"Y2k Bug", and Others Proves PCs Can Be Art

the_raptor pointed us to a pretty impressive case mod called the y2k bug. In addition, the site features several other cases that will job your jaw. Besides inspiration, the site features practical advice, like why not to window mod hard drives.

Comments

Practical Advice?

[mod_critical]

"practical advice, like why not to window mod hard drives."

I can think of a good reason not to window mod your hard drive, lest one not know what RMA stands for... Besides, why risk lessening the life of a drive by breaking the clean room sealed environment? The link was /.ed before I could peep it but I'm a little disturbed that window modding a hard drive and practical advice are in the same sentence here... I'll stick to modding things without 105 million transistor microchips, things that don't have parts that rotate at over thrice my truck's redline, and things that don't convert 550 watts of power.

Re:Practical Advice?

[adamjaskie]

Well, you could window mod an older hard drive, like around 3 gigs or so. It would be plenty for a home theatre computer or something that just boots off the drive, and pulls the media over the network, and if you screwed it up, you wouldnt feel too bad. Be out what, $30?

Re:Practical Advice?

[tap]

What's so bad about having a window modded hard drive fail? I'm sure everyone who has done it realizes the reliability has been severely compromised. Hard drives don't cost $500 anymore, with rebates you can get them for less than $50. If your modded drive fails after 6 months, SO WHAT? Just buy another. It's not the end of the world.

Re:Practical Advice?

[Artifakt]

1. Clear plastic and duct tape around an old air conditioner mounting bracket for a frame. 2. Army chem agent gloves and more duct tape for access. 3. Portable vehicle vacuum cleaner (cheap dust buster) fitted with spare hepa filter from M1 tank NBC system and powered at reduced voltage for slight overpressure on cage. 4. Insert broken drive and all needed tools. Seal. 5. Do technical stuff (including opening case and freeing read arm assembly manually, replacing servo if needed). 6. close case, open plastic seal. 7. Drive works, long enough to recover data at least. Tried 3 different times, with 3 successes. Working environment for job - Moving shop truck on unpaved road in sandy desert environment. Had it easy that time - no one was shooting at truck. Since then I've tried the same trick a few times at home with only about a 50% success rate. Conclusion - home isn't as clean as it should be.

Re:Practical Advice?

[Izmunuti]

There are other things to worry about in addition to how clean things are:

Electrostatic discharge - magnetoresistive heads are very sensitive to ESD. Those little baggies the site shows the drives being stored in without their covers, didn't look like ESD bags.

Outgassing/particulates from the modified components. In the article, the guy glued a plastic shell to a hole cut in the aluminium cover and then siloconed in some LEDs. Any or all of that stuff could contaminate the insides.

Altering the mechanics of the spindle. There was a screw removed attaching the spindle to the now-missing chunk of the cover. Considering how cost-concious drive makers are, that screw had a purpose or else it wouldn't be there.

I'd like to ses what happens when one fills a drive with helium. The drives are designed with air in mind (the heads "fly" over the surface on a cusion of air) and helium would behave differently. Who knows, it might work better. Anyway, since drives aren't sealed, the helium would leak out in a short time anyway.

Iz

One man's art . . .

[code shady]

is another man's waste of time. Frankly, i find case modding to be a waste of time. Oooh, look, i can put neon lights and a clear window in my case, im so l33t. Please. case modders are the computer equivalent of rice boys.

That said, i think that what this guy does are so far from your average case mod, that the light from case mod will take one million years to reach them.

This guy is doing what apple does, desigining and fabircating a very very good, premium case that looks effing amazing. Is it "art"? eh, maybe. it certainley looks like sculpture. But i dont think this can be anyway contrued as just a case mod.

Take a look at Orac - best mod I've ever seen

[ajm]

I'm pointing to the second page as it has the first pictures of the case on it. The quality of the work and the attention to detail is just fantastic. This is custom modding at its finest, not just slapping some lights in a case. http://www.bit-tech.net/article/114/2

Re:And art is all it will be worth.....

[raodin]

Yup. Several people HAVE, however, successfully windowed old junker drives. And they still work as well as they can be expected for old drives.

Well, one reason...

[MadAnthony02]

What's so bad about having a window modded hard drive fail?

Well, there is that whole loss of data thing.

Yes, I know that one should have 15 backups of all their data, stored in seperate climate controlled locations, along with multiple hard drive images. But why do something that is going to have minimal positive effect (who cares what your hard drive looks like?) and is going to cost you time, money, and posibly data?

Re:One man's art . . .

[LookSharp]

case modders are the computer equivalent of rice boys.

Yeah, except for two minor points:

1) Case modders don't ride "their $10k car with $8k worth of mods and a ear-splitting fart can" through your neighborhood, wishing that Ricing was a capital offense, and

2) There is a big difference between "ooh, I put in a light and clear window" and doing a real theme.

I built someone a custom red "Mustang" PC with a clearcoat paint job, red neon interior, logo decals, and customized OS theme. Everyone who comes over and sees it on his desk compliments the uniqueness/snazziness of the box. There is no derision deserved for people who invest time to do case mods like the bug; it's functional, it's unique, and it's art. And, by the way, it sits on their desk, so it's for their enjoyment, not yours.

If you have no imagination, that's YOUR problem.

RF Interference from case mods?

[mesocyclone]

I think some of these case mods are really nifty, and I've even ordered my new machine with a few glowing cables and other non-utilitarian visual stuff.

But there is one concern when people are doing this: RF Interference. Modern computers generate a lot of radio frequency interference. If not properly contained (and any computer sold must meet FCC Part 15 emissions rules), that radiation can cause problems ranging from a nuisance to a hazard.

It can interfere with your AM radio, your FM radio, your TV, your satellite, MY HAM RADIO, etc. If it has a small amount of power on 121.5MHz, 243 MHz or 406 MHZ it can literally interfere with search and rescure, because the satellites that pick up emergency beacons are very sensitive (as those of us in Civil Air Patrol who track them down can testify - we have found computers interfering with SAR satellites in the past). It can interfere with police radio repeaters ,and imagine the fun you will have when they show up at your door if you are jamming their system! Same if you show up on an operational military frequency!

So I would suggest that case modders keep all this in mind. The best approach for RFI would be to put the real computer in a conventional case (maybe a shuttle or other little bitty one) and then put the art on the outside.

In any case, if you find you can't listen to your favorite radio station any more, look around for a neighborhood kid with a case mod!