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Hardware

Really Stylish PCs and Peripherals 310

Posted by CmdrTaco from the style-matters dept.
knipknap writes "With Christmas lying ahead I decided it was time to present myself new PC hardware. Of course, nothing can be good enough for my Linux box, so I ran looking for some really nice cases - but was soon disappointed by the very little options available when it comes to stylish cases. There is the very nice Hoojum Nanode, which is for Nano-ITX boards only, while I was looking for more powerful alternatives. Then there was the Cubit P4, also from Hoojum, which seemed to suit my needs. I ordered one via mini-itx.com, but unfortunately they messed up the order and noticed only after it was already sold out... so there went my last option. I was also recommended Hush (I already own one) and Shuttle, both of which I found looking kind of cheap. Another problem seems to be finding good peripherals - I have not found a single higher quality mouse and keyboard outside the plastic computer world. So I decided to ask Slashdotters - which other options are there available?" Personally I love the Hush box.
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Really Stylish PCs and Peripherals More

Really Stylish PCs and Peripherals

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  • ThinkGeek (Score:2, Informative)

    by rzebram ( 828885 )
    Look at some of ThinkGeek's peripherals. I particularly like their mini wireless mice, though those are more for laptop applications. They carry some really nice Logitech keyboards and mice which are both stylish and functional.

  • Jeantech (Score:3, Informative)

    by dappleyard ( 794532 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:05AM (#11130288)
    Personally, I love the Jeantech cases - I use a Visco myself (www.jeantech.com)
  • ...i suggest a nifty ergenomic dvorak keyboard, you can get it on ebay fer a bit: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate gory=51083&item=5149151249&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW theres always alienware et al, altho im not certain you can get just a case... i also suggest getting a wireless gyro mouse. again, i suggest ebay as a good source for one of them pretty cheap.
  • Two other options that come to mind:
    1. Get a Mac
    2. Get a Mac off ebay, and mod the case to put a PC in. I have never tried this though, it may or may not be possible.
    • I saw this mac case mod awhile back in Maximum PC, I think. Guy took a G4 tower and crammed non-mac hardware inside....They called it the Rotten Apple. Nice paint job as well. Take a look, it at HardOCP -

      http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MzUx [hardocp.com]
    • "Get a Mac off ebay, and mod the case to put a PC in. I have never tried this though, it may or may not be possible."

      Search ebay for B&W or Quicksilver cases, you can sometimes pick them up fairly cheap. The cases are really nice, very sturdy, but you'll have to do some modifications to get the motherboard inside.

      Check out how this guy [mac.com] did it.

    • NeXT (Score:3, Interesting)

      by idiotnot ( 302133 )
      I have a dead NeXTStation [z80.org] that I'm going to mod to fit an ITX board and three drives. I'm also hoping to figure out a way to maybe use something like a notebook DVD drive in place of the floppy port.

      Actually modding these, though, is tougher than a standard PC case -- they're thick cast metal, which looks difficult to cut.

      Next thing to do is find a monitor and keyboard that look like they belong with it. Or, I might just use it as a MythTV setup, as it'd look good beside a TV.
  • Or you can always go for the old school look.
    http://www.teschke.de/heatpipes/i-1.jpg [teschke.de]
    • I used to work with one of those, it was old even then and most of the front casing had fallen off ( like in that image ) so I could rest cups of tea and coffee on the bottom drive in the case.

  • Mac, Mac, Mac (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ThisNukes4u ( 752508 ) <tcoppi AT gmail DOT com> on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:10AM (#11130320) Homepage
    Everyone seems to be suggesting to go with a Mac. Well, if I were you, I would take a half-way decent case and mod it. Chop off the back if it is too long, put some plexiglass on the side, stencil on the side, whatever floats your boat. Much more unique than the standard Mac, and you'll have fun making it too.

    • Re:Mac, Mac, Mac (Score:4, Insightful)

      by computerme ( 655703 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:25AM (#11130431)
      I've seen what passes as "mods" of PC.

      Cripes. Purple glow in the dark strips. "See thru cases" ooohh...

      It reminds me of the honda civic fan boys who lower their car and put blue glow things around the license plates.

      Eeeekk.. I guess this is where i have to say, to each his own... but.. shudders....

      Elegance is not a MOD.

      • I'm not talking about neon lights and glow-in-the-dark paint and that kind of stuff that is just a waste of money, just making the case yours instead of a mass-produced box.

      • Re:Mac, Mac, Mac (Score:2, Informative)

        by Inconnux ( 227132 )
        Macs == Elegance? most people I know think macs look stupid. Just a way to reach out to the 'artsy' crowd to get them to pay more and get less... Wanna be original? design your own case. I built an oak desk with plexiglass top, holds two systems inside, much nicer looking than a bubble with lcd attached.

