Wooden-Cased Computers, Small and Extra-Large

DCPete writes "Some guy made a pretty nice mahogany computer table; apparently he does this as a hobby. I've seen lots of stuff like this before, but this one is actually nice and would be fun in a kitchen or studio apartment." On the smaller end of things, LoSmilzo writes "This guy made a real wooden laptop ... totally stunning! Not a wooden-covered laptop, but a real wooden one, made by hand, fully portable and usable, lighter than his original plastic shell."

Comments

Whos 'Some Guy'...

[maxdamage]

It looks to me like 'Christopher Horn' made it...

Meh

[Neil Blender]

My computer has been generating wood since the 80s.

Re:Meh

[Doc Ido]

Anyone know where I can find some decent ASCII porn these days?

Re:Meh

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

Ahhh yes ... CGA pr0n

Yikes

[jargoone]

This guy's experiencing a real wooden slashdotting right now. It was before the story even made it out of the mysterious future...

Great...

[bryan986]

So now the outside starts on fire, not just the inside??

fire

[kevinx]

overclockers beware

Re:fire

[Malc]

My first record player had a wooden case. It was from before transistors became wide-spread. Have you seen how hot valves get? They give Intel a run for their money ;) It didn't catch fire, but the smell of it getting warm was all part of the experience.

Re:fire

[slAckEr Of dOOm]

I mod his laptop -1, Flamebait

Re:fire

[xanadu-xtroot.com]

It didn't catch fire, but the smell of it getting warm was all part of the experience.

Did that smell also include another burning organic material?

:-)

Uhh

[FireballX301]

Note to self: Never use Intel with wooden cases. Also keep away from fireplaces, errant sparks, or anything that may trigger flame.

Very good mod, though, and it would definitely fit in with the right theming.

Re:Uhh

[AndroidCat]

I used an Intel chip with a wooden case. Of course, it was a 3 MHz 8085...

False Advertising

[fembots]

Considering this guy's selling the laptop, the statement of "the ENTIRE LAPTOP is made by SOLID WOOD" isn't quite true.

I wouldn't pick on the LCD screen or the touch pad, but what about the keyboard? It should be quite easy (compared to what he has done) to make wooden keys to fit.

Re:False Advertising

[sjwaste]

Replaceable parts. It's a fairly standard laptop keyboard. If it breaks, you slap in a new one. Plus, a wooden keyboard is going to feel different. I really wouldn't want changes to the input devices.

Re:False Advertising

[LearnToSpell]

I remember Wired (?) doing a thing on a wooden computer a few years ago. Basically, everything that could be wood, was, including the keyboard. It looked amazing. 20 thousand bucks, IIRC.

Re:False Advertising

[timmy_otoole]

Yeah...he's just being lazy. Just by a copy of Scrabble and voila...instant keys.

Re:False Advertising

[EtherAlchemist]

It's OK, but not great. Honestly, IMO, the workmanship seems really rough on the wooden laptop.

If I were to make one, I think I would have:
- Recessed the screws (or at least made sure they were flush, sheesh)
- Used hidden joints
- NOT used verneer
- Put more effort into thje finish

Re:False Advertising

[SA Stevens]

I think that possibly it's just that the creator is a poor photographer. The shots of the laptop on the page are very unflattering because of lighting, etc.

It shouldn't be that surprising that someone who can do really nice work with wood hasn't got the same skills with a digital camera.

What's with all the 'props' lined up around the laptop in some of those shots. It looks a little pretentious in a few instances.

Re:False Advertising

[Afrosheen]

"I really wouldn't want changes to the input devices."

Too late, he swapped both of the big mouse-clickers built into the keyboard with wooden panels. Look not-so-closely and you'll see them.

Personally I'd try wooden keys. They might actually feel better due to weight and texture but it'd suck to get splinters from typing.

Re:False Advertising

[Afrosheen]

I think he knows who this will appeal to: the slashdot crowd and antique collectors. Hence a few screenshots running Linux and the Linux magazine. Take a look at some of the other shots: he's rocking a Fostex reel-to-reel, an actual record player, some DAT equipment, and one of those super old tyme fans that have the canvas-wrapped, burn-down-the-house cords on it.

Definitely a renaissance man of some sort. :)

Re:False Advertising

[sharkey]

Considering this guy's selling the laptop, the statement of "the ENTIRE LAPTOP is made by SOLID WOOD" isn't quite true.

What does the fact that he's selling it have to do with whether or not the maker of the laptop was solid wood? Maybe a witch made it.

Re:False Advertising

[cloudmaster]

Bringing back old shit that's not in any way better than what's current - except that it has more dust and fond memories - does not a renaissance man make. That descriptor is reserved for someone with a broad knowledge, largely because at the time, there was little knowledge and it was therefore possible to nearly know it all. This guy appearently just likes outdated electronics (mostly electronic sound stuff). Call him old-school, antique, a "collector", or a luddite, but not a renaissance man.

FYI. :)

Re:False Advertising

[jred]

But man, he's got Zappa there, too. Can't be *all* bad :)

Re:False Advertising

[TeknoHog]

the statement of "the ENTIRE LAPTOP is made by SOLID WOOD" isn't quite true.

I wonder if that comprises the Cellulose Processing Unit and the Grain Processing Unit...

Re:False Advertising

[EtherAlchemist]

The camera, they say, doesn't lie. (At least not often). With a good camera, digital or film, it's really hard to hide flaws that are obvious. The shot of the card slots show a screwhead sticking up (look under the monitor edge). Edges are not straight, they're wavy. And the filler on the veneer is visible and gives the whole thing a 70's trailer home "complete with wood paneling" appearance.

Re:False Advertising

[Drawsalot]

Havin' a bad day, are we? Grow a personality, and hold down the volume, will ya?

