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Alien Case Mod

apatheticloser writes "The Ultimate Computer Case Mod Website has a casemod inspired by the movie Alien. The website gives specifics about the computer but doesn't give instructions on how to build it. I think its a great way to show appreciation for a classic film."

49 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. I do not see... by roalt · · Score: 3, Funny

    I do not see green slime oozing out of the drive bay...

  2. Does... by Pinguu · · Score: 5, Funny

    The hard-disk rip out of the case? :)

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  3. to bad .... by cyrax777 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    he didnt mention that alot of that is in Gigers Alien a artbook by the artist that desgined the Alien. That Case looks awsome.

    1. Re:to bad .... by BardicStorm · · Score: 2, Informative

      You mean, like this sentence on the home page:

      "Inspired by the drawings of HR Giger and the creative artists and visionaries that brought us the Alien®"

  4. Flash... by bjpirt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    you know, unlike a lot of other people on slashdot i don't usually mind flash, but when it's used just to display a bunch of images and they use lame sound effects with no option to turn them off it just pisses me off.

    Sucks when you've got music coming from your computer in a room full of people :-/

    anyone else think casemods are just a bit lame or am I just feeling particularly negative today?

    1. Re:Flash... by TheBadger · · Score: 2, Informative

      There is a HTML version here

      www.lotterycheck.co.uk - auto-check your UK lottery results

    2. Re:Flash... by digitalsushi · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ok, I've seen enough of these that I think we officially need a -1, spammer moderation. That "check yer sex" guy was the worst cause the link text was always different, but this sort of thing belongs in a sig alone. Leading useful information into self-promo information is abusive and ruins the experience of reading a flow of converstation. Keeping it in your sig isnt too much to ask; those of us with sig dashes mentally divide it into another subject and don't take offence when you use what the sig was meant for. And eventually more will start doing it because it works well, and that's why we need another moderation type.

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      slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue
    3. Re:Flash... by divide+overflow · · Score: 2, Informative
      anyone else think casemods are just a bit lame or am I just feeling particularly negative today?

      My personal opinion is that case mods are silly. The phenomenon reminds me of people who buy cars (usually Hondas and Mitsubishis around here) and put lots of unnecessary aftermarket items and product logos on them that do nothing to improve their functionality or performance. There is a long tradition of people who do this. I wish these people had better things to do with their time and money.

      Here's what I want from a case:
      • excellent airflow with minimal turbulence
      • a place for a large (say 120mm), quiet variable RPM fan
      • room for all the components I want to add, particularly a few hard drives and optical drives
      • if you count the power supply as part of the case: a good power supply that uses quality components, has decent current capacity, a quiet variable speed fan, and plenty of reasonably long power connector cables
      • no sharp edges on the sheet metal
      • a removable, cleanable, durable air filter
      • some connectors in the front panel with usable cable connectors (I use USB frequently and may need IEEE 1394 sometime soon)
      • drive rails...I like 'em
      • properly recessed power/reset switch buttons
      • easily visible drive activity and power lights
      • good ergonomic design
      • minimal use of removable, easily lost screws
      • built like a rock...I like a case sturdy enough that you can stand on it
  5. Case is kinda gaudy if you ask me... by Arker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But I guess some people like it that way, fine.

    But that website is positively hideous.

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  6. The high-res images, no flash required by fredrikj · · Score: 5, Informative
  7. Re:YACMP by Repton · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe we need casemods.slashdot.org ...

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    Repton.
    They say that only an experienced wizard can do the tengu shuffle.
  8. Please stop with the casemods by gantrep · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nobody cares. Casemodding is a fine example of uptardation.

    Why would I want a riceburner for a computer, and why would I care if others do?

  9. Woohoo! Bandwidth annilhilation commences by JasonUCF · · Score: 4, Funny

    Geez dude, it's one thing for /. to link to the site, but to go out and pull a bandwidth gatling gun? That poor guy's bill.. *sniff*

  10. Fox... by antdude · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't think Fox will like this. I smell a cease and desist soon. :)

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  11. Re:Don't get it. by Baumi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I never understood what people like about case-modding anyway.

    IMHO it's the IT equivalent of air-brushing your car with stripes and flashes - doesn't improve it in any way, but hey, it's expensive.

    (That said I must admit that there certainly went a lot of work and love into this particular mod - however I still wouldn't want one.)

  12. Call me silly by zakezuke · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ok, I have to admit, that case looks kinda cool, but is something i'd expect a 14 year old kid to own.

    I have NOT done much in the way of aesthetical modifications with the exceptions of spraypaint, but I have done much in the way of internal case modifiction. I'm really no stranger to the hacksaw, hammer, and blowtorch upgrade.

