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Easy Access PC Cases?

Posted by Cliff on from the PC-case-mods-that-should-be dept.

swight1701 asks: "I remember seeing the MAC G4 case open for the first time and it was like a ray of light dropped down from above, and the Case was good. This has to have been the easiest access case in history, to be able to flip down the motherboard without removing any card from your PCI slots, genius. So why is it, like most of Apple's more frivilous case designs , and colors, was it not copied by other case manufacturers? If anyone HAS seen this, or know the reason why it wasn't, please tell us all!"

24 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Why hasn't it been copied? by Spudley · · Score: 2, Troll

    Why hasn't it been copied? Simple: Apple has a history of suing people for copying their desktop look+feel, so one can only assume they'd do the same for their case design. No-one would dare risk it.

    --
    (Spudley Strikes Again!)
    1. Re:Why hasn't it been copied? by Snowfox · · Score: 2, Informative
      Why hasn't it been copied? Simple: Apple has a history of suing people for copying their desktop look+feel, so one can only assume they'd do the same for their case design. No-one would dare risk it.
      It's not just a suspicion. Apple has sued.
    2. Re:Why hasn't it been copied? by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      The eMachine's case was more than just a basic design rip off, it was a blatent attempt to be a iPC. I doubt apple would have a problem with a pull down case from a PC manufacturer, just not one that was curvy, grey and plastic with funky handles and such. Although, for awsome case design, at least for a desktop model computer (not tower) I'd have to go with an old Dell Optiplex I was toying with the otherday. It was amazingly easy to acess. I wonder where PC cases went wrong.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
  2. There are plenty of examples.... by Rope_a_Dope · · Score: 2, Informative

    Mainly in the business class models by the larger manufacturers.

    The HP Vectra was one of the most intuitive cases I ever saw. No screwdrivers were needed to dismantle the case, and take out every piece. Just a push of a button or flip of a lever.

    The Dell Optiplex line was also similar in those regards, although a few items did need a screwdriver.

    Unfortunately, the manufacturers only marketed these cases to the business IT people. The thinking was that only people who had hundreds of computers to set up would tinker inside the box all the time. Home users just let the box sit there and collect dust. To an extent that's true.

    I'm happy just leaving my case off and all the screws out, all the time.

    1. Re:There are plenty of examples.... by shoppa · · Score: 2
      The Dell Optiplex line was also similar in those regards, although a few items did need a screwdriver.
      As far as motherboard access goes, I agree that they're pretty good (although many of the Optiplex boxes from two years or so ago had this removable PCI riser that seemed like an unnecessary step). I'm not so happy with the drive bay access; it's a pain in the rear to remove the front and get at the the removable tray/shelf that the drives sit in, and I never have gotten the knack of putting the tray back in without it catching about a quarter of an inch before the final position.
    2. Re:There are plenty of examples.... by penguinboy · · Score: 2

      The "Vectra" label has been put on quite a number of different chassis designs, some of them truly crimes against humanity. I have two different ones as servers, and while working on the drives may not necessarily involve tools, it certainly does demand very small and very flexible fingers to manipulate the power and data cables.

  3. Check out Dell by blankmange · · Score: 3, Informative
    In this month's Maximum PC, they tested a Dell rig that opens up like a clamshell. And I have also seen cases for DIY ( ExoticPC ) that have removable mobo trays that have back plane on them, so you don't have to remove your PCI/AGP cards.

    Keep looking, I am sure you'll find one in the right color -- if not, these guys Directron do custom painting of cases and bezels for your drives to match....

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    1. Re:Check out Dell by PurpleFloyd · · Score: 2

      A MB tray isn't uncommon these days. I have a $45 (US) generic case that lets you loosen one screw, then pull out the MB and the card cage. With some thumbscrews, it works well as a computer that I can open up and play with with no screwdriver. The Apple cases are nicer, but for $45 with power supply, it seems like a pretty good deal.

      --

      That's it. I'm no longer part of Team Sanity.
  4. Re:Dell has a pretty good version of it... by teridon · · Score: 2

    Not close enough -- you have to turn the case almost all the way around to open it up. Which probably means you'll be disconnecting all the cables first -- something you don't have to do with the G4.

    --
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  5. Another thing... by ptomblin · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    Another great thing about the G4 case is that the cables are routed along the edge out of the way. You look at that Dell case somebody posted the URL for, and you still have IDE cables hanging in the air between the two halves. Not so with the G4, you don't even see the IDE cables unless you're looking for them.

    The downside though is that when adding hard drives to a G4, you don't get the inadvertent blood sacrifice to make sure it works. All my PC cases seem designed to make sure you can't add a hard/cd/tape drive without bleeding on it, which ensures the black magic works.

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    1. Re:Another thing... by Geek+In+Training · · Score: 2

      ide? you mean scsi, scsi cables can be long enough to allow for the distance stretched

      Wrong, most Macs since 1998 are not SCSI unless you pay for an additional PCI card and drives.

      And you can buy 24" ATA100 cables that are within spec, so I don't see the issue. In the Mac cases, the cable goes from edge of bobo, over tray, across hinge, to drive bays in bottom of case. (Or to top of case for CD/DVD.)

