Blade server rack from behind

Dell has not traditionally been known for its design, particularly in the area of enterprise machines. That is why, according to Tom Deelman, Dell senior manager for usability, the company has taken extra pains to try to stand out from the likes of Hewlett-Packard and IBM.

For Dell, the devil is in the details. Here, for example, is the back of a blade server rack. Instead of just creating holes for fan units to push air out of the back, Dell's designers decided to design the fan unit itself, just like a separate product. The fan units, of which there are three rows of three, were modeled after an F-18 jet's air intake. Dell hopes design decisions like that, when taken as a whole, will inspire customers to trust the machine, and the brand as a whole, more.