Re:False Advertising

[Afrosheen]

Ok so he's more of an old-school antique collector. But in my book, judging by his sound equipment, he's more of an audiophile.

Re:False Advertising

[andreyw]

DAT? 48Khz sampling versus 44100Khz sampling rate on your CD? Antique?!

DAT's computer cousin, DDS, if far from obsolete as well.

Re:False Advertising

[itwerx]

...the whole thing a 70's trailer home "complete with wood paneling" appearance.

Agreed! Some of the joints are pretty sloppy too. I am by no means a professional wood-worker but there's no damn way I'd brag about any of that. Not to mention the varnish looks like some kind of outdoor spar varnish, like he's really going to care about the wood if it gets wet! :)
Kudos for him even trying it though! It's really not bad as a rough draft. Maybe he'll have another go at it with lessons learned.

Re:False Advertising

[cloudmaster]

audiophile, n: someone who thinks that they can hear better than phsically possible, and unconditionally relates increasing cost with increasing quality.

I didn't look at the site, but if he's listening to records, he's no audiophile (unless it's on a really expensive record player, playing records hand-pressed into rare alpine vinyl by swiss monks). ;)

Re:False Advertising

[cloudmaster]

Yeah, 44.1KHz is certainly not enough to accurately reproduce the ~18KHz audible range of a human. What? Nyquist says that 44.1KHz is enough to accurately sample 22.05KHz, which is more than a human can hear?

Yes, I know that some people can hear time delay differences down to around 5 milliseconds (most people are in the 15ms range), which is less than the sampling period in 44.1KHz (23ms) or 48KHz (21ms) samples. That "nearly" 2ms gain is less than amazing, and still inadequate using the stereo imaging criteria.

Besides, who said anything about CDs? The DVD Audio format specification allows for up to 96KHz for 6 channels, or up to 192KHz for 2 channels. 192KHz is a 5ms sample, which should theoretically appease even those with exceptional hearing. I've heard that DVD is a format that's even catching on with the public, and that we might be able to buy DVDs someday. ;)

Tell me again that DAT's not obsolete. They were undeniably cool in their day, and are still cool for nostalgia's sake, but I can get a new DVD burner for under $50 now, and I can get a car, home, or portable DVD player most anywhere. DAT players aren't commonly available, and trade convenience and durability for a very modest gain in sound quality. A DAT deck would be great next to a MD player and Betamax deck - a whole accumulation of good ideas that have long since been surpassed.

hmm

[seymansey]

I had a laptop once, it wooden go...

Re:hmm

[NanoGator]

"I had a laptop once, it wooden go..."

I had a Compaq once, too.

Re:hmm

[Matilda the Hun]

I had a Compaq once, too. I still do. The blue screen of death it constantly displays makes for wonderful decor. Everytime I get irate at Linux I look at the Compaq and *poof*, I'm grateful for Tux all over again.

Processor Heat

[jacksonai]

Is the wood he used on the laptop treated with anything? If so, some of that stuff might be flammible.

Re:Processor Heat

[cloudmaster]

When's the last time *your* laptop got up to 450 degrees F and beyond (and that's just to burn paper - wood generally takes a bit more, with mahogany being up in the 800 degree range to self-ignite, IIRC)? Heck, your *hand* is nearly 100 degrees F, and your laptop's not much more than another 20-30 degrees hotter in general. Do you worry about whether or not the wooden chairs you sit on are treated, lest they ignite from the 97 degree ass sitting in them? :)

Re:Processor Heat

[whitehatlurker]

That is something I thought about - not that it would catch on fire, (that would take a lot of heat) but that wood is a poor heat conductor compared to the original case. The heat dissipation would not be as efficient, warming the inside. The temperature inside of the case might toast the electronics.

Hey, if regular laptops can cause lap burns they have to be warm.

From the looks of that laptop

[w.p.richardson]

Splinters could be a problem. It looked like shabbily stained pressed wood.

Why not use a good looking wood, if you are going to all of that trouble?

Re:From the looks of that laptop

[fembots]

Because, according to the article, it was built out of an old case of precious sicilian wines, given to my father years ago by the Baron Antonio Pupillo di Contrada Targia near Siracuse.

You don't get many good looking good given by Barons.

Re:From the looks of that laptop

[duckpoopy]

The workmanship is quite shite as well. This is no woodworker...

Re:From the looks of that laptop

[InfiniteWisdom]

Look up the word "curb", then look up the word "eliminate", then go kill yourself.

Re:From the looks of that laptop

[drsquare]

That's why you seal yourself in a bag before you die. You need a non-violent method of death for this so as not to break the bag. I suggest cyanide. You climb into the air-tight bag, seal it, and then eat the cyanide capsule. All the CO2 will be contained in the bag, and can be disposed of safely.

Re:From the looks of that laptop

[mrchaotica]

Couldn't you just seal the bag and suffocate yourself, or does suffocating cause you to involuntarily thrash around?

for sale?

[dmf415]

The punchline:
For price and purchasing details write to zaverio@freaknet.org
LOL

coming soon?

[Sv-Manowar]

Apple PowerBook G5: Mahogany Edition

comes bundled with iLumberjack

Re:coming soon?

[amh131]

And presumably iOK as well .....

Re:coming soon?

[irokitt]

Oh, he's a Lumberjack and he's OK, he sleeps all night and he works all day!

Seriously though, how many people will complain that the new iWood uses wood from precious trees, when the original plastic case uses fossil fuels;) And not to mention just how horribly bad any computer is for the environment...

Time to start the office pool. Put me down for 100 complaint letters to Jobs. $20....

These would sell

[Paul Slocum]

I've had this idea for a long time, but will never have enough time to build it. I think wooden cases would sell well, since lots of people would like to have a PC that doesn't look like a hunk of plastic technology. Personally, I'd love to have one with old skool controls and readouts. Neon bulbs for power/HD and maybe some VU meters. Probably been done by some case modder, but where can you buy one?

