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The Ultimate PC Case - Continued
chrisd writes " While surfing, I found a link to the PCMODS site which sells all kinds of cool stuff to trick out your PC. I'm talking big plexiglass windows. Neon! Aluminum cases! Lights! I see a link to thinkgeek but I guess TG doesn't carry thier stuff yet. Way cool though. But, a company called Plycon has their stuff and other cool stuff. So go accessorize that case cowboy!" Ant also sent in a story on the creation of a portable desktop - inside of an aluminum briefcase. Supercool as well.
With my current primary PC, I settled for a compromise between looks and functionality and got an Antec SOHO server case. It has two 80mm fan mounts at the anterior, two 80mm fan mounts at the posterior, a detachable, locking side panel, and a neat sliding "drive rail" system for the 5.25" bays. It's also very roomy. At $80 before shipping, it wasn't cheap, but it was definitely worth it.
While I know it's irrational, I just love cool looking case. My next PC will likely live in a Yeong Yang YY-8201 (miniNLX form factor) if I can find a decent mainboard for it.
All generalizations are false.
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I like to watch.
- Success of General Motors over Ford Motor Company.
- Success of Nokia 5100 series of cell phones
- iAnything.
- The entire fashion industry.
- Andy Warhol
- Boy/Girl bands
- Wired magazine
I could go on, but I think its clear that consumers prefer style to substance.Eventullay a numeric keypad sticking on it to do like a house entrance / car alarm (very 'jacky').
Some of this mods are functionnal btw.
#include "coucou.h"
Well, I'm not seeing many defending style, so I will. A disclaimer though - when I spend my computing dollars, I'll get a larger monitor, faster processor, and more memory before any stylistic considerations (and often, style doesn't make it onto the list).
The argument "Style over substance" is valid when marketing and design is used to make a sub-standard product look better simply by improving it's physical appearance. I cringe when relatives buy a poor performing PC, simply because it looked sexier than the alternatives.
But you don't have to sacrifice style for performance. The performance of a PC is not inversely proportional to how good it looks. Some of you have probably seen some pretty sexy looking heavy metal, and some of the highest performing notebooks also look pretty sharp.
We've all been duped by experience to trust that ugly=value. That's from the days when the big domestic guys were making pretty and expensive boxes, while the overseas guys were making ugly and cheap boxes. If you had tech skill, you passed on the pretty hand-holding models and went straight for the foreign boxes, with questionable configurations and lots of driver disks.
We no longer live in those times. You can buy an excellent PC over the Internet, that's fully functional. If you want to build one yourself, you can do that, but often the savings isn't worth the time (the people that know how to do it are worth quite a bit per hour).
So, why are PC's still ugly? Because we still buy them ugly, 'cause we think ugly=value=power. That's a larger factor than other considerations, especially since a little design may even help with cooling problems.
I much prefer my 1930's house with ivy and a little yard to a warehouse with a raised floor for easy cable access. I prefer my hardwood floors to 1/16 inch, easy to vacuum carpet. If prefer my home office, with a view of my yard and my dogs, to my cubicle at work (even though the cubicle is nice as cubicles go). I prefer my slashdot posts with nice formatting, well-thought out ideas, and most of the grammar and spelling checked to three-second post and links to naughty cx domains.
Why don't these ascetic tastes spill over into the PC domain? Mostly because the people that make them have bought into the style vs. substance war, and you can either buy an ugly but powerful system, or a pretty but brain-dead system. Well, you can have it both ways. To think otherwise is to still live in a world where people can be either intelligent but unattractive, or beautiful but dumb. Well, I have a little more hope for the world.
I'm slowly becoming a style convert, and my wife has helped a lot. It's not that expensive anymore, and it's becoming cheaper every day. You can still be a geek, too. Just run the wire through the walls rather than over the floors, and get some help when shopping for clothes.
Check out an organization that's trying to bring some design into our lives. They had a contest to design a better power meter, with some interesting results. (If anyone can find the slashdot article that first linked it, please tell me).
You don't know shit about life. Go to www.thejackytouch.com to see real bad taste (beware, even if you can stand goatsecx you may need a barf bag before clicking)
For the non-french readers, click the 4th link on the left ("Jacky Du Mois"), then browse the entries by month. Can't give a deep pointer, the thing uses frames.
Cheers,
--fred
1 reply beneath your current threshold.
That's not a car! That's a go-cart with body panels. Yuck!