    • Stencils, plexiglass? Computer cases shouldn't be the third-rate crafts projects that they usually are. Might as well rice a car while you are at it.
    • You know, the kind of case moding you're describing has never struck me as nice looking, especially compared to the newer macs. To me it's like telling someone whose trying to decide between a bmw and a mercedes that he should just get a civic and add a spoiler and some neon running lights; it's really incomparable.

    • Originality; Apple keyboards; logitech mice (Score:4, Informative)

      by SuperBanana ( 662181 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @12:11PM (#11130710)
      Well, if I were you, I would take a half-way decent case and mod it. Chop off the back if it is too long, put some plexiglass on the side, stencil on the side, whatever floats your boat. Much more unique than the standard Mac

      So, let me translate. "Do what every male 16-25 has been doing with his PC for several years now- making a box with a window in the side of an ugly box, because it was "cool", so mainstream that now Dell and everybody else will sell you a machine with a window in the side. That will be more original than buying a Macintosh which is actually cutting edge design".

      Everyone seems to be suggesting to go with a Mac.

      I'm suggesting he go with a Mac keyboard. I've seen tons of PC keyboards just die- Mac keyboards just keep going, no matter what you dish out. The latest Pro keyboard is also pretty stylish and does not feel even remotely "plasticky" and cheap...cause it isn't. I remember when the original Extended II Pro keyboard was still around- mine lasted for years until ADB was finally not supported by Apple anymore. Those things were damn tanks!

      As for a mouse, if you manage to break a Logitech optical, you're insane...I've had the same one for years, and I've never had to replace one in a work environment. Seen plenty of those shitty Microsoft mice die ugly deaths though.

    • Re:Mac, Mac, Mac (Score:2, Insightful)

      by legirons ( 809082 )
      "Everyone seems to be suggesting to go with a Mac. Well, if I were you, I would take a half-way decent case and mod it. Chop off the back if it is too long, put some plexiglass on the side, stencil on the side, whatever floats your boat."

      The problem always is, if you get a modded case, you still have a big messy pile of "technical crap" behind your desk, whereas if you get a Mac, you just have a shiny white thing.

      Is it even possible to get a PC case whose back-panel doesn't look like some 1940's telephone
      • You don't look like a computer enthusiast without more cables then you have devices.

        Cables are the price you pay for a generic lump of computer that is the PC. My Suns have hardly any, my little Mac has very little, but one PC has more then all of them put together. Cable Management is the end users problem, but all it takes is a little bit of planning and a rip to the hardware store where there are several things that can be used to secure, protect and hide these cables.

        Any PC mod I've done isn't much of

  • Make your own (Score:5, Interesting)

    by PIPBoy3000 ( 619296 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:12AM (#11130334)
    Doing your own case mods is something that requires time, patience, and some money, but there's nothing that you buy that compares the final product.

    My favorite is my Fossil computer [archive.org], which is a Victorian beauty of brass and wood. I've also done the "all black" computer before black became the new beige. I also dallied with a Lego computer, though the innards finally died.

  • Clear PC = Bad Deal (Score:5, Informative)

    by Omega1045 ( 584264 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:12AM (#11130336)
    I usually would not say anything, but I had such an incredibly horrible experiece with ClearPC that I am going to comment.

    I wanted to buy a clear acrylic case for a PC I was buidling, and decorate it with neon wires (one reseller [elwirecheap.com]). I went ahead and purchased from ClearPC, a Canadian company (actually, just some guy, but read on).

    I was told the case would be packaged in a safe way, so it would arrive undamaged. When it did arrive, several parts were broken, and some extras I ordered like LED fans, etc, were just missing.

    After 6 months of constantly trying to get a response from ClearPC, I finally got some of the broken parts replaced and some of the missing parts (I still did not have everything I need for a full case, nor all the parts I ordered).

    I just gave up, but swore I would tell anyone looking for a cool case that ClearPC is a horrible vendor with horrible customer service. I usually live and let live, but this is a very special case for me. I will not put their URL here, no need to give them a free link. But if you find yourself on a case site offering clear cases ending in ".ca", just keep on surfing. BTW, this is not a dis on Canada at all, it just happens that this company is there or I probably would have at least taken them to small claims court and tried to get them blocked from doing business in my state.

    • Re:Clear PC = Bad Deal (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      thanks for the info, I live within 8 miles of ClearPC's retail outlet. As a proud Canadian I hate to see anybody here take advantage of americans or anybody else. I'll be making a late night visit there very soon with a brick (note attached) as a payback for their incompetancy.
    • Why not just ship it back and demand your money back, or a replacement?
      • Not to be rude, but you don't think I tried that? They said they would give no refund.

