Automated system for facilitating creation of a rack-mountable component personal computer

An automated system for facilitating creation of a compatible rack-mountable component computer, comprising:

• data storage circuitry for containing a database of component data, said component data including alternative computer components and a group of computer component characteristics associated with each of said alternative computer components;
• data display circuitry for displaying representations, on an associated display device, a list of said alternative computer components;
• data input circuitry for accepting user selection data from said user, said user selection data including chosen ones of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components;
• and
• data processing circuitry for evaluating a compatibility of said chosen ones of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components, said evaluating uses said associated group of computer component characteristics to determine said compatibility, said chosen ones of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components forming a portion of computer configuration data,
• wherein said data display circuitry displays said computer configuration data to said user, and
• wherein said display circuitry further displays a graphical depiction of an external appearance of a mounting rack on the display device, and as said user chooses one of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components, the graphical depiction of the external appearance of the mounting rack is updated to display graphical representations of the chosen computer component, thus allowing said user to visually monitor the creation of said rack-mountable component computer.

A computer readable medium containing program instructions for assembling computer configuration data for a configured computer from component data and user selection data, said configuration data to be displayed on a display device, said computer readable medium comprising:

• computer readable program instructions for displaying on the display device multiple portions of said component data to a user, said component data being displayed includes a list of alternative computer components and a group of computer component characteristics associated with each of said alternative computer components;
• computer readable program instructions for receiving said user selection data from said user, said user selection data identifying chosen ones of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components;
• computer readable program instructions for evaluating a compatibility among said chosen ones of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components, said evaluating employs at least said associated group of computer component characteristics to determine said compatibility, said chosen ones of said computer components from said list of alternative computer components forming a portion of said computer configuration data;
• and
• computer readable program instructions code outputting said computer configuration data to said display device.