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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."
It looks to me like 'Christopher Horn' made it...
My computer has been generating wood since the 80s.
So now the outside starts on fire, not just the inside??
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overclockers beware
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.
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.
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
I had a laptop once, it wooden go...
Why not use a good looking wood, if you are going to all of that trouble?
Curb CO2 emissions: Kill yourself today!
Apple PowerBook G5: Mahogany Edition
comes bundled with iLumberjack
Business Voyeur
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?
Obviously, some people have a low threshold for what they consider to be "stunning" woodwork.
...voided the warranty :-)
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.
Actually, I was trying to be Insightful, not Funny.
Great, just great.
...and now I also have to worry about termites.
;-).
Computer bugs have made me loose sleep and hair for years...
Some people are just asking for trouble
Cheers,
Adolfo
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.
Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
...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.
On another note, it's quite cute (and fitting) how one of the pics of the laptop shows him looking at Slashdot...
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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.
Fugly Outside...
Maybe he got the idea from this company, that already makes wood computer cases.
site here:
http://www.exoticwoodcrafts.com/
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...
Site's been /.d ... or the server got sawdust in the heatsink again, causing the fresh coat of varnish to burst into flames.
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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.
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It has already been /.ed. I hope the fire department is on their way!
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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>
4. Wodden SpeelCheckr
"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
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
I found the woodburning kit a bit cumbersome and time consuming when burning music Cedars.
Holzkontor makes incredibely nice keyboards/monitors/mices in wood and stone.
If only they weren't so fucking expensive.
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.
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.
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.
Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
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.
It's no integrated case, but I like it. Maybe someday I'll make a case - I like the idea.
__
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ISP Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Server?
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?
That laptop looks really shitty.
mstyne: real name, no gimmicks
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.
I wondered why this was so familiar.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
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? :)
google "sol-20", a very collectibe 8080 era machine with attractive wooden ends.
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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.
Those are not wood, but veneer. There is a difference.
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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.
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Brings new meaning to the phrase..."I got a woody."
Would that we all would have a woody.
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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.
Meh.