How is this off topic and a guy 15 comments down is 4( FUNNY )?
Even better than that, it was modded to troll first! Howzat then? Me, the 13th Duke of Glasgow, in an internet chatroom, with my Karma?
to all you people who are bad mouthing and talking crap about people who mod their case, bugger off. aren't you the same people who "scream from the mountain tops" to think differently, to go your own way, to be an INDIVIDUAL? it's pathetic when people like you start talking crap about others, and then turn around and cry for freedom of expression when the roles are reversed.
I love people that think it's always THE SAME PEOPLE saying DIFFERENT THINGS on slashdot.
You do realize there are more than 12 people reading slashdot, right?
"And like that
The SuperMicro SC-760A is the best case I've seen yet. It has a redundant cooling 300w (or 400w) power supply (2 fans), 6 exposed full height bays 1 hidden full height 1 exposed half height and 2 hidden half height. There are mounts for four regular fans alongside the full size drive bays, and there are external vents next to these fans. There are 3 intake fan mounts up front. There is a large fan that gets mounted directly over the processor and a large exhaust fan above the power supply in the upper-back corner of the case. I had a few problems with vibration but they were easily cured by taping some of the "no-slip" material at a few metal-to-metal contact points... the tape is not visible. The case now has no vibration and has EIGHT FANS.
. ht m
http://www.supermicro.com/PRODUCT/Chassis/sc750
They cost about 150 off pricewatch.
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Maybe I'm just old-fashioned about my computers, but am I the only one who thinks that it's not what's on the outside that counts, but what's on the inside? Who honestly cares what your machine looks like as long as it can compile the latest Linux kernel in less than a quarter of an hour?
I mean, you could spend the cash some of these cases cost on far more important things like more memory, a new hard drive or even a graphics card if you're not into so much serious stuff. But trying to turn your PC into some shrine to aesthetics is just silly.
So much for geeks being some of the last people to appreciate substance over style. What's next, "How Flash can liven up your website!"?
French site about case tuning: JackyPC.
Faraday cages only protect what's inside them from outside radiation. They don't stop radiation from inside them going out...
Really? Why? I don't understand why there should be a difference. Care to enlighten me?
Sure! ;) )
Electrical charge gathers on the outside of a conductor. I can't remember the exact details (physics 1 is a very blurry memory!) but this means that you cannot induce a current on a conductor inside a hollow conductor (essentially what a faraday cage is) by means of a moving charge outside the conductor.
A moving charge inside a hollow conductor can cause a moving charge on the surface of the conductor, however, which again can induce currents on conductors outside the hollow conductor.
Easy peasy (i think
I don't know if I'd want something that can retain a static charge anywhere near my PC hardware.
III.IIVIVIXIIVIVIIIVVIIIIXVIIIXIIIIIIIIVIIIIVVIII
Since last I saw them mentioned on Slashdot, ColorCases has added some fully translucent all-plastic cases.
They also have some other new designs, for example the $99 shiny "USB Stainless Blue."
But please, somebody tell them that their new site design blows.
No, fast computers and high-end peripherals are cool. Light-up cases with acrylic windows remind me of the pathetic losers who put neon lights, air dams, and 5" exhaust tips under their Honda Civics. It's just sad.
There are more RF emissions coming from your CRT monitor than your PC, so don't worry about it.
An unshielded computer emits far more RF than a properly shielded monitor. You should spend a little more time reading and less time practicing your ghetto-boy hand gestures near your light-up computer.
Stupid thing... I hit Enter to tab to this field by mistake. Sorry about the double post...
Anyways...
Now we can have computers that have
(Thank you William Shatner!)
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
information wants to be expensive...nothing is so valuable as the right information at the right time.
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
A rearview mirror on the monitor? A 12" Subwoofer? A "Piss on Microsoft" Decal?
Note... this is not the original poster you're replying to, but I had to say this. And yes, it's offtopic, but you'll have to use a few points to get it down there.
:)
--anyway--
Actually, this is what makes it most amusing... nothing is funnier than when these things try to race me. Nothing sucks worse for these folks than being beaten by a 5000 lb. full-size 4x4 pickup
The amusing point about the "rice boy" phenomenon is that they spend $20,000 in mods on a $20,000 car and it doesn't do anything, because they chose the wrong car to modify and poorly invested their money. Any $40,000 sports car or $25-30k sports car with $10-15k in mods done by anyone with an IQ above 100 will put their car to shame.