Re:These would sell

[SA Stevens]

Neon bulbs for power/HD

Why screw around with medium-power-burning tech? What you're talking about would only reduce battery life by 3/4. Use carbon arc lamps and turn every bootup into a 'flash' followed by the low power alert.

maybe some VU meters.

To measure what? Are you talking about a riced-out laptop here??

Re:These would sell

[ddusza]

Ok, if you are going to go 'old school' on it, you might as well use Nixie (sp?) tubes for the numeric display (temp, processor speed, clock cycles since boot, etc.) as they would really be a throwback to the days of yore. Make the case look like an old radio for that really retro touch of technology. Don

Re:These would sell

[bill_mcgonigle]

lots of people would like to have a PC that doesn't look like a hunk of plastic technology

My grandparents had a record player that looked like a lowboy cabinet. You opened a hinged lid on the top to access the electronics. I think they even had the super-modern model with an 8-track in it.

Seems like the same crowd would go for the wood-case PC. Me, I'd hate to throw out anything that nice and it's going to be obsolete in a few years.

Re:These would sell

[hairykrishna]

I also wanted to build one for a while. The idea I had would have used one of those vacuum tube motherboards asus made:

http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp ?storyid=49854&upto=1

I wanted to make it look like some kind of crazy mad scientists from the 50's PC. Couldn't get my hands on one of those boards though.

Re:These would sell

[Nefarious Wheel]

Heck, make it look like a miniature System 370 front panel, complete with rotary register switch. Nothing could beat those for lights! Was an ideal environment for bringing a young & lovely in to a darkened computer room for a bit of Guinness and pastrami during a long, late-night CORGZ run. Old geeks like me would buy them for the nostalgia alone.

Ummmm. Screensaver.

I think it's ugly.

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously, some people have a low threshold for what they consider to be "stunning" woodwork.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[HumanTorch]

I was stunned.. at how shoddy it actually looked up close.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[2short]

Seriously, the woodwork involved is not particularly difficult, yet he doesn't appear to have done a particularly good job of it. A wooden keyboard would be a lot of work, but not overwhelmingly difficult, so I'd at least expect that on The Amazing Solid Wood Laptop (for sale...).

Re:I think it's ugly.

[stratjakt]

I grew up near Mennonite (a religious sect not too unlike the Amish) country in southern Ontario, and I've seen beautiful wood carving and woodwork.

One of those cats would carve you an absolutly brilliant laptop case, and do it cheap too.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[drew]

It looks to me like a lot of #1 and a little bit of #3. The pictures are definitely poor quality, you can tell from looking at the other (non-laptop) objects, people, etc. in the shots- bad focus and worse lighting. You can tell from the shots around the PCMCIA slots that the case is certainly not perfect, but overall, the pictures make it hard to tell just how good (or poor) the case really is.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[sharkey]

You must be new here.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[radish]

Indeed, that has to be one of the ugliest laptops I've ever seen. The quality of construction is terrible.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[Drawsalot]

Ditto. First thing I thought, was "God, that's ugly." I had to scroll down quite a ways before some actually came out and said this thing sucked. Strange.

Re:I think it's ugly.

[nametaken]

The laptop is indeed ugly. The table case the other guy made is beautiful (IMHO). He clearly spent alot of time building it right.

I'll bet that case mod...

[donnyspi]

...voided the warranty :-)

Re:I'll bet that case mod...

[John_Booty]

...voided the warranty on his laptop, or on his tree?

Some engineering problems...

[corporatemutantninja]

I wonder if it's laminated or solid wood. If the latter, he could have some problems with expansion/contraction as the wood moves with humidity changes.

Re:Some engineering problems...

[Malc]

From the first paragraph of page 3 of the story:

"While the frame is mahogany, the panels are quarter-inch cherry veneered plywood. The paneled design allows for very tight tolerances around the face hardware, as plywood is dimensionally stable (meaning it doesn't expand and contract as moisture levels vary)."

This from the Google cache page somebody else submitted here.

Re:Some engineering problems...

[gardyloo]

he could have some problems with expansion/contraction as the wood moves with humidity changes.

*cough* It's just toooooo easy....

Re:Some engineering problems...

[Anonymous Coward]

Consider scale.

Properly finished wood doesn't expand and contract that much. If it did, every traditional joint you've ever seen would be loose.

Though perhaps these days you've never seen any woodworking that wasn't worn out or improperly made.

If you want to wonder "at what size does it matter?" then consider frame and panel construction of doors and cabinets. That came about to deal with excessive motion of wide and long planks.

And yeah, dude's using plywood anyway.

Re:Some engineering problems...

[Red Leader.]

That's not really true. Even a multi-coated well polyurethaned board only 10 inches wide will move a lot (on the 1/16-1/8" scale) - I know from experience. There are several reference books where you can look up expansion/contraction measurements by species. If you need dimensional stability, plywood is where it's at.

In order to properly account for movement, you must carefully align your grain (especially in joints) so that it's all moving along the same axis. In other situations you must float things so that they're anchored where they need to be, but free to move perpendicular to the grain - example of is include tongue and groove joints and a screw in a slot.

Obligatory Simpsons Quote:

[kevin_conaway]

Skinner: All right, pick your size: extra small or extra large. We've got both. No pushing, now! I've -- what? [Doris whispers in his ear] Oh. I've just been informed we've run out of extra large.

WOOD? :-S

[adolfojp]

Great, just great.

Computer bugs have made me loose sleep and hair for years... ...and now I also have to worry about termites.

Some people are just asking for trouble ;-).

Cheers,
Adolfo

Re:WOOD? :-S

[Anonymous Coward]

adolfojp said "Computer bugs have made me loose sleep and hair for years... ...and now I also have to worry about termites."