    Part of my belief is that a computer case is much like a piece of furnature. It is what you see after all. And in many cases i'm willing to put in a little elbow greese in order to achive a pleasing mellow effect. While I would give this alien case some serious points, it would be the first thing i'd toss out in case I saw it.

    One of the things I'd enjoy seeing in the computer case world is the old black and silver look. It was a style that was most popular pre 1982 before we switched to that awful fleshtone. There was a time when the high tech look was brushed metal face, accented with black plastic.

    --
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  13. how to build it by Squarewav · · Score: 2, Funny

    paint case black with gray spots, buy alien "action" figures glue figures to case. cut holes in case in a strange alien look, cover with green plexiglass and thats about it realy, its not much of a case mod just typical paint and glue things to the case, the only real modding Is ware they cut a hole in the top of the case and installed a fan under some decorations

  14. Re:Don't get it. by rirugrat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Two words...

    "Game Over (man)...Game Over!"

    Chris

  15. What using this computer would be like by Pall+Agamemnides · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dallas: Something has attached itself to him. We have to get him to the infirmary right away.
    Ripley: What kind of thing? I need a clear definition.
    Dallas: An attachment. Open the email!
    Ripley: Wait a minute. If we let it in, the computer could be infected. You know the quarantine procedure. Twenty-four hours for decontamination.
    Dallas: He could die in twenty-four hours. Open the email!
    Ripley: Listen to me, if we break quarantine, we could all die.
    Lambert: Could you open the damned email? We have to get him inside.
    Ripley: No! I can't do that and if you were in my position, you'd do the same.
    Dallas: Ripley, this is an order. Open that email right now, do you hear me?
    Ripley: Yes.
    Dallas: Ripley! This is an order! Do you hear me?
    Ripley: Yes. I read you. The answer is negative.

  16. I used to have a case like this... by FrostedWheat · · Score: 5, Funny

    But I blew it out the Goddamn airlock.

  17. Art, pure and simple by Knife_Edge · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is the single most inspired and creative case mod I have ever seen. I see some posts from people scorning it. Maybe you would not want to own one, but that's only because it would be better off in a museum or something.

    1. Re:Art, pure and simple by pipingguy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, but this one is more practical (for some people).

    2. Re:Art, pure and simple by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Good point there; personally, I think the case is ugly as hell and that it'll be a cold day in hell I'll ever buy something like that. However, that doesn't mean others might like it, or the fact that even despite difference in taste between the person who created it and me, it's still quite a feat to make something like that. It's definitely art for sure, way better then most silly "standard plexiglass window, standard aluminium fanguard and a huge amount of standard light blue LEDs" casemods that flood the net lately. Even if you disagree with me on the fact it's art, you'll at least have to agree it's true case modding; case modding when instant window kits weren't around and all equipment can to be custom made. (As opposed to prefab cases with windows and all that.)

  18. Why by Timesprout · · Score: 2, Funny

    bother with a mod. Just pop over to planet LV-426 and get the real aliens to do it for you.

    --
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  19. Cool case mod but..... by Millbuddah · · Score: 3, Funny

    Bleh, I'd still take the coffee maker mod over this anyday.

  20. Laptop mods anyone? by HornyBastard77 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is certainly one of the best mods I've seen. Awesome detail. I have to wonder though, what is the point of putting in so much work to something that very few people besides the owner will see. The whole purpose of case mods is to show them off, innit? This sort of stuff would be so much cooler on laptops. However I haven't seen any of those. A quick search on google didn't yield much either. Does anyone know of a site that showcases laptop case mods?

  21. Just Remember... by randomErr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Remember, whenver your power up this system to keep your mouth closed.

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    You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
  22. HTML version much better by AtariAmarok · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This HTML version is a lot better. In the time it took to get rid of the Flash popup window and kill the volume on the Flash screen, I'd already viewed a few of the images of the case on the HTML version.

    Call Flashbusters!

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    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  23. Re:Don't get it. by Microlith · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Because a casemod like this is a purely artistic mod.

    In fact, all casemods are purely visual, and convey no meaning relative to the speed of the PC.

    Whereas, people who do all that funny stuff to their cars are TRYING to make them look and sound all fast and powerful so people think they are. Unless of course they ARE but that's kinda rare.

  24. think this one looks better.. by Fishd · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I remember seeing one that looked better...

    Go here (http://www.lanlab.co.uk/frms/frmsmain.asp) and then click on Articles / Alien Case Mod... (dumb site won't let me link directly.

    This girls' (yes, it was confirmed on a UK forum that the modder was female) case shows much more talent (and restraint) I think...

  25. PC cases too big? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Is this the proove that PC cases ARE too big?"

    Sure, you might think it is too big, but if you ever have had to open one up and change memory SIMMS/DIMMS etc, hard disks, or sometimes even a modem card, you will be thankful you have a roomy case that you can move around inside and all regrets go away.