      No biggie, and still under 24".

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    2. Re:Another thing... by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      I dunno, I've had plenty of PC cases where it may not be the IDE cable, but the power cable has certainly caused me to make a few sacrifices of the Red Cross variety.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
  6. Your best bet... by ActiveSX · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...is to save up a bit and buy an actual G4 . They're great machines, they come with a killer operating system, they'll probably do everything you need, and do it with minimal hassle. Not to mention that, as fat as I can tell, Mac users are more attractive to the opposite sex. ;)

  7. Lian Li by d_p · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have a Lian Li PC-60. http://www.lian-li.com/
    Its brushed aluminum, all thumbscrews. All of the interior edges have been de-burred, so there are no sharp edges. I have worked on a lot of crappy PC's in my life and this is by far the best case I have ever worked on.

  8. 1030 by BenTheDewpendent · · Score: 2, Informative

    I find the anatec 1030 has lots of room to work. Slides for the 5 1/4 bay and removable HD bays.
    a handle pops the side off it can be locked with a provided key.

    1. Re:1030 by randombit · · Score: 2

      I find the anatec 1030 has lots of room to work.

      YES. I have an Antec SX830, and it's truly a joy to work with. Roomy, but not so big that it's a hard time getting everything connected (like some Supermicro cases I've dealt with). Plenty of space for fans, lots of drive bays. It's easy to open up, too. There's a review with some decent picutes here.

      The removable hard drive bays are sheer brilliance. They work perfectly. My dad uses a 1030, and it's just as nice (but a little bigger than I needed for just a little desktop box).

  9. Not really the same... by larien · · Score: 2
    However, the SunFire V880 is very easy to work with. I had to strip one down to rack mount it (you want it light as possible when lifting it up 4 feet in the air) and managed to remove fans, CPU boards and power supplies very easily.

    Of course, as these components are designed to be "hot-swap" they kinda have to be easy to remove!

    While the V880 is in a radically different class from the G4 (server vs workstation), Sun kit in general is much nicer to work with. I remember one of the first things I did as a sysadmin was adding RAM to some SPARCstation 5s and my boss showing me how to remove/replace one of the hard drives. Of course, you pay for that ease of use.

  10. Re:Priorities by quinto2000 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I open my case frequently. To try out a new expansion card, to play around with Xinerama, to compare sound cards, to try out a free funky networking card, install a new hard drive, etc. Easy access is great. As it is, I leave the case open most of the time, destroying the airflow and getting dust in all of the components.

    --
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  11. Apple //gs by MountainLogic · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Apple has been doing great cases for a very long time. The old gs did not require a single tool to strip down.

    I've had the pleasure of hiring ex-apple industrial designers/mechanical engineers. It was a real pleasure working with such talented engineers.

  12. Link for instructions .... by dustpuppy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Make A PC Out Of A G4 Case

    The above URL is for instructions on how to make PC using a G4 case.

  13. Too easy to open? by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The problem with making a case too easy to open is that people will open it.

    Imagine a kid with his peanut butter and jelly sandwich opening the case just for the hell of it, to watch the CPU fan spin or whatever.

    I remember some old XT cases that had a suitcase-type lid where you just pushed a couple of buttons on the side and could open the top of the case just like a suitcase (hinged on the back and everything). The problem with those cases is that, as I said, "everybody" would open them.

    On the other side, the two absolute worst cases that I ever tried to open were both Packard Bell. I was trying to install a CD-ROM in one and discovered that the drive bay had a plate welded onto the front. I ended up using a hammer and chisel (literally) to beat it off. The other really awful Packard Bell case that I had to deal with is one that was a real Chinese puzzle to open. There were no visible screws and once I had actually found the screws then it took me literally a half-hour to figure out how to push-and-pull that case to get it to come apart.

    *shudder*

    There seems to be a happy medium between too easy to open and too difficult. Now once I've got it open, it's nice to have some room to work, indeed, but that's another issue.

    --
    If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
    1. Re:Too easy to open? by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      Apple cases also come with great locking mechanisms. A slide on the back of the G4 locks the case and can be secured with a standard padlock (go to CVS and pick of a master lock for $3)

      The laptops are even better, a tiny screw inbetween the F4 and F5 keys. Only a computer junkie could open one of these if they were locked.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
  14. Actually, I had a 486 like that by StandardDeviant · · Score: 2

    About, er... two years ago I bought a 486 server machine from a used computer place ("COMPUDYNE" I think was the manufacturer, and yes, I don't mean a 486 desktop being used as a server, but a 486 that was actually a server machine back in The Day). It was remarkably like the G3 and G4 cases, in the way it unhinged, the way the cables were routed, and the way the drives were mounted... All in all, a pretty sweet little machine with its pimpin' VLB 256kb vid card ;-) (it served as my lan2ppp machine for about six months, then it became an IRC server for a while, then I had to move and get rid of a bunch of stuff so it went to a friend).

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    News for Geeks in Austin, TX
  15. ExoticPC Penguin by Cplus · · Score: 2

    I noticed while browsing through the ExoticPC website that they have Penguin cases. Very slick.

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