Sure, we give you the usual list of specs for Stealth's newest small form factor PC, the WPC-500F -- which, frankly, isn't any different than your garden variety netbook -- but if you ask us, its most noteworthy feature is the ability to pour water on it all day without worrying about it fizzling out. Orders for the waterproof / water resistant machine are now being accepted, with prices starting at $1,995 and shipments going out in early July. If you really must know all the technical details, it's got a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330, integrated graphics, 2GB RAM, 80GB HDD with options for SSD, no optical bay, no WiFi, and Windows XP. However, we think it'll more fun to just send you past the break and watch the borderline sadomasochistic video demonstration.
Technically, you could pour water on your existing PC if you wanted, even submerge it - provided it was 100% pure water (meaning, no impurities, minerals, or ions of any sort). Distilled water from the grocery store gets pretty close. If you could do the process perfectly, you could throw your entire computer in a bucket of the stuff and nothing should happen. Maybe your fans will slow down due to the extra drag, though.
I bet the PC will still break anyway. Pure water at the grocery won't be 100% pure, even 99.99% pure water will conduct. Even if it really is 100% pure, it will just dissolve things on the PC as soon as you submerge it, then conduct..
There are highly insulating fluids on the market for immersion cooling of electronics. It's a specialist item as you might imagine, and has not caught on with the overclocking community.
Since the liquid is normally at room temperature, "traditional" approaches like phase-change and LN2/LH2 are probably going to be a better idea.
Thats just ridiculous, and doesn't actually make sense. If you poured 100% pure water (which does not conduct) onto any computer there would be all kinds of impurities and things waiting to dissolve on the PCB of the Motherboard, Graphics Card and Any other cards you have installed, you would destroy you computer instantly. There is no way ANY computer is clean enough. Sorry wouldn't work, but thanks for trying.
@BigD145: No, he meant common. As in it's so common for computer manufacturers to gouge their customers. Yes, yes, that must be it.
To all the people bitching about how the product is overpriced, why don't you just make and equivalent product and undercut their price. If there is such a huge profit margin, you'll be laughing all the way to the bank. Or...maybe when a company makes a specialty product and isn't moving milllions of units, it can't survive on extremely thin profit margins. Or...maybe Stealth is just ripping people off because they are the only game in town; wtf do I know?
Profit margins are meaningless without market share. Stealth has that already. Competing would take a minimum of one year and require quite a bit of investment capital. Stealth has government contracts. That alone equates to price gouging.
Actually if you submerse your computer in ultra pure water it will still very likely short out due to all the different kinds of particles (covering the computer and whatever you put the water in) that would immediately dissolve and dirty the water. Ultra pure water + real world computer = still dead, don't do that.
There are several tom's hardware's, an UK one, an american one, and the original german one, to name 3 (not sure there is a french one etc.) they have different styles from eachother although they come from the same root obviously.
A few things here. Obviously this is not meant for most readers here. But for alot of industrial situations, this is quite a practical piece of equipment. Something to be left outside.
Yes, it's expensive, but it's not a high volume device. And yes, you could make it yourself for alot less money (you've got good knowledge of the right milspec plugs to use?) but if you are buying and installing 50 of these, do you want to do all that?
Just saying, when you see something like this think about what it's target audience is.
Yes, not meant for the Engadget crowd. Considering the specs, this is still expensive since they probably are just throwing in a COTS Atom board.
I like the fact that they took a consumer, desktop chipset and CPU and spec'ed it from -20C to 75C, just for the hell of it. The components on those boards are 0 to 50C or 0 to 70C, but it is not industrial rated. Then they pick a processor that is not on Intel's embedded roadmap, and if previous report are true, they will discontinue this CPU in 6 months.
Do you really think when given $1700 you can't put a $300 atom-based thing in a waterproof box? Is it that incredible? All you need to do is connect the CPU with the case either directly or via a heatpipe to deal with the cooling, the rest is the same 'advanced technology' you average goof uses to slam together an aquarium, some silicon sealant and bob's your uncle.
That's nothing, try running a mac mini 30 feet underwater for 10 hours at a time. That's what my robotics team does, the word "water resistant" pales in comparison.
$200 for the internals and $1800 for a waterproof box and cables.... Hmm, it looks like waterproof box technology is far more complicated to implement then I thought. Though you could sell a full sized version of this for a real computer that a user would simply dunk into a fishtank for super water cooling, no pesky heatsinks necessary. Course that $1800 waterproofing still wouldn't sell even in a desktop.
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posted Jun 21st 2009 8:31PM
Submerge it, then I'll believe its really water proof. And how do we know its actually still working?
Oh yeah, I forgot something, FIRST
Nice little gadget for underwater pr0n.
that looked like a fetish video.
A better use would for people who own large boats and need a PC on board. I know a few who this would really be of interest to.
Technically, you could pour water on your existing PC if you wanted, even submerge it - provided it was 100% pure water (meaning, no impurities, minerals, or ions of any sort). Distilled water from the grocery store gets pretty close. If you could do the process perfectly, you could throw your entire computer in a bucket of the stuff and nothing should happen. Maybe your fans will slow down due to the extra drag, though.
Try asking the fire department to put out a blaze with distilled water.
I've got a weekend project.
That's why I bath in distilled water
*some guy breaks into my bathroom*
"Haha, Zac I will kill you now"
*they grab the radio playing smooth jazz and throw it into the tub*
*nothing happens, and the radio is still playing even*
FAIL
@ Zac: What fails? Your post, that's what.
That'd actually be a great cooling solution!
I bet the PC will still break anyway. Pure water at the grocery won't be 100% pure, even 99.99% pure water will conduct. Even if it really is 100% pure, it will just dissolve things on the PC as soon as you submerge it, then conduct..