By the way, just so everyone knows, the term "rice boy" isn't intended to be racist. There's plenty of white guys with V6 Camaros with Z28 emblems and gold spoked 13" wheels that are rice-boy cars.
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Some of my favorite case designs are sold by
http://www.colorcase.com/
They have some really nice looking cases. Next
time I build a system, I plan on purchasing one
of their cases, unless something else really
nice comes along.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
After building so many PCs, for myself (not that I really need them, but what else am I gonna spend my money on besides hookers and crack?), I was so sick of conventional beige boxes. As a weekend hobby, I started crunking out some case designs I've had swimming in the back of my head. If I invested so much time tricking out the insides of my PC, why should I neglect the asthetics? I bought the neon lights and thumbscrews I use from pcmods.com, they are a great company and ship your stuff out fast. Here are a couple of my modded cases I've designed:
Niteshade
This is a clear case design with plenty of fans, plenty of lights, and a silver crystal sculpture. Today I'm upgrading this one to a Thunderbird 1.3G.
Ryoko
Modeled after my favorite Tenchi Muyo anime character, this Linux server is probably going dual-processor in a week. Most of the hard work on this was using a steel jigsaw to cut out the window in the side panel. Printing and laquering some 60+ photos was the fun part!
OK if you have the lights and the windows, then of course you must put in the hydraulic lifter and shock absorber kit with modified shortened springs so you can post it as "low-rider"! :-)
Whilst some of these mods (like fans apertures) are an essential item, some are not (windows etc) and both can lead to radiation of interference from within the box and also violate the CE testing for EMC. The fix for fans is to cover the big aperture with a gauze or metal grid having holes not larger than 6mm square or round. The same can be done for the window but would spoil the visual effect. I don't know of a screening material that would be invisible. This radiation isn't trivial - I lose all colour on ITV when my case cover is off!
I like to see what's going on in my computer,
Anyone remember the old Wyse or (pre-Dell) PC's Limited computers that had an LCD panel on the front?
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Didn't PackardHell make one several years back that was trapezoidal and designed to fit into a corner?
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Ok, so it's not custom, but your post reminded me...
At work, we've got an Austin 486/33 EISA from 1992, before they got bought out by some Taiwanese outfit (it was top-of-the-line when it came out). It's been running continuously since 1992 (except for hardware upgrades -- more disk).
But the killer is the case. The fscker has a solid steel case and is built like a tank. It'll probably still be running when the sun goes red giant and swallows the earth!
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
I wouldn't suggest buying one, though. The plastic shells tend to generate more static electricity than their metal counterparts and we all know that's bad for PC components. Also, the metal provides shielding from electromagnetic and radio interference.
-atrowe: Card-carrying Mensa member. I have no toleranse for stupidity.
Here are links to the casemods on thinkgeek.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/things/3735.html
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/things/3738.html
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/things/373b.html
--"Karma is justice without the satisfaction"
the best place to get case modification gear is CaseETC at http://www.caseetc.com . CaseETC will soon be the only supplier for what wil be the most awesome case on the planet, within the budget of most of us anyway. it is/has all aluminum, 13 drive bays, dual PSU mounts, 6 120mm fan mounts, WTX certified, and friggen huge. 14 inches wide by 26 inches high, and 18 or 20 inches deep. and the whole thing will only cost about $300 shipped, with a 300w Sparkle PSU included. those were the last specs listed that i remember, but there is an FAQ on CaseETC. Did I mention that the case will have each part of it anodized in the color of your choice, for free no less. the best forum for case mods is at: http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid= 13
to all you people who are bad mouthing and talking crap about people who mod their case, bugger off. aren't you the same people who "scream from the mountain tops" to think differently, to go your own way, to be an INDIVIDUAL?
it's pathetic when people like you start talking crap about others, and then turn around and cry for freedom of expression when the roles are reversed.
"One man's "magic" is another man's engineering."-- Robert A. Heinlein
I've been searching all over for good ways to make my computers essentially invisible. I finally ended up just sticking them in a closet (with a really badly hung door so they ventilate just fine) and running cables out to the monitor and keyboard.
I just don't get the deal with making the thing more obvious, I guess. I'd like a system where the monitor and keyboard disappeared when I wasn't using them. I've looked at armoires and such but they're so huge. Maybe someday laptops will come with video cards that don't suck ass.
