MacBook Mod Gives Base Station Chassis New Purpose

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MacBook Mod Gives Base Station Chassis New Purpose

Posted by timothy on Tuesday December 1, 2009 @03:30AM from the hyper-extension dept.

odysseus31173 writes "A little over a year ago, I began developing for the iPhone and needed a working mac (not a Hackintosh), so I decided to purchase a MacBook logic board to save on cost. I modded a Linksys case to accept the logic board (along with all of the other hardware) and made it function again. The Mac currently runs Leopard and has a working iSight and mic along with fully functional WiFi and bluetooth. The RAM is the standard 1 gig, but the hard drive has been upgraded to 160 gigs. The iSight/mic holes in the front panel are hard to see and this could be used as a nanny cam of sorts."

30 of 129 comments (clear)

Down already? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-12-01 03:34 · Score: 2, Insightful

Slashdotted already?!? Damn you people!
Um by somersault · 2009-12-01 03:35 · Score: 3, Insightful

I think hacking together your own "Mac" out of a mac logic board and non-mac hardware still counts as being a "Hackintosh".

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which is totally what she said
1. Re:Um by bsDaemon · 2009-12-01 03:40 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Still counts? I think this is the quintessential definition of "hackintosh."
2. Re:Um by ceoyoyo · 2009-12-01 03:57 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  With the important distinction that as far as the OS cares it's a real Mac. Thus OS updates work with no problem.
3. Re:Um by putch · 2009-12-01 04:03 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  not quite. the "quintessential" definition of a hackintosh is intalling OSX on retail PC (as opposed to mac) hardware. this guy used a real mac mobo. so, basically he just modded a mac into a linksys case. not quite a hackintosh. also, not quite news.
  
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  just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand!
4. Re:Um by MooUK · 2009-12-01 04:22 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  What he did is what "Hackintosh" should mean. A lesser term should be given to using OSX on non-apple hardware.
5. Re:Um by sexconker · 2009-12-01 04:53 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  What he did is what "Hackintosh" should mean. A lesser term should be given to using OSX on non-apple hardware.
  Slappedontosh
6. Re:Um by nhytefall · 2009-12-01 04:58 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "Waste of Time and Money" - my suggestion
  
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7. Re:Um by MrCrassic · 2009-12-01 10:12 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Just in case anyone thinks building a Hackintosh is clearly bad...
  Installing OS X can be an easy process IF the hardware which it's being installed on plays nice with it. I believe a lot of people, myself included, got turned off to getting OS X working on their machines because of the *MANY* issues people faced while trying to get Tiger to work. Now that the entire OS is written for the x86 platform, many machines with Core 2 Duo processors or higher can at least install OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard using the retail disc, which was never possible previously. The only thing that's needed to get the disc to boot is a bootloader that can recognize it.
  Choosing the right hardware makes a huge difference in getting OS X running just right. Lots of people run into issues with sound, graphics and wireless, but they also fail to consider that these fail because OS X lacks the native support to make them work. Furthermore, many of those experiencing growing pains fail to look at the HUGE wiki of compatible devices that have been tried and proven working.
  I was able to get OS X Snow Leopard installed on my Dell Latitude E-series laptop with minimal pitfalls. The only trip-ups are in areas that don't bother me, but might bother others. I can't sleep the machine if I want to keep my webcam and USB 2.0 at the moment, and everyone's having problems shutting down and restarting their machines using ACPI. Considering the minimal amount of time I needed to get it up and urnning, I consider these side effects negligible. The fact that I can use OS X in my daily workflow and virtualize Windows 7 within it is more than enough to keep me happy.
  In the end, though, I wouldn't recommend that people build rigs expressly for getting OS X installed on it unless it differs significantly from Apple's offerings and is significantly less expensive. Their prices are coming down quite nicely, so I don't think they are as unreasonable as they used to be. Plus, their Mac Pro is pretty nice...
So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by Viol8 · 2009-12-01 03:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

... and put it in a case.
And it worked.
Umm yeah , and?
Must be a REALLY slow news day today.
1. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by Anonymous Coward · 2009-12-01 03:45 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  no shit. hey, i bought a PC with a beige case and painted it orange. do i get my own slashdot story now too? we can talk about the technical differences between latex and enamel paints, glossy versus flat, and other really fascinating pieces of technicality! it'll be great ... for a slow news day
2. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by cerberusss · 2009-12-01 03:48 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  ... and put it in a case.
  And it worked.
  Worked, past tense.
  He hosted TFArticle on the abomination, and it apparently decided to put itself out of its misery.
  