    I once had a "compact" Puckered-Smell tower, and you had to disassemble a lot of innards to access just about everything inside it.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  26. rather than slashdotting by The+Tyro · · Score: 4, Funny

    We should nuke the site from orbit.

    It's the only way to be sure.

    --
    Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
  27. And the point is to... by vlad30 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In the 70's and 80's my uncles modded their cars to cruise down the streets and pick up "chicks and sheilas"
    I guess this is to entice the girls once in your room ?? Nahh you need to get them there first !!

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  28. Top 10 Film-Inspired Case Mods by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    10. "The Matrix". Get an old Toshiba Infinia ("Darth Vader's Toilet Tank") black case, cover it with grease, place green magnetic letters on the sides, and sit back and watch them ooze down the black background

    9. "Attack of the Clones". All you need is a lot of PC clone boxes (Columbia, Gateway, Leading Edge, Zenith, Dell, etc. Put stormtrooper helmets on top of them.

    8. "Lord of the Rings". This one's pretty easy. Just clear out a space on the desk and tell people there is an invisible computer there wearing the One Ring.

    7. "The Hulk". 89 cent green spraypaint case at Wal*Mart, that's it.

    6. "Indiana Jones". Everything must be wireless, no cables. Indy hates snakes.

    5. "The Empire Strikes Back". Just slap the IBM logo on your box.

    4. "The Fully Monty". Just remove the case shell.

    3. "Christine". To honor the final scene of this fine Stephen King movie, you need to take it down to the local junkyard and ask to use the crusher.

    2. "Battlefield Earth". Just make it ugly. Real ugly, so bad no one will want to see it.

    1. "Firestarter". Another Stephen King inspired mod: a flaming PC! Please visit to find out how to cause your PC to burst into flame.

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    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  29. This isn't just about Aliens by f00Dave · · Score: 4, Informative

    This isn't an Aliens theme so much as it's an H.R. Giger tribute. The alien theme was only one of his works...

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    .f00Dave
  30. It's *art* people! by Like2Byte · · Score: 5, Insightful

    OK, after reading all the comments and seeing the case for myself I've got to say that the commercials on TV about kids not getting enough art are true.

    You know, the one where the little girl wants her father to read to her a history lesson, one where a girl reads CS books to relax and the one where the boy tells the acordian player to 'get a job.'

    So this guys case mod can't be made by most of the slashdot crowd even if they did have the knowledge of how use the tools to create it. It's the creative ability of the artist that makes a medium art.

    I'm not surprised, though, that the /. crowd just didn't get this one. On one hand we have very creative & clever IT people. On the other, they can't see the beauty in something that doesn't have two black webbed feet dressed in a tuxedo that doesn't compile the lastest kernel.

    Shesh! To quote 'The Matrix': "Free your mind."

    mod away!

  31. Re:Don't get it. by dipipanone · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because a casemod like this is a purely artistic mod.

    Oh absolutely. A pure design classic. Unlike that nasty piece-of-shit Coolermaster that currently houses my CPU, this will look perfect alongside my Eames chairs and Courbusier sofa. In fact, if I get one of these, tear down my Irving Penn photographs and replace them with a Lord of the Rings poster, I might even make next months Home and Garden!

  32. looks like a latex model by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 4, Informative

    like the kind used for movie special effects... i doubt it is injection-molded plastic. As an artist, I've seen stuff like that before, but never on a computer. If you want to make one, look at this suppler for more info.

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    stuff |
  33. It's art, damn it... by ndogg · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So what if it's not "functional" or seems "pointless." So what if it "goes over the top" for case modding. It's supposed to be art, which is the point of most case modding. If case modding was meant to be functional, the most we would ever do is add a few fans to our cases or some other such piece of hardware. The bland tan colored boxes wouldn't bother us.

    Judge it for its aesthetic appeal, not for its functionalness or whether or not you would want to buy it (even if you did want to, I would doubt you would be able to.) Judging it by any other context is off topic.

    --
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  34. Re:Don't get it. by John_Booty · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I never understood what people like about case-modding anyway.

    I always said the same thing. Recently however, I got the bug to mod my case! I got tired of looking at that boring thing and felt like doing something creative with my hands (no jokes please!) as opposed to tapping on a keyboard all day.

    Having completed the project, it was a lot of fun. Ridiculous and completely impractical? YES. Good Lord, yes. But it was a lot of fun. Sanding and painting the case, cafefully using masking tape to create the flame pattern design (that's right, flames- I was going to maximum sillyness), cutting the window port in the side, installing a light inside, and so on.

