"Nintendo like" motherboards..........

[bob05]

You probably heard of this but Intel is changing form factors agian. This new "Tidewater"(it might be "Big water") form factor will leave room for "cartridge like" expansion slots. It sounds like (the cartridge part, anyway) an over blown/over hyped PCIMDA slot that has more bells and whistles. But I do like Intel motherboards so i'll have to see it before I judge it........

here's a link:http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-847706.html

[bob05]

here's another link : http://www.siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20020227S0033

[ukulele]

One major disadvantage I can see is the Intel name which to me translates to expensive, hyped up, incompatable junk, especially Intel motherboards. I am sure there is a few out there who will howle like caged baboons, and tell me what a dimwit I am, but the fact is I don't even want to look at another Intel mother board as long as I live. I just put together three computers, one a PCCHIPS with SIS chipset, one an AOpen with a VIA chipset and one an Asus with Intel chipset. The only one that gave me any grief is the Intel. It is still is not working right and has been back three times, cause every time the owner tries to install a new part it up chucks and crashes to oblivion. I also am now about to RMA an Intel modem for the second time. The first one just didn't work right at all, and the second one crashed every driver in the system the instant the driver was loaded. Intel parts may be good for aliens who want to watch the Osborns, but they ain't worth a plug nickle to me, and I have no doubt at all that any new platforms that Intel comes up with will be as obsolite as buggy whips by the end of the first quarter. We shall see. :D

[Benssax]

I have 4 computers on intel chipsets and We have never had problems.. To me intel is the most stable and they are very fast chipsets..

We have 3 Abit Motherboards on intel chipset and 1 Asus (Mine) on a Intel chipsets. Never have problems..

[$1500-P4 gamer]

I totally agree with ya. The only baords that ever gave me issues where a) pcchips anything! b)sis and via chipsets. Specifically the excell 2000 SIS and the Via apollo pro both were slow and had alot of incompatabiltiys. Like rejected certain add on cards (sis) and not running some software for no apparent reason. The via just had plain old slow mem control. It and the Excell 2000 actually score 1/4th the mem bandwidth of what a Bx mobo by Intel does!
All my Intel mobos are very fast,very reliable and not a single software hardware issue in a single one of them! I dont where these claims of instable intel mobo's come from? As I have yet to see any of mine act funny. O.K. I had a bX mobo die-but it was 2 years later and what case cooling. Didnt have a single extra fan, and I also was told it died from EM. Other than ONE board out of many not a single prob. Nor a single complaint from any local shops. Most the time people slam Intel mobo's you can tell. Its just because they dislike Intel-no other reason. No offense, ukulele but I just cant follow where your coming from. Maybe if I had even one Intel related prob. (the bx prob. was the mobo manufac.s fault as none else had this issue) Still a smooth ride all the way with a Intel mobo for me. Plus I like not having to update chipset drivers every other day. Intel gives you that!;) :t ;) :t

[ukulele]

No offense, ukulele but I just cant follow where your coming from.

Hey, whatever works for ya'. I know people that sink thousands of bucks into computers too. They don't run any better then mine. If there is one thing I have learned though about Intel products is you have to say your prayers first before you try to fire it up. I have yet to see an Intel system that worked right from the get go, and I have set up half a dozen cheapo Pcchips sissy boards with no problems at all, unless of course it was using an Intel chipset. Why this is I can't say, but one thing is for sure I don't like them and they don't like me. I used to like spending hours or even days trying to tweak the system to work good, now I just want the damned thing to work period. ;)