Loose sleep and hair? you let go of the sleep and hair or did you lose your sleep and hair?

sorry, it just would not let me loose! :p

Hrm.

[Tuxedo Jack]

From the look of the mouse buttons, the old case was for a Dell Inspiron - I'm going to hazard a guess in the 8xxx series.

Very nice work, I have to admit.

Re:Hrm.

[Kimos]

Yup. Looks just like my Inspiron 8000. Except... woodier.
Good eye! Those things are heavy beasts, but didn't run too hot. Sorry to everyone hoping for a fire!

Re:Hrm.

[deathazre]

seems to match up nicely with the Latitude I'm on right now (c610)... hdd, pcmcia, power lights, the combo touchpad/eraser mouse, power connector all in the same place

I hate to urinate in his breakfast grains, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

...that's one UGLY laptop. The idea of a wood case has potential, I admit but I'd rather have my soulless plastic than that thing.

A+ for innovation.
D- for implementation.

I want one!

[Arysh]

This is pretty neat -- if I had any wood-working skills, I'd make one myself, but I'd be too afraid of severing enough fingers in the process that I'd have to start all over on a Mac laptop that only had one button ;)

On another note, it's quite cute (and fitting) how one of the pics of the laptop shows him looking at Slashdot...

The only things left to add to this laptop are ...

[xwin]

1. Wodden CPU.
2. Wodden hard drive.
3. etc.

On a serious note it would be hard to belive that a wodden case would be lighter then plastic one.

Intel Inside...

[telstar]

Fugly Outside...

Re:already been done?

[dmf415]

Maybe he got the idea from this company, that already makes wood computer cases.

site here:
http://www.exoticwoodcrafts.com/

Wooden Laptop Guy a /.er

[DrinkingIllini]

Slashdot is on the screen in one of the pics of the laptop. Show yourself wooden laptop man!

Jokes

[phalse phace]

And here come the jokes about his site being hosted by the wooden computer, the site being /.ed, and the wooden computer burning in flames...

Re:Jokes

[billimad]

ah, you mean the charcoal grey model.

Re:Jokes

[Tribbin]

The wooden computer burning in flames is derived from the 'printer on fire' message from linux 2.2?

http://www.eggheaven2000.com/detailed/212.html

Re:Jokes

[mushupork]

But add varnish to the post and now you have something worth modding up. Right...anyone...?

Re:Jokes

[EMH_Mark3]

The old 'printer on fire' message wasn't actually an easter egg. Read this for the full story.

Re:Jokes

[pclminion]

Actually, the site seems to be holding up pretty well. Must be running Debian Woody.

Server on fire

[mushupork]

Site's been /.d ... or the server got sawdust in the heatsink again, causing the fresh coat of varnish to burst into flames.

That reminds me

[DaNasty]

This reminds me of a belief my mom held for the longest time. She believed that civilization had reached technological peaks in the past, but they built everything "au natural" so to speak. Instead of just a wooden case, one of their computers would be entirely made of natural & biodegradable components, hence why we never find traces of their technology. It makes sense from a recyclability point of view if you think about it.

Re:That reminds me

[DrinkingIllini]

So that's how they built the pyramids, wooden robots!

Re:That reminds me

[cloudmaster]

No, it doesn't make sense from any point of view, if you think about it. It makes sense if you *don't* think about it, though... Now, maybe if these peaks had been reached a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, *that* would make sense. ;)

More hackaday

[yfmaster]

I'm not sure about the table, but I do know that the laptop was on hackaday a while ago http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000490035133/ . Why don't we just have a little side box for Hackaday stuff from now on?

It may be a wooden laptop, but...

[jpetts]

..it's still a Dell.

Actually, come to think of it, it must be made from
deltree wood!!!

Mirror anyone?

[dustinbarbour]

It has already been /.ed. I hope the fire department is on their way!

/.ed mirror

[demon411]

Mirror: http://home.nycap.rr.com/snozberry/case01.html Google cache of some pages: http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:iGzZEFTuVvEJ: www.beefstew.net/snozberry/case01.html+&hl=en&star t=1 http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:gk1K4aQmKdMJ: www.beefstew.net/snozberry/case03.html+&hl=en&star t=1 URL:http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:OyUMTXJeN 5YJ:www.beefstew.net/snozberry/case05.html+&hl=en& start=1>

Mmmmm... Zappa....

[mclaincausey]

Orff und Zappa?

Re:Mmmmm... Zappa....

[ajlitt]

ISP Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Server?

Re:The only things left to add to this laptop are

[darth_MALL]

4. Wodden SpeelCheckr

The Flammable Case

[AtariAmarok]

"Dude, you're getting a flaming hell"

"Commodore Vic-20: The Cinder Computer of the 1980s"

Microsoft: Embrace and incinerate.

Apple: Burn different.

Emachines: See what's new in blue flames.

Gateway 2000: Roast Beef

Re:The Flammable Case

[AtariAmarok]

"Did you know the flammable and inflammable mean the same thing? Boy, I learned that the hard way" - Woody Boyd, "Cheers".

...MOD +1 FLAIMBAIT!

[Total_Wimp]

Also keep away from fireplaces, errant sparks, or anything that may trigger flame.

(is there a -1 Bad Joke? I hope not) :-)

My luck is looking better already!

[Anonymous Coward]

Now when I need to knock on wood, I need not leave my computer. Excellent!

Cedar ROM Drive

[iNatrix]

I found the woodburning kit a bit cumbersome and time consuming when burning music Cedars.

Re:Cedar ROM Drive

[kin_korn_karn]

Pining away fir your old hardwood?

Eh?

[biglig2]

Sorry, let me get this straight, this is a new thing because previously people have't been replacing the case with a wooden case, but because they've been covering the case with wood?