    Definitely one of those things where it's more about the journey than the destination. Obviously my new-looking computer doesn't run any faster, but it was a lot of fun to do. And pretty cheap, too- $15-20 for paint, $15 for the window, $20 for the light and bulbs. But it was a lot of fun to do!! It looks great now in a ridiculous way, but it was more about the fun of doing it.

    Also, I don't know if I'd directly compare it to car-modding. Car-modding is tons more expensive and seems to be geared more towards showing off to others since you're driving around in public all day. Some people show off their cases at LAN parties and shit, but mine just sits under my desk. It wasn't to show off... it was just for fun. :)

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    OtakuBooty.com: Smart, funny, sexy nerds.
  35. Re:Don't get it. by bobbyt · · Score: 2, Funny

    ya but i bet it made him quake faster

  36. Top exhaust vent by Ambush · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The top exhaust vent is made from a model of the space station from ST:DS9. In the bottem-left of the picture you can even see the landing pad for the shuttle crafts.

    It's the same model as I have hanging from my ceiling.

    So obviously he's either consolidating a number of his hobbies, or he's supposed to be cleaning out his garage. :-)

    --
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  37. Giger who? James Cameran is the primary influence! by gripdamage · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This isn't an Aliens theme so much as it's an H.R. Giger tribute. The alien theme was only one of his works...

    Exactly what I was thinking, but this guy manages to mention Giger only once... You have to click on "Front/Door Closed" to see it. He says "the blend of mechanical and organic is reminiscent of Giger's early paintings."

    The whole thing is Giger.

    On the main page he says "...I decided to blend a bit of James Cameron's futuristic military look-and-feel into the piece. Worn steel, subtle detail and well-used armor all played a part in my inspiration."

    So the guy who directed Titanic gets a front page nod as an influence while Giger is relegated to a secondary link, where we learn his "early paintings" had an influence on the front. I don't even see any Terminator in it. Where the hell does Cameran come in? Is he planning to put a steam-outlined handprint on the case window or something?

    Maybe he thinks Cameran directed Alien? But that was Ridley Scott, and even crediting with inventing the Alien look would be, well, wrong anyway. I don't get it.

  38. James Cameron and Alien by AtariAmarok · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "So the guy who directed Titanic gets a front page nod as an influence while Giger is relegated to a secondary link...
    Maybe he thinks Cameran directed Alien? But that was Ridley Scott"


    I can see the reason for his confusion. Ridley Scott did "Alien", but Cameron directed the sequel "Aliens". This second film recycled some of Giger's work from the first film. Most people I talk to think "Aliens" (the sequel) is the far better film, which is something I do not agree with.

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    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  39. Theft of pictures? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "The reason why many people choose to use Flash to display pictures is that it is harder for someone to steal it and put it on their website."

    Does theft of pictures take place, where someone can easily remove pictures from someone's web site so they aren't there anymore????? I rather doubt it.

    No, you can't steal with HTML. You can copy. However, you can copy with Flash as well, with a screen-capture.

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    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  40. My Alien Case Mod by TheBestCaseScenario · · Score: 4, Informative

    Thanks to all for taking the time out to discuss my Alien Case Mod. I'm enjoying both the criticism and the praise. IMHO you can't take art too seriously. Some may argue whether this case even falls under the category of "art" or just someone kitbashing a few model pieces onto a pc case. The case for me was a spiritual cleansing, a way to keep my mind and my hands busy doing something I love (model building/computer building) in the days following September 11. After I cleansed my Brooklyn apartment of WTC dust and debris, I found out I would have no telephone or DSL service for several weeks. To keep busy I casted, carved and painted this case. I made this case mod for myself, and no one else, as all artists should. As I was building, my mind was free to wander and think of my childhood, and the good memories of magic and movies, imagination and inspiration. The model store I bought the parts from on Mott Street in Chinatown was hard-hit physically and economicaly by the devastation at the WTC. I had been going to that store for 15 years, just a hole in the wall place with a friendly owner and rare model kits. He has closed his store after 25 years, unable to recover. Take from this what you will, If you want to search for meaning in true art, you must to look inside the heart and from the eyes of the artist. My art will not change the world, but it will change the way I see my world. Peace Out.

    1. Re:My Alien Case Mod by TheBestCaseScenario · · Score: 2, Informative

      What's your problem, son?

    2. Re:My Alien Case Mod by Tojosan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Though it is obvious that you put a lot of work into the case mod, and now you've made it obvious why, many of us just can't appreciate it. I'm not a big 'Alien' movie fan, but the artwork is killer.

      Perhaps this whole posting to /. would have been better directed to part of a thread on tech head responses and reactions to 9/11. Then your work would be presented in a more respected light.

      For what its worth....

  41. Re:Disappointed! by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Alien Inside"?

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