@loosely
There are highly insulating fluids on the market for immersion cooling of electronics. It's a specialist item as you might imagine, and has not caught on with the overclocking community.
Since the liquid is normally at room temperature, "traditional" approaches like phase-change and LN2/LH2 are probably going to be a better idea.
Thats just ridiculous, and doesn't actually make sense. If you poured 100% pure water (which does not conduct) onto any computer there would be all kinds of impurities and things waiting to dissolve on the PCB of the Motherboard, Graphics Card and Any other cards you have installed, you would destroy you computer instantly. There is no way ANY computer is clean enough. Sorry wouldn't work, but thanks for trying.
flourinert is one example of an insulating liquid used for computer cooling
This video could've been 15 seconds long and got the desired effect. Longest. Pour. Ever.
That's what she.. ah never mind.
Biggest bucket ever!
not to you
Will it sink?
Well, this PC should be an easy one to water cool!
I hope the bill that outlaws water-boarding, has a provision for PCs.
Don't you mean "nettop?"
Not to be cynical but they put a £250 nettop in a box and charge £1000+ for it?.
$2,000? I mean common. Just stuff a $350 nettop into a waterproof box, seal the cable ports and there you go. Maybe add some pretty lights.
You're right. Being overpriced at $2k is common.
(Next time, try "come on".)
@BigD145: No, he meant common. As in it's so common for computer manufacturers to gouge their customers. Yes, yes, that must be it.
To all the people bitching about how the product is overpriced, why don't you just make and equivalent product and undercut their price. If there is such a huge profit margin, you'll be laughing all the way to the bank. Or...maybe when a company makes a specialty product and isn't moving milllions of units, it can't survive on extremely thin profit margins. Or...maybe Stealth is just ripping people off because they are the only game in town; wtf do I know?
Profit margins are meaningless without market share. Stealth has that already. Competing would take a minimum of one year and require quite a bit of investment capital. Stealth has government contracts. That alone equates to price gouging.
no freaking wi-fi?????
gurgle gurgle?
I need to pee.
well, it is waterproof, hmm...
Actually if you submerse your computer in ultra pure water it will still very likely short out due to all the different kinds of particles (covering the computer and whatever you put the water in) that would immediately dissolve and dirty the water. Ultra pure water + real world computer = still dead, don't do that.
They did it on toms hardware a while back so it is possible to achieve but yeah you would have to be really careful and have new parts.
Tom's Hardware rarely knows what they are doing.
There are several tom's hardware's, an UK one, an american one, and the original german one, to name 3 (not sure there is a french one etc.) they have different styles from eachother although they come from the same root obviously.
ok it's water proof but what about BONG water
that shit is nasty
nobody cares that you do pot, you're not a badass, get the fuck over it.
I wish pot was legal so stoners would shut up about it already.
that is because you seemingly haven't seen bong water. it IS nasty...
No one cares that you're an uptight asshole about it either, Brian.
Too much for something that's likely not welded shut.
Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "liquid cooled".
Stop waterboarding PC's! End the torture....
Its not torture or all pc torture test would include it!
Magic Bottomless Bucket.
A few things here. Obviously this is not meant for most readers here.
But for alot of industrial situations, this is quite a practical piece of equipment. Something to be left outside.
Yes, it's expensive, but it's not a high volume device.
And yes, you could make it yourself for alot less money (you've got good knowledge of the right milspec plugs to use?) but if you are buying and installing 50 of these, do you want to do all that?
Just saying, when you see something like this think about what it's target audience is.
Yes, not meant for the Engadget crowd. Considering the specs, this is still expensive since they probably are just throwing in a COTS Atom board.
I like the fact that they took a consumer, desktop chipset and CPU and spec'ed it from -20C to 75C, just for the hell of it. The components on those boards are 0 to 50C or 0 to 70C, but it is not industrial rated. Then they pick a processor that is not on Intel's embedded roadmap, and if previous report are true, they will discontinue this CPU in 6 months.
Water resistant is an easy classification to obtain in CE testing. How well will it perform submerged in 33 degree water?
Better than it would perform in boiling water.
be interesting to see how much under water pressure it can withstand before busting.
now apple will say ,our Macs are drier than their PCs
.....they will definitely think of something to say ....
Poor trolling attempt is poor.
Hey, at least you don't have to worry about cooling, right?
seems like you could waterproof any old pc for way cheaper than 2 grand
I want to know why they didn't just dunk it in a tank for a minute instead. I mean if it's really waterproof, then submerge it.
Do you really think when given $1700 you can't put a $300 atom-based thing in a waterproof box? Is it that incredible? All you need to do is connect the CPU with the case either directly or via a heatpipe to deal with the cooling, the rest is the same 'advanced technology' you average goof uses to slam together an aquarium, some silicon sealant and bob's your uncle.
Will it blend?
*Do do do dooo*
That's nothing, try running a mac mini 30 feet underwater for 10 hours at a time. That's what my robotics team does, the word "water resistant" pales in comparison.
Is it resistant to gallons of breast milk?
This PC is perfect for twitting when in the tub!
I guess this thing is the ultimate winner in any pissing contest...
Now this is real watercooling ;)
Buy a beagleboard, buiold a case.
Admittidly not the specs of this machine but about 1000 pounds cheaper...
After watching that video, for some reason, now i feel the need to pee
I know there is no fan, but this is a ridiculously inefficient way of cooling it! ;-)
bukkake?
$200 for the internals and $1800 for a waterproof box and cables.... Hmm, it looks like waterproof box technology is far more complicated to implement then I thought. Though you could sell a full sized version of this for a real computer that a user would simply dunk into a fishtank for super water cooling, no pesky heatsinks necessary. Course that $1800 waterproofing still wouldn't sell even in a desktop.