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  8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
3. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by houstonbofh · 2009-12-01 03:50 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  no shit. hey, i bought a PC with a beige case and painted it orange. do i get my own slashdot story now too? we can talk about the technical differences between latex and enamel paints, glossy versus flat, and other really fascinating pieces of technicality! it'll be great ... for a slow news day
  There have been a few slashdot stories about people painting laptops, and a few on restoring old cases... So, yes.
4. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by Quiet_Desperation · 2009-12-01 03:54 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Not to mention it's another "my time is of no value" story. Why not buy a used Mac and start developing?
  Well, I need some breakfast. Excuse me while I go raise a pig and a chicken and sow some wheat.
5. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by eln · 2009-12-01 04:06 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  no shit. hey, i bought a PC with a beige case and painted it orange. do i get my own slashdot story now too? we can talk about the technical differences between latex and enamel paints, glossy versus flat, and other really fascinating pieces of technicality! it'll be great ... for a slow news day
  Don't be absurd, that's not news at all.
  
  Now if you were to make a stencil of the Apple logo and paint it on the side of your machine, you could write a howto on that and make the front page of Slashdot for sure.
6. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by Anonymous+Monkey · 2009-12-01 04:43 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  My brother keeps chickens. You can get eggs without a rooster. In fact you can get eggs with just one chicken living in your back yard. Not very many, but you can.
  
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  We are the Borg...
7. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by R2.0 · 2009-12-01 04:44 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Who labeled this informative? A single chicken will lay eggs just fine; if you want them fertilized you need 2.
  
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  "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
8. Re:So you bolted together a Mac from parts ... by Sandbags · 2009-12-01 05:40 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  if he did it for less than the cost of buying the same model Mac (used, and out of waranty), then it's a win. If a used/refurb Mac of the same or better model WITH a waranty costs less, then it;s a big lose... In fact, I'd say, to be a viable system and worth the effort, it would have to cost 70% or less than a used Mac with a waranty, including all the parts needed to make this what it is.
  
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  There is no contest in life for which the unprepared have the advantage.
Who the hell cares? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-12-01 03:37 · Score: 2, Funny

I've built plenty of computers in my day, and never submitted a story about it. Now get the hell off of my lawn.
1. Re:Who the hell cares? by cbreaker · 2009-12-01 03:46 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Apple + Macintosh + iPhone = Front Page of Slashdot
  
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  - It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
Ooh, you installed OS X on a non-Apple-branded... by jeffb+(2.718) · 2009-12-01 03:39 · Score: 3, Funny

...er, box. I'm tellin' Apple!
Re:Looks like a Hackintosh to Me by 0racle · 2009-12-01 03:49 · Score: 2, Informative

when you've done that much work to make a computer that runs OSX, I think it qualifies as a Hackintosh.
Unless 'that much work' amounts to putting a Mac in a different case. He made a non-portable MacBook, but of course OS X installed on it, it is an Apple computer.

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"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
Re:Nanny cam of sorts by azior · 2009-12-01 03:49 · Score: 5, Funny

"The iSight/mic holes in the front panel are hard to see and this could be used as a nanny cam of sorts."
Make sure you load it with porn that "happens" to appear when you touch any button at all, and send me the tapes.
There's An App For That
Google Cache working by mrops · 2009-12-01 04:15 · Score: 4, Informative

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.phantomdev.com%2Fmacbook_mod_2%2F&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
No, it's a Mac case mod. by MsGeek · 2009-12-01 04:26 · Score: 4, Insightful

Hackintosh = bog standard PC running Mac OS X.
Case mod = hardware stuffed into a case that is wildly different or decorative or super-functional.
Mac case mod = Mac logic board stuffed into a case that is wildly different from standard Macs.
I still want to do a Classic Mac modded with a Mac mini inside and an LCD replacing the old CRT.

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Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
Re:Not a bad little hack by OrangeTide · 2009-12-01 04:31 · Score: 2, Informative

drive and memory is cheap. 500GB 2.5" is $70. So we can safely say that new you can get them for under $100.
I think it is reasonable to say that a $350 is significantly less than $600.
And if you go on ebay(ewww) and buy a semi-broken macbook and take its logic board, or buy a used working logic board they are significantly less than $250. Most of the buy-it-now prices are more than $250, but you can usually get one for under $200 with a little effort.

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“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Re:iSight? by GizmoToy · 2009-12-01 04:52 · Score: 2, Insightful

Yea, what were they thinking? No one ever names their products! Apple's iSight, Microsoft's LifeCam, and Logitech's QuickCam should all just be renamed "camera"
Re:Not a bad little hack by th1nk · 2009-12-01 05:22 · Score: 2, Insightful

The worth of his time is only relevant if he was trying to sell these for profit.

See, people have these things called hobbies that keep them entertained.

I, for instance, enjoy working on my car. Sometimes it takes me 3 or 4 times longer than it would take a shop. Is it worth my time? Absolutely--it's fun.
It all evens out by OrangeTide · 2009-12-01 05:23 · Score: 4, Funny

He just used a logic board? Well, I just ordered a new case for my 13-inch MacBook. The universe is in harmony again.

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“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Or... by jours · 2009-12-01 05:38 · Score: 2, Funny

Huh. I see the top case with the keyboard in one of your pictures. So for less than $200 shipped (and a lot less work) you could've bought the bottom case and a replacement screen and built a laptop.
Of course then you wouldn't be on slashdot.

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