        • Re:Clear PC = Bad Deal (Score:2, Informative)

          by Jahf ( 21968 )
          Next time:

          1) buy with a credit card that has purchase protection

          2) don't give the vendor 6 months (the longer goes by the less chance of getting the purchase protection invoked)

          3) document the condition and any attempts made to remedy it

          If done properly (you need to check your credit card policies, don't just assume they'll cover it) it won't matter what the vendor says, the credit card will pay you back and often will remove the money from the vendor's account.

          My sister just got scammed on Ebay (her f
          • Thanks for the advice. The truth is that I am just too trusting and have always had really good luck with online purchases. I now purchase everything with my PayPal or a CC that I know has protection.
    • Just out of curiosity, did you check resellerratings.com [resellerratings.com] to see if they had any customer feedback. If you didn't already, make sure to leave some feedback there. I guess this would be a good heads up for people not familar with this site. I typically wont buy from an online reseller if they don't have good reviews. Sure I pay more up front, but at least I don't have to go six months without a computer.

    • Re:Clear PC = Bad Deal (Score:4, Interesting)

      by FGOL ( 841848 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @10:52PM (#11134692)
      I own the brand name, ClearPC (www.clearpc.ca). We modify each case we build, on demand by our customers. Basically, it's a very small operation involving about 6 people. (As a comparison, I once read that Beantech had 500 employees). I pack each case in a generous helping of bubblewrap and then each case is placed on a layer of styrofoam "peanuts" top and bottom. The case is placed in a double walled cardboard box for added secuity and sealed with a security tape for tampering. Our cases enter the USA and are subject to inspection by customs but this is rare as customs knows us quite well. There have been problems with FEDEX damaging a parcel but the ratio in 2004 is 9 for every 500 cases shipped. If a case arrives damaged, we put in for an insurance claim and ship the customer a new case after the damaged one has been picked up by FEDEX. We don't make you wait for a claim (which is 30 days for us), we ship a new case as soon as the new one is available and that at our cost. We only ship ground because of the costs to ship from here. It's about $22. I have to seriously question your comments about "waiting 6 months" and "trying to get a response." That just doesn't happen here. Every case I build is built with a uni-body construction so you're case is shipped "complete" with a package of parts for mounting. There really isn't all that much that can be missing so I don't really understand the reference to a "full case" not being shipped. Only Sunbeam and Beantech build cases with a lot of "pieces." My case is built mostly from a single sheet of acrylic, wrapped and rounded over onto itself. I use 8 acorn nuts, 4 to fasten the side panel and 4 to fasten the removable front section -- that's it so there isn't too much to go wrong there. The rest of the case is bonded together. If you have a problem that you are pissed about, contact me at info@clearpc.ca My customer service is responsive and it's built on respect, 1 case at a time. I don't ship tens of thousands of units: I am the orange county choppers of acrylic case modding. Each case is hand built with some CNC and built to customer spec.. I don't fohk around when it comes to my cases, expletives aside. If you have a problem, I will fix it. Email me and we'll talk.
  • There is the very nice Hoojum Nanode,

    What's with all the cats and fruit and stuff? In one picture, you've got a hand in a surgical glove, placing a whole pineapple on top of the Nanode. In another, you've got a cat in what appears to be orgasmic throes.

    I'm sure it's clever marketing that's just over my head, but...
    • not to mention the case itself looks like some kind of helpful kitchen gadget peddled on very late night shopping channels. "the ronco zip-seal plastic wrapper. seals your produce tight for easy freezer storage!..."

  • The shark... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by e133tc1pher ( 752949 )
    The Thermaltake shark http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/shark/black/b lack.htm [thermaltake.com] is one of the nicest cases I've ever seen. It is designed with water cooling in mind and it is made practically "tool-less".
    • I spent several frustrating hours battling with a thermaltake server case that my colleague had thought it would be a good idea to supply to a customer. I hope I never have to deal with one of these again. Some of the various problems I encountered:
      • The drives are fitted using special sliding runners so that you can just click and slide the drives out. Great idea, unfortunately for the four bays the case had they only saw fit to supply two sets of runners
      • The aforementioned runners didn't fit on the DLT d
  • You know, nothing says stylish like a polyurethan foam case [g-news.ch]. I hear they're big with the ladies too!

  • Stylish or not... (Score:5, Funny)

    by News for nerds ( 448130 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:24AM (#11130417) Homepage
    It looks delicious [dynamism.com] (and this [dynamism.com] by the same company [solidalliance.com]).
  • Does anyone know if Nano boards are actually shipping anywhere? I've got a case project I'm workingon that is too small for mini-ITX.
  • It's a Sony: Sony Woman [tyumen.ru]

    Plug and Play or Play and Plug. Automatically adjust's to your male connector's size.