Greenpeace

[michelcultivo]

Have you heard that knocks on your door?

Wood is less dense than most plastics

[DoctoRoR]

On a serious note it would be hard to belive that a wodden case would be lighter then plastic one.

It's not obvious, but wood is often lighter than plastic. Check out the densities sorted by material density list. Cherry is the lightest wood at 0.433 g/cc. Polyurethane is at 1 g/cc.

Re:Wood is less dense than most plastics

[xwin]

That is true but it would be hard to make a wodden case as thin as plastic one. Plastic is probably stronger than wood, at least plastic that goes in to laptop cases.

Re:Wood is less dense than most plastics

[FudRucker]

i bet he gets a woody when looking at pr0n...

Get a DVD instead

[AtariAmarok]

"I found the woodburning kit a bit cumbersome and time consuming when burning music Cedars."

Get one with Digital Vine Drive instead. I prefer Apple's new iVy, with its cool looking bamboo-filliment display. You can even save songs to your iSeedPod from it.

TERMITES!

[pg110404]

Gives the term 'computer bug' a whole new meaning.

Better looking wood computers

[jerometremblay]

Holzkontor makes incredibely nice keyboards/monitors/mices in wood and stone.

If only they weren't so fucking expensive.

Re:Better looking wood computers

[sharkey]

Neat! If the cord is up to it, a stone mouse should make for a fantastic LART.

In other news...

[monoqlith]

Dad makes son Playstation for Christmas. (lifted from the onion)

Wood joke

[mrtroy]

These computers are like the dutch...

Wooden shoes,
Wooden head,
Wooden listen!

Apple I had wooden case

[peter303]

I was at the Homebrew computer meeting in 1976 when the Two Steves introduced the Apple prototype. It was in a wooden box because they didnt have metal or plastic molding expertise. For production models, the FCC required a metal frame to block spurious radio signals.

Re:Apple I had wooden case

[WMD_88]

Wait...you were THERE?

OMG!

Re:Apple I had wooden case

[SA Stevens]

The Apple I didn't have a case. It was shipped as a bare circuit board. In fact, it didn't have a power-transformer as shipped, either. Because the weight of the transformer (for a linear regulated power supply) would have greatly increased shipping costs. And anybody capable of bringing up an Apple I was gonna be somebody who could source their own AC line transformer.

Oh, and it also didn't have a keyboard. And there was a 'scratchpad' area near the solder pads for the keyboard input, so that you could add in inverter ICs if your parallel-strobed keyboard of choice used negative logic.

In 1976 the FCC didn't require a heck of a lot of shielding for 'production model' home computers. They swooped down on Comdex years later, putting tags all over systems in booths. Which killed the TRS-80 Model 1, for instance.

Re:Apple I had wooden case

[danielsfca2]

He said the prototype had a case. And apparently he was there, so he should know.

Re:Apple I had wooden case

[SA Stevens]

Possibly he was there. But then he started rambling on about 'production models requiring a metal frame' and it becomes unclear what the HECK he was talking about.

The Apple 1 was shipped as a populated circuit board in a cardboard shipping box. Soldering was required to make it 'go.'

Wooden PC Case

[KhaZ]

Friend of mine made a wooden PC case as well. Super cooling (tonnes of fans), and some pretty neat stuff on it. Detailed pictures, showing how it was done too.

Re:Wooden PC Case

[guaigean]

Way to show your friend appreciation, by slashdotting his web server.

Complete set

[zoeblade]

Wow, a wooden computer would look really nice with a wooden MIDI keyboard plugged into it (at least, for us music geeks, anyway).

Download free music.

Re:I hate to urinate in his breakfast grains, but.

[juniorkindergarten]

I'll have to agree, the workmanship is poor, especially the picture marked PCMCIA slots.
This guy is no finish carpenter. Maybe he should subscribe to http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/index.asp finewoodworking magazine for a while and try again once he's developed some woodworking skills.

and now...

[abes]

we can start to use the 'back in my days, our laptops were made of wood, AND we had to walk up hill both ways...'

Advice for user

[Nevtje(hr]

never play red alert on that thing... t-coils are kinda high voltage

Got wood??

[pg110404]

You betcha...

Oh wait, you mean the computer! Nope.

Wood and brass computer

[PIPBoy3000]

I got the hunkering a few years ago to build my own wood computer.

I dubbed it "The Fossil Computer", based on the fish fossil I have as a badge. The buttons and CD cover are hand-made out of brass. The wood was made on a milling machine. It turned out amazingly beautiful.

On the down side, a solid wood case is quite heavy. It's also an excellent insulator so I had to be careful with airflow.

Handy if you're forgetful like me

[quokkapox]

This is very handy because you can carve your password into the case (thus saving a Post-It!)

Golly, what will they think of next, a case made out of LEGO bricks?

Re:Handy if you're forgetful like me

[interstellar_donkey]

Golly, what will they think of next, a case made out of LEGO bricks?

Shhh!!! You'll give them ideas!

First lego cases, then cases made from lego mindstorms, then a few pousers will produce cases made from "Better Blocks". Then in 5 years when Lincoln Logs go back in vouge with the slashdot geek community, cases made to look like log cabins. Eventually the more tech savvy slashdotters will figure out a way to produce a combination LOTR/Cowboy Bebop case, though I can't imagine what it would look like.

But is it running...

[nerdyH]

Debian Woody? Any bugs (termites)? The photos seem grainy to me... (sorry)

I have plenty of wooden cases

[stratjakt]

In the form of a Bad Dudes, 2-Slot Neo Geo MVS, and Ms Pac Man cabinets. Electronics in wood cabinets is nothing new.

Once upon a time a TV set chassis was a fine piece of furniture that you wouldn't be ashamed of, and not an ugly grey/silver box that you have to hide in an armoire.

