What is Pizza Box Computer

Definition of Computer Pizza Box

Pizza Box Computer. Pizza Box denotes a case design for desktop PCs. The shape of the box is evocative of this one, which is in the English pizza box. In computing, a pizza box is a type of box for computers or network switches.

It is usually fragile, usually one or two shelves (1U or 2U) high, which makes it complete and flat, being very similar to the boxes in which the pizza distributes. The housings range so that a monitor can be placed on top, for example, standing on a desk.

History of the Pizza Box computer

• The first computer of this type was Sun’s desktop workstations.
• Other common examples were NeXT station from NeXT Computer and Macintosh LC from Apple.
• Over the years, the pizza box design supersedes the tower design (with the computer cases positioned vertically under the desk).

The term is used informally for 19-inch tech shell shapes and a height unit for shelf mounting in the server arena.

Characteristics of the pizza box computer

• The first computers, whose box refers commonly to as a pizza box, were advanced computers like the Sun Microsystems workstations sold in the 1980s, especially the SPARCstation 1 and SPARCstation 5.
• Other famous cases include SGI Indy, NeXT Station, Macintosh LC, and Commodore Amiga 1000 – all considered the best computers of their generation.
• The unique design of the SPARC station 1 includes SBus expansion technology, which develops specifically for this form factor.
• Expansion cards are small, particularly compares to other expansion cards in use today. Like VME bus and are mounted horizontally instead of vertically.
• IBM-compatible PCs used with this type of PCI bus cage are restricts to one or two horizontally mounted PCs mounted with riser or low profile cards.
• The density of computing power and the ability to stack pizza box systems also make them attractive for data centers.

This equipment design is originally for the office. It was placed on the shelves and sometimes required cutting part of the box to fit—servers in this format designed to mount shelves.

Likewise, many companies have started to develop high-end Ethernet switches in this form factor for superior rack mounting.

Uses of Pizza box computer

The use of pizza boxes has declined mainly due to increased desktops for ventilation and expansion.

It made the creation of towers and monitored the de facto standard. Pizza Box Computer continues to occupy a niche market for branded commercial computers (Dell or Hewlett Packard computers). It is still the format which uses most extensively in rack-mounted servers, switches, and routers.

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