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Gigazone Redefines the Living Room PC

Gigazone has a unique definition of the "living room PC": computers that are actually built into the various components of the room itself.

June 5, 2012

TAIPEI—We've all heard the phrase "living room PC" before, but it tends to mean different things depending on who's saying it. Is it a desktop with performance and capabilities suitable for everyone in the family? A laptop you can use from your couch? Or maybe a dedicated home theater PC?

These are all perfectly good guesses. But at Computex 2012, it's pretty clear that Gigazone has a unique definition in mind: computers that are actually built into the various components of the room itself.

Yes, really. Under the imprint GIF, short for Gigabyte Innovative Furniture, Gigazone (the parent company of well-known component manufacturer Gigabyte) has devised a series of furnishings that house actual computers without forsaking the style you want from your interior decorations.

In their special display room, located in the Grand Hyatt here, the Gigazone folks are showing off a coffee table (or, as they called it, a tea table), a two-section entertainment center, and a desk in which the hardware isn't just visible—it's an integral part of the design. Located in most cases beneath glass enclosures (one half of that entertainment center is a drawer that can hide the system), it's out of the way and yet contributing to an undeniably modern aesthetic.

Though each of the Gigabyte Innovative Furniture pieces are eye-catching, a couple of caveats are worth keeping in mind. First, you need to think of the furniture as a component that's as important as the motherboard or the video card: You'll need to do a lot of the installation yourself, and figure out the best way to route cables to keep your systems free of clutter. You might not need as much know-how as you would to construct a full PC, but you'll need more than you do to determine the perfect end table to go with your sofa.

Second: Gigabyte Innovative Furniture is not yet available in the United States. So, for now, enjoy the images of the furniture pieces above, and don't be surprised if you see more like them, whether from Gigabyte or another company, sometime soon. With computers becoming more integral to our lives every day, it's only a matter of time until you're not just using a computer from your couch, but you're using a computer that is your couch.

For more from Computex, see the slideshow below.