishes has all but vanished. As such the need for doors is greatly reduced and few designs in the future will have them.

gvblake22: Concerning the use of a door on the case front, why has there never been a design that allowed for the door to be flipped and thus open the opposite direction if the user wanted it to? Could we see this feature on future Antec cases?

Answer: before I tell the answer I have to say this is the first time in an interview I have ever heard the person stop and really consider what I was saying so deeply. The answer is he is not sure why this has not been done, he thinks this should be done and he will be speaking to his people about doing this.

garetjax: It just seems to me that enclosures are staying the same size, while the components that are installed in them are getting bigger, beefier and heavier. Does Antec have plans to address these concerns with future products?

Answer: The short answer to this is YES they do know of this and will be addressing it in future designs. The long answer is a bit better however. When it comes to the oversized PSU Antec has a different answer. Since this was said during the recording of an interview to be aired I am presuming I am giving nothing away. Antec will soon be releasing their own 1000 Watt PSU, this PSU however is different from others, first it is NOT oversized. They have done some work on the interal designed and managed to fit the whole thin in standard sized PSU box. There is more however, this will be the FIRST, as near as we know, 80Plus certified PSU with this level of power. So not only will this fit easily in standard cases but it will run super effecient and cool.

Capper, I checked the board just before the interview began and missed your post.

Thanks everyone for the questions and as soon as this is going to air live I will post here to let everyone know so they can tune in. The above answers are NOT exact quotes but I have relistened to the sections and verified them for accuracy and not my interpetation of what was said.

[onebxr]

Why are case manufaturers going away from the removeable motherboard tray?
-1

[gvblake22]

Despite years and years of criticism for Antec's plastic front doors and hinges, they are still being used. Can we expect any cases that completely do away with the critical plastic parts?

Speaking of front doors, making a versatile case that allows the user to switch the opening direction of the door or remove it completely would be very nice. Are there any plans for such a feature in a next generation Antec case?

[Computer-Ed]

Originally Posted by gvblake22

Despite years and years of criticism for Antec's plastic front doors and hinges, they are still being used. Can we expect any cases that completely do away with the critical plastic parts?

gvblake22: I will be using your questions but this particualr one part of the answer is that this is being corrected, the Antec P182 has a SOLID front door panel, the same material as the side panel.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

gvblake22: I will be using your questions but this particualr one part of the answer is that this is being corrected, the Antec P182 has a SOLID front door panel, the same material as the side panel.

But aren't the hinges still some sort of plastic design? I'm thinking of parts like the Lian Li front doors and the Cooler Master Cavalier 3...

[Computer-Ed]

You know I would have to go look...

[garetjax]

Ed, do you have the info if someone wanted to tune in to your show and listen to it streamed over the 'net?

As far as questions go, one I would like to be answered is whether or not computer enclosure companies, such as Antec, will start catering more to the SLI crowd by enlarging case dimensions to adequately fit and support the components for it, such as 1KW PSU's and dual slot videocards that are nearing, if not exceeding the 10" length mark. How will this affect case (and more importantly), airflow design?

It just seems to me that enclosures are staying the same size, while the components that are installed in them are getting bigger, beefier and heavier. Does Antec have plans to address these concerns with future products?

Thanks!

-GJ

[Computer-Ed]

Okay 15 minutes to the interview so questions are done. This is not live but a recorded interview, this particular interview will likely not be aired for a few weeks. Our show can be heard live on the internet at WJPF.COM on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 PM CST OR go to computered.wordpress.com for a direct link.

The show is not on the air for the next 2 weeks due to scheduling conflicts. However if Capper can do it I will post the editted recording here.

[Capper]

Tell Scott I said Howdy

[Computer-Ed]

Answers posted, thread bumped