There are several companies who sell wood-inlayed cases for PCs (can't sell all wood chassis, as per FCC regs you need metal shielding) that actually look nice.

That said, this looks like shit. Worst "case mod" I've seen. That it's a full grown man, and not a 13 year old "l337 d00d" in the pictures, makes it pathetic, even sad.

The guy probably knows nothing of computers, but still wants to call himself a hacker. He sure can't call himself a carpenter or craftsman.

Exposed screwheads, clumsily hacked out bits of wood to make the monitor fit. Horrible patchy stain job. I can see brush strokes in the urethane. All signs of a someone sans-clue. Yech.

Norm Abrahms should beat this guy to death with a wood maul.

Re:I have plenty of wooden cases

[Bilestoad]

You don't need "metal shielding", just functional shielding - plastic cases with conductive paint on the inside are not unknown. For home builders I recommend checking out the conductive paint available to electric guitar builders, i.e. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/S upplies:_Shielding/Conductive_Shielding_Paint.html - works great.
In guitars it is used to shield the pickup cavity and back of the pickguard as an alternative to copper foil or tape which can be hard to apply around the tight curves. Works out cheaper than copper too.
I'll still use metal in my cases because the motherboard tray and PCI slots are just too much work and not durable enough in wood.

Re:I have plenty of wooden cases

[Greyfox]

Maybe he opted to take Home-Ec instead of shop class. I recall being taught how to do all that stuff in shop class about 20 years ago and was under the impression that pretty much every boy in the US has been forced to sit through all that. I suppose the know-how you pick up there would come in handy if you're going to make a laptop out of wood...

I wonder...?

[The Angry Mick]

On another note, it's quite cute (and fitting) how one of the pics of the laptop shows him looking at Slashdot...

Wouldn't reading Slashdot while being slashdotted be considered some sort of bizarre electronic paradox?

Totally Stunning?

[JudgeFurious]

I'm sorry, I know the guy made a laptop out of wood but honestly, it looks like ass to me. This is 2005, there's no excuse to be getting all big in the head about making an ugly wooden laptop. That was 5-6 years ago. Now I'm impressed if someone makes an attractive laptop out of wood that's also thinner than a PowerBook.

Standards are higher, get with the program people.

Re:Totally Stunning?

[Famanoran]

Go on then, make one.

Custom Wood Case

[renfrow]

I've been considering building a wood cased computer , for some time, to use in the living room as a media center computer. Not terribly powerful, just CPU, memory, dvd, sound card, video/tuner card(s) and network card. Boot it off the network and remote mount the file server. I've been thinking dovetailed walnut, with walnut burl front panel. Because it wouldn't have any metal in the construction, I've thought of using copper sheathing/mesh to create a faraday cage to minimize emissions. How does this sound?

Tom.

Re:Custom Wood Case

[Krater76]

Walnut is nice and with proper design allowing for maximum upgradability for hardware you could make more of a 'nerd's heirloom' - a nice piece of furniture that also serves as a media center.

Walnut, like most solid woods, can be expensive so always remember that a walnut veneered plywood works well and signifigantly reduces cost. It's also MUCH lighter than solid wood and doesn't shift with variances in moisture.

Articles like this one really make me want to get back into woodworking but I don't have the space due to apartment living :(

More wood please

[Twinbee]

It's not really a wooden laptop until the keys (and preferably the screen and insides!) are also made of wood! Not good enough.

Now all we need is

[Man in Spandex]

a way for those computers to self-powerup without the use of an outlet and soon every Amish family will have one!

form and function

[pileated]

I can't get to that link at the moment so am going to write this in the meantime.

Really I'm just thinking out loud about a subject that I've thought about for quite a few years: why have I never seen a wooden computer table/desk/hutch/whatever that appealed to me? I'm very fond of wood furniture and would take it over any other material most any day. Yet every time I see some sort of wooden furniture paired with a computer it just looks wrong. Same thing with entertainment centers/home theaters now that I think of it.

Maybe it's just me. The best explanation I can come up with is that wood, unless it's trying to hide its origins and look like something else, is quintessentially organic. Technology is not. Even if you created computers that made Gaudi look straightlaced I don't think they'd seem organic. Perhaps it's the screen, perhaps it's the keyboard. Like I said I'm just musing out loud, waiting for that perfect day when I find a wooden computer that looks right.

Re:form and function

[vrimj]

I usually have the same feeling, but after seeing this http://www.levenger.com/Pagetemplates/Product/More Photos.asp I relized that for me it was just a function problem, most wooden desks are very tradional looking and not really desined for a computer so the computer looks out of place. If a desk is really designed for its purpose it will, IMHO, look right.

I made a computer desk...

[Happy Monkey]

It's no integrated case, but I like it. Maybe someday I'll make a case - I like the idea.

Hopefully not with Firewire

[FerretFrottage]

wooden case and firewire can't be a good thing

Re:Thats just a fire hazard waiting to happen

[stratjakt]

Plastic will ignite faster and be much harder to extinguish than wood.

The hottest pentium wouldn't even char even the softest woods, yet I've seen plastic chassis that have literally melted.

Plastic is used because it's cheap and easy to mass produce, not because it's safer or better.

That's why 50 years ago a TV set was a fine piece of furniture, and today people try to "stealth" the ugly grey or black box by hiding them in an armoire in your living room.

Which, IMO, is silly, because armoire's look stupid in the living room. Who the hell keeps their clothes in the living room? It's like hiding the TV in a washing machine.

Coffee Table

[mollyhackit]

Hey, I just epoxied my dell laptop dock to the underside of my coffee table with a pair of speakers. Does my network attached sound table count as a mod?

Observation

[mstyne]

That laptop looks really shitty.

Re:already been done?

[Red Leader.]

As Christopher Horn, I can safely say that I did not get my idea from those people - in fact, I only have only recently become aware of those cases that you linked to; I recently started a Google AdWords campaign to sell my case and they appear to be my primary competitors.

