For some it’s just a way to make that ugly beige computer tower on your desk look better, and add something to the aesthetics of your work space. For others, it’s a labor of love modifying their computer cases to create an amazing work of art. And then there are those who need to carve a bit more utility out of their computer cases. For everyone else, there are pictures…of the creations these folks have devised.
So sit back, grab some popcorn, don’t forget to get a cold drink from the fridge, and take a look at 13 amazing computer case mods.
- Dodge Charger PC Case (Pre Fabbed)
A marriage between car and computer never looked so good. The company behind this case mod has built a fully functional computer and put it inside a car model. The headlights and taillights blink and the hood ornament serves as the power button. Featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors, these sharp looking computers actually boot up to the sound of a HEMI engine. For those that like to change the look of their PC often, the outer shells of these bad boys are interchangeable. Want a Dodge Magnum body instead? It’s easy to change because the components are all mounted on one standard frame.
- The Giant Tetris Case
This case comes to you from the creative minds of a Spanish gaming group. There are several computers that actually make up the display as seen in the picture above. The colorful Tetris blocks are actually acrylic panels built to attach to each other to form the pile of blocks.
- Computer Desk and Case in One
This case mod brings a whole new meaning to the words “Computer Desk.” The senior technology editor over at Popular Mechanics set out to create the ultimate computer desk. The result is a beast of a machine with all the latest and greatest components they could find. The transparent desktop allows you to see the innards of the computer, and the blue lighting really adds to the displayability of the desk. Just make sure you have a cloth handy to wipe down the finger prints.
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It was in 1976 when Mattel first introduced a handheld gaming console with Auto Race. However, it was in 1989 that this device reached mainstream popularity with Nintendo’s release of the Game Boy. Since then, manufacturers have released a wide variety of handheld game consoles which have captured the attention of gamers and the interest of non-gamers.
Twenty Five years ago, Tetris was finished by Alexey Pajitnov. A widely-respected and adored game that is also credited to have had catapulted the popularity of handheld game consoles. With this celebration, let us take a comprehensive look at handheld game consoles since they were first release.
- Mattel Auto Race, Football
Mattel Electronics released the Auto Race in 1976. It is credited as the first handheld game manufactured and made available to the public. The console used about 512 bytes in memory. A smaller version for this console was also manufactured later. This was followed by Mattel Football, which was a huge success in the market and thus thought of by the public as the first Mattel game. Mattel Auto Race and Football are now sought after by gaming enthusiasts and are considered as collectors’ items.
- Epoch Game Pocket Computer
This handheld game console was released in Japan by Epoch in 1984. Epoch has released a total of 5 games for its Game Pocket Computer: Astro Bomber, Block Maze, Mahjong, Reversi and Store Keepers. It also has a puzzle game and a paint program built into the system. It had a 75 x 64 resolution for its LCD screen and powered by 4 AA batteries. The screen’s brightness could be dimmed and adjusted accordingly by the user. But Epoch Game Pocket Computer was not a success in Japan and due to this failure, it was never released for the North America market. Also, no other successors were release afterwards.
- Milton Bradley Microvision
Introduced in 1979 by Milton Bradley Company, Microvision included cartridge interchangeability into handheld game consoles. It was designed by Jay Smith who later will design the Vectrex gaming console. It has enjoyed moderate success in its first year, with sales grossing $8 million in the first year of release. However, poor support for the handheld console by the manufacturer has rendered this a not so successful game as no more successors were manufactured. Microvison met its demise in 1981.
- Atari Lynx, Lynx II
The world’s first handheld game console to have color LCD! Atari Lynx was originally design by engineers at Epyx in 1987 with the name Handy. But Epyx had some financial trouble at that time and had to find a manufacturing partner. Nintendo did not accept the invitation (they were busy with the manufacturing of another handheld console….) from Epyx while Atari hopped on into the wagon. In 1989, at the Summer CES, Portable Color Entertainment System, or what would later be called Atari Lynx.
Sold for $199, Lynx also enjoyed some moderate success in its release, with Atari manufacturing it in limited quantities. Later, Atari Lynx was relaunched with an aggressive marketing campaign, redesigned console, and improved packaging. This release is referred to as Lynx II. Atari also dropped the price for the new package, without accessories, to $99.
Specifications:
- Processor: two 16-bit custom CMOS chips running at 16MHz
- Memory: 64K RAM
- Sound: 4 channel sound 8-bit DAC for each channel
- Color: 4096 color palette, 16 simultaneous colors from palette per scan line
- Resolution: 160 x 102 (16,320 addressable pixels)
- Screen Size: 3.5″ diagonal (approximately 3.25″ x 1.88″)
- Battery holder (six AA) ~4-5 hours
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