The people who buy this crap are probably the same people who cut the springs on their Honda, bolt on an angry-beehive exhaust, slap on some stickers, light up their dash with neon, put on big shiny chrome wheels that weight 30lbs a piece and then try to drag race me from every damn traffic light!
JUST SAY NO!
Before anyone buys any of this stuff, think about the terrible habit you're starting. Take up crack or heroin, or extacy. There are rehab centers to help you get off of that, but nothing can cure bad taste! Look at this site and you can see how bad this addiction can really become! A five inch tailpipe can't make your car faster or look better, and a hole in your computer case won't either!
I think Jon Katz needs to write a series on it, Stories from the World of No Taste.
While I think the window looks cool, esepcially with the light, wouldn't chopping a huge chunk of metal from the side of the case and replacing it with glass leave a gap for electronic emissions? I thought the idea was to create a faraday cage to restrict this? Anyone know what affect this would have?
This site seems to sell pcMods stuff, and offers some additional opinions and uses: http://www.dansdata.com/neon.htm
Now, if you put a lame PC in a cool case, that's a different story. That's like putting ground effects on your Yugo.
I can explanate how to administrate your network. You must configurate and segmentate it, so it can computate.
So... what's next? are people gonig to be saws-all-ing their cases in half to make low rider pc cases?
How about ridiculous spoilers on p133's (like the spoiler will help the pc run SETI@home units any faster! ha!
I better rush to register a www.beaterz.com like address www.beaterzpc.com hmmm.... now if I could only find my bookmark to www.networksolutions.com I could register it...
E.
www.randomdrivel.com -- All that is NOT fit to link to
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
The phone is still too heavy to carry comfortably in my shirt pocket and too bulky to wear strapped to my wrist. Yes, these things get to me. I also want a laptop that weighs less than 2lbs with battery and is about as thick as a notepad.
Good grief some of this is ugly. I like black cases, but what's with the people who put beige periphs (e.g. CDROM, floppy) in a black case? The fashion police need to pay these folks a call.
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As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Oh, screw that PC (politically correct) crap! Light-up cases with plexiglass windows are just stupid. Don't those morons know that the cases are made of metal for a reason! Haven't they ever heard of RF interference or the FCC? If those idiots keep it up, there will be mandatory (RF) emissions testing stations for PCs. Despite posts to the contrary, modern PC cases have a lot of shielding. Empty drive bays have metal shields behind the plastic filler plates. The plastic fronts on PCs are backed up with metal. Conductive paint is sprayed on the back of many plastic parts. It's all done to reduce RF emissions from the PCs.
I wonder how many of those idiots that have invested all of those dollars and hours in their cases still don't have basic things like DAT tape backups, laser printers, and flatbed scanners.
The same thing has happened with modems, too.
What's with the skimping on lights? I like to see what's going on in my computer, (without wasting desktop space). I wish internal modems came with a 5.25" faceplate filled with the traditional lights an external modem has. Ditto for ethernet cards. LED VU meters for sound cards. Lights for EACH separate IDE and SCSI chain and for the FLOPPY.
Ah well.
At least there's the racks of network switches. (The previous sysadmin was a moron and had 25 racks of 16-port HUBS linked with a backplane, all in one massive star configuration. Yeeeeesh. The company balked when I requisitioned funds for racks of switches to replace the hubs, but were amazed at network speed increases afterwards.)
... as they don's sell HAL9000 cases. You know: Dark Gray with an Black-blue HAL9000 logo and the red eye. (to connect to a lot of small monitors will display big three letter signs on different collored backgrounds and vectorial animations.)
The only thing i say close to that was a series of HP Vectra pc which had a round HAL-like power button wich will glow red (HDD led).
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1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
Would somebody PLEASE make a good looking PC case, and not just one that's just a goddamn beige box with some coloured plastic stuck on the outside, or a face painted on the front.
Let's get some cubes in there, maybe a wall hanging thing, a flat case that screws into the bottom of your desk, SOMETHING NEW.
That's all, except I'd be the first in line to buy one.
More neon lights and bizarre cases than you're ever likely to see
http://www.virtualhideout.net/cool_case/
i use this really old power mac 7500/100 at work, and opened it up a few weeks back to put some more ram in it. i must admit, i really do hate using a mac a lot, but, opening the case up and working inside it was great. i have never seen a case with so much thought gone into it. everything is so well laid out and easily accessible, and there are even little arms to prop bits up on. nice one apple, shame about the software.
wray
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hello this is bruno brooks, umm, err, cunt.