Though I have to run home now and see what you all did to my poor server (aka desktop computer), my website will tell you that the case is for sale. If you want to purcahse it, message me at this account, or wait for my little cable modem connection to recover and send me an email through my online form. I'm asking US$1,800 and can deliver within a good distance from Washington, DC (including NYC), or can arrange to ship the case.

So YOU'RE the one Foamy was ranting about.

[Chas]

I wondered why this was so familiar.

Done LONG ago

[ch-chuck]

google "sol-20", a very collectibe 8080 era machine with attractive wooden ends.

Other problems with wood enclosures?

[WebCowboy]

Besides humidity distorting the fit of the wood parts I see other things that need attention as well:

1. What about RF interference? I haven't disassambled plastic-bodied computers for awhile (last ones were an elderly Win95 laptop and before that my old Atari ST), but from what I remember they always included metal RF shielding (Anyone out there remember what an Atari 800 looked like inside? It was built so heavy that you could probably run over it with a car and the RF shield wouldn't dent!). Did this guy retain/replace the RF shielding when he constructed the wood laptop case? I imagine that the reason wood cases are pricey has something to do with that.

2. How about heat and flammability? Better make sure you clean out any sawdust real well. I'd carefully choose the wood for your case too--I know when it gets warm outside a couple of the planks on my deck ooze sap. I'd hate for my wooden laptop to ooze sap all over my warm CPU--couldn't be healthy for the electronics.

I think that making a desk with an integrated PC would be easy enough--the PC itself can be a plain metal box bolted into the desk and there is room to manoeuvre...but a wooden laptop? Can't see that it would be practical.

Apple does it, then MS copies it,

[ardor]

Apple does it with Mahogany, MS does it with Balsa wood. Then, Service Pack 3 promises Windows Teak Edition. Unfortunately, it is filled with termites.

Re:Does the phrase "Too Much Time On Your Hands"

[Hognoxious]

It obviously took a considerable bit of effort, as would building a giant slingshot from hog bladders

What a strange yet brilliant simile - even though it made my eyes water.

Re:already been done?

[mOoZik]

Those are not wood, but veneer. There is a difference.

check out SWEDX

[dostick]

http://www.swedx.com/ they seem to be #1 in wooden computers

Re:check out SWEDX

[Lurks]

Yeah except they don't, you know, do wooden computers and stuff.

Swedx

[Scarblac]

Swedx also make wooden housings, for TFT monitors, keyboards and mice. I want a block of wood as a wireless mouse one day.

not very well done

[coaxial]

Whatever the (de)merits of replacing your metal case with a wooden one, this is not the way to do it.

It appears to be made with very cheap plywood that looks like it's one the verge of splitting. There's gaping wholes in the sides of the case. The metal frame of the lcd shows. There's exposed screws everywhere. The stain is uneven, either as a result of the poor quality of the plywood, or his lack of skill. All the edges of the plywood are exposed, making the case look even more amaturish.

It's really embrassing that he would post pictures of this with captions like "really beautiful", "very nice", and "details are important". Details are important. I just wish he actually paid attention to them.

iTunes: Rip, Mix, Burn

[wirelessbuzzers]

n/t

And here is a wooden Desktop

[StimpyPimp]

http://www.directron.com/contest1win.html (scroll down) I can't believe it only got 3rd place. It had inspired me to make my own... eventually. I wouldn't butcher a laptop, but anyone with a combo of wood-working and computer skills should consider making a classy desktop. Grounding might be a bit of a pain, but style has a cost.

Hmmmm...

[Alpha_Traveller]

Brings new meaning to the phrase..."I got a woody."

Would that we all would have a woody.

Re:already been done?

[Sloppy]

I have to run home now and see what you all did to my poor server

Well, fortunately, most computers aren't made of easily-inflammable materi-- OH NO!!

Nice job for the look

[GMFTatsujin]

There are a lot of posts above that deride the fellow for poor workmanship or whatever. Personally, I love how it looks in the context of his studio. Alongside a turntable, a reel-to-reel, and various sundry radios of days gone past, the less than perfect laptop connotes the good old days of computing when a guy could order a box of kit parts and put his own computing rig together transistor by transistor. It looks like the laptop has gone around the same block as the rest of his gear. I applaud his mise-en-scene.

Plus, he listens to Zappa. Can't fault the man for that.

Amish Computer Scandal

[iNatrix]

If only Jeremiah had visited slashdot first, he could have avoided
the whole thing. Finally a wooden computer with an internal butter-churning processor
gives our Amish brothers and sisters equal opurtunity to slashdot with the rest of us.

Computer in desk

[ylikone]

I've often considered assembling a computer inside of my desk drawer but always thought that it might be a fire hazard. I do know people have done this, but how safe is it really?

And yeah, I remember that guy that built a computer inside his dufflebag, but that's just stupid.

I do have an old wood-grain design Atari 2600 which I gutted in anticipation of someday building a computer inside it.

Shameful...

[LokieLizzy]

How much jealousy there is on Slashdot. A fellow user made this, and the most all of you can do is put down something almost none of you could do if you tried. Go ahead. Mod me as flamebait if you want; I don't give a damn. What you're doing is just wrong - the whole lot of you.

Re:Shameful...

[drinkypoo]

Because I have other ways to waste my time, such as working on my cars. In fact, I'll be doing some wood work for my car soon, because the center console wood has been abused. I will likely do it in the machine shop using CNC, though.

Re:Shameful...

[mstyne]

Thanks for your input.

It's running Linux!

[filterchild]

Did anyone else notice that that laptop was running Linux? One of the screenshots has XMMS with the default theme, and another shot has him unmounting something with the terminal.

Good thing, too, because I was going to ask whether it was running Debian Woody.

