Having personally worked on at least 150 different
computers in my life, I can honestly say that Compaq has the worst
architecture of any
mainstream manufacturer I've come across. Sure, there are the
no-name companies that produce
proprietary computers, but you could expect that from some smaller companies. I've never come across a "
standard shaped computer" from Compaq. I've seen proprietary
motherboard expansions, proprietary
IDE ribbons (or at least IDE looking ribbons), and proprietary
power supply connectors.
One day, I was at a LAN party and I needed to install a NIC in a friend's Compaq. After some difficulty trying to remove the case, I realized that the case went all the way around the computer, including the bottom. Everyone in the room cracked up.