Digital PCs to have Intel's NLX inside

Digital has become the first vendor to ship PCs featuring Intel's NLX motherboard specification, which claims to ease servicing and upgrades.

NLX, which Digital helped to develop, is designed to give easy access to the motherboard, disk and other system components so parts can be inspected, replaced or upgraded in a simple operation. The new design will ship in all new PC models from Digital.

Howard Elias, VP of Digital's PC business unit, said the design cuts complexity and costs of manufacturing PCs, and those benefits are passed on to the customers.

Prices on the firm's Venturis and Celebris ranges, based on Pentium and Pentium Pro respectively, were slashed from six per cent to 22 per cent.

This was partly because of economies derived from NLX and partly a move to counter recent price cuts from competitors, such as Compaq.