That laptop is gorgeous

[Timmy D Programmer]

That's some beautiful handiwork, I want one :-)

Mahogany Edition?

[Barlo_Mung_42]

I would want it in Apple wood.
If I didn't dislike puns so much I'd say something about worms as well.

Re:already been done?

[bergeron76]

I'm asking US$1,800

You big dummy. (said with Fred Sanford voice)

[No insult really intended]; You should put it on eBay. It's a one of a kind item, and the fair market will probably pay you much more money than what you're asking for it.

You'd be surprised at how many people apparently have way too much money.

Nice woodgrain keyboard...

[bergeron76]

Here's a great woodgrain keyboard.

DISCLAIMER: I take full credit for it.

"Word Processor of the Gods"

[Sebastopol]

Does anyone else think of that "Tales from the Darkside" Episode, from circa 1984?

The main character has a fvcked up family, and he inherits a machine from his recently decesased brother in law. The machine is an old 80-col green-phosphor word processor in a wooden chassis.

Whatever he types on the machine comes true.

He eventually re-writes his life just as the machine goes up in flames.

I always wanted to build a wooden chassis after seeing this (in like 1984).

EMI immunity - you forgot the tinfoil hat!

[JoeMerchant]

One of the great technical challenges of making a truly commercial (CE markable) wooden PC case is keeping the EMI/RF shielding properties of a real full metal jacket.

I know, I know, big plexiglass windows are just as open, and they sell those at major US stores.

Just be aware, when you house your PC in wood with no continuous shield (or put in a big plexi window), you are spewing tons of electromagnetic / radio frequency interference to nearby objects, which can (on rare occasion) cause a problem.

Gateway, Dell, Antec, and all the other major manufacturers wouldn't bother with spring enlosure fingers and tight shielding (like break-out 5.25 drive bay metal plates) if EMI didn't matter.

$1800 is a fair price for that kind of workmanship, just hope your customers don't have stability issues due to nearby interference.

Having said that, I had an overheating problem many years ago that I solved by taking off the case - with no ill effects. Had to come up with another solution when the gf's cats moved in, though...

The laptop nice?

[MSBob]

Holy shit! I really hope none of the slashdot editors are subscribers of "Fine Woodworking".

I'm a beginning woodworker with not a lot of experience beyond the eternal stepstool and a winerack but I can honestly tell you that the workmanship on the laptop SUCKS ASS! cheap plywood with no joinery slapped on top of an old boxy laptop. Pretty embarrassing actually. At least he didn't use bird's eye maple for it or something...

The full range

[Neo_Ludite]

Get all your wooden computer products here.

http://www.luddite.com/luddite/html/product.html

-- No relation --

Re:already been done?

[Red Leader.]

While I agree, then I have to pay a big reserve auction fee and eBay takes their cut of the final sale. Also, I'm taking bids through the form on my site - it's only the starting price that is $1,800.

holy shit that's beautiful

[Khashishi]

you got some serious competition there, Mr. wooden laptop.

A bad joke??

[uspsguy]

I would be embarassed to show that laptop in public. Norm Abrams would run screaming from the room if he came across that ugly immitation of craftsmanship. I'd place it in the catagory of a rough first prototype so it could be done well the next time.

Ah yes...

[Gordonjcp]

There was a program I pulled off the hard disk of a Compaq Portable (luggable really - portable in the sense that it had a handle bolted very firmly to the back of the case) called, if I recall correctly, HEAD42.COM (might have been a .EXE) - a 640x200 CGA rendition of a woman giving head to two guys. Surprisingly well animated, really. Thing is, the "backup copy" I took of that and similar stuff off the hard disk went west a long time ago, and no-one else apart from the two other people in the workshop with me that day have ever heard of it.

Seems strange to think that it's lost, completely gone.

EMI shielding

[latroM]

The site is quite unresponsive at the moment but I really hope that he put some kind of a electro magnetic interference shielding in place. My friend has a computer which lays wide open on his floor and I couldn't even hear the local 2m repeater in the whole building because of the noise. That's not even the worst of it; the components could even radiate on some police/fire etc. repeater input and jam their systems.

Wooden cases on the Cebit

[Mugros]

I have seen a company that made wooden cases for TFT-Screens, wooden mice etc etc. I don't remember the name but the whole computer and peripheral casing was made out of wood. The quality was superb.

Mod parent as funny!

[nietsch]

Why yes, I have lost my tongue (in cheek maybe)

Dell - therefore no custom kbd

[KlaymenDK]

Having spent quite some time as the (on-call) IT dude in an all-Dell office, I can confidently say that DELL KEYBOARDS DON'T LAST long enough to warrant any kind of customisations. I remember (all too vividly) replacing every single laptop keyboard at least twice a year. Shucks...

"Not wooden-covered, but a real wooden one"?

[Kosi]

How did they do the PCB, CPU, harddisk and so on? What does it run on (wood is not conductible, so electric current won't work)? And htf did they bring wood to emit photons without burning it?

Re:"Not wooden-covered, but a real wooden one"?

[bdulac]

I don't think the internal components are made out of wood. It seems most likely that the case itself is wood.

Re:"Not wooden-covered, but a real wooden one"?

[Kosi]

Thanks, I was perfectly aware of that, as it is almost impossible. But the sentence "Not wooden-covered, but a real wooden one" says just that, so I wanted to point out this error.

Re:Wooden Laptop Guy a /.er

[paulatz]

He is known as Red Leader.

Some More Laptop Moddings

[wehe]

Here are some more laptop and notebook moddings, e.g. a laptop made from gingerbread.

Apple 1 has been there, done that

[shantipole]

This is old news. In about 1978, before my buddy's dad switched to a TRS-80 he had an Apple 1 in a gorgeous rosewood case. If I could only get my hands on that Apple 1 today!