The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Seven or eight years ago, it was cool enough just to have a computer. It didn't matter who made it, how fast it was, or where you bought it from; just having one was cool enough. Now that Dell ads are everywhere, and our homes are filled with machines available for less than $1,000, having one is not enough. Which is why groups modifying computer cases, or case modding, has risen drastically in popularity. More and more people are getting sick of beige coloured boxes in their homes. For years, no matter who you bought your computer from, Henry Ford would have been proud. You could have any colour you wanted, as long as it was beige. Then IBM broke the mold and began producing black towers and monitors. Apple, having to be constantly in the forefront of computing trends, began producing laptops in a range of berry colours, and Michael Dell, the man who founded Dell computers out of his father's garage while in college to earn some extra money, commented in the press that his company, the world's largest manufacturer of personal computers, were able to make computers in "any berry that you might like." Now case modding as a hobby has taken off and is headed in all sorts of directions. As more people learn that it is not that difficult to take their computers apart, there are more people willing to modify their machines. From fancy computer cases in any colour you would like with windows cut into them so you can see inside, to flattened coloured cables, and lighting for your system so that it glows in the dark; almost anything is now available. You can even buy screws for your case with specific logos and pictures on them. Last week, Apple updated and re-released their top end desktop computers which have dual G5 chips in them. These machines have brought another type of case mod, computer liquid cooling, into the mainstream, which has never been available in an off-the-shelf machine before. When I first heard about liquid cooling for computers around a year and a half ago, I was nervous just thinking about running water through my expensive electronics, but I have never heard a horror stories about fried computers. A number of do-it-yourself kits can now be had for just above $150. Tower cases are the thing most often modified. While most are plastic, and available in any colour you want for less then $200, solid wood cases are also available on the market, but these will cost you in the range of $500 - $600. As well, a quick Internet search will turn up a number of businesses willing to paint custom murals on the side of your computer tower, or even carve a picture directly into the aluminum. For some people, case modding is done for the pure challenge, to see what is the strangest thing a computer can be built out of. Buying your own parts, I have seen entire computers built inside of a cardboard box, the pieces held together neatly with wire. As well, some people have built computers inside of toasters, inside of models of the Millennium Falcon, and inside of light stands. Any small space can be turned into a computer case. The inside of your computer is not a scary space, and with a few dollars (or a lot of dollars if you are willing to spend it!) your beige box can be turned into something unique to your home. ([email protected])