  • and Shuttle, both of which I found looking kind of cheap

    It depends on the models, some I like, some I don't, but the big problem with Shuttle is always that it looks OK until you mount an optical drive. How to match the material and color they use for their frontplates?? I personally think Shuttle should create something that I would call "bare-bone Plus", which means: include a matching DVD/CDRW.

    There is one exception, and I bought that one myself two weeks ago, which is the SN85G4, an AMD64 model. I adde

  • Why don't... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by BJH ( 11355 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @11:30AM (#11130465)
    ...you try this place [woodcontour.com] for your mouse and keyboard.

    Although if you find their $US5000-8000 pricetags a bit much, the overstock page [woodcontour.net] might be a bit more useful.
  • You could always run Linux on PPC hardware .. iMac, eMac, Power Mac G5... and the Mac peripherals are super styling.

  • Wooden Mice (Score:2, Interesting)

    by DaNasty ( 833075 )
    I've always loved the look of these wooden mice & keyboards. http://www.woodcontour.com/index.php [woodcontour.com]
  • hard to find, not cheap, but I got my 2nd hand Cube for 800 euro. I equipped it with bluetooth (USB dongle) and airport. Then I dissembled an old PC LCD monitor to encapsulate it in a wooden frame which hangs on the wall, with the cables going thru the wall (the other side of the wall is staircase to basement). Now all I need are stylish speakers (the Apple Pro speakers are not such good quality (I don't like the soundsticks by the way)) and I have a really really nice audio setup that everyone envies.
  • ...I got that one, and I find it nice and stylish. Actually discrete is a more proper word, it is not flashy at all. Black with some silver decoration, it'll blend in most anywhere. Now, if only I could afford a 20" black LCD or something, it'd look even better...

    Kjella
  • how about solid wood and stone peripherals [woodcontour.com]?

    There is also the backlit keyboard [thinkgeek.com], both handy and stylish.

  • Antec Sonata. (Score:2, Informative)

    by Slayk ( 691976 )
    I'm rather fond of my Antec Sonata [antec.com]

    The exterior is pretty toned-down (aside from the blue led on the front, which I have unplugged for sleeping purposes), damn quiet, and well thought-out from front to back (drawers for all drives, rubber-mounted fan/drives, etc). For those who believe that the style of a case need not end once you open it, it's a good choice.
  • For my part, I still haven't found a machine to displace my NeXT Cube from my desk at home, though my Fujitsu Stylistic is getting pretty close.

    I've always thought it a shame that NeXT wasn't able to continue to make up-dated motherboards for it (they did three, the original Motorola 68030 @ 25MHz, an '040 at 25, then the ``Turbo'' '040 @33MHz --- there are a couple of ``Nitro'' processor daughtercards at 40MHz though).

    And of course, one could squeeze say 16 small motherboards into it, run a Beowolf Clust
  • Buy an ultra cheap POS case and strip out the PCI backplane for the rear of the case and the ATX mounting plate for the mobo. Then build the rest of the case out of wood. Been there, done that. nice!
  • I had similar questions about a computer... so I went ahead and build this:

    http://dctournament.com/wcpc/firstpc

    I think it came out excellent, considering it was my first time building something this elaborate.

  • Nice Holiday Spirit. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Holi ( 250190 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @12:25PM (#11130793)
    Forget your computer for a few days. It won't mind. If you have extra money after getting your loved one's their gifts hwy not put it towards something more satisfying. How about donating it to some shelters or soup kitchens, or maybe toys for tots. I know it's not the American thing to do any more but damn it's more important then turning your pc into the digital equivilant to a rice-burner.

    Now a Merry Christmas to all and fucking do it right.

    • Re:Nice Holiday Spirit. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Osty ( 16825 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @04:25PM (#11132435)

      Forget your computer for a few days. It won't mind. If you have extra money after getting your loved one's their gifts hwy not put it towards something more satisfying. How about donating it to some shelters or soup kitchens, or maybe toys for tots. I know it's not the American thing to do any more but damn it's more important then turning your pc into the digital equivilant to a rice-burner.

      Even better, if you have some money left over after being forced to court debt to satisfy your greedy kin, why not put it in an interest bearing savings account or invest it in the market. Rather than feeling obligated to spend yourself into bankruptcy ever holiday season, you could be saving for your future.

      If you'd like to donate to charity, feel free. However, may I suggest you wait and do that in April or May, or August? Right now, everybody and his dog is donating to charities because it's the "right" thing to do at holiday times. However, how much more important would your contribution be to needy families during a time of year when contributions are not pouring in from holiday guilt? Needy folks are needy year-round. They don't suddenly become needy between October and January.

  • unless you specifically want to use the Mac OS, do not buy a mac just because it looks good (and, as many have pointed out, they do not all look good...). it sounds like this person is looking for a PC anyway, and as such it is annoying to see 20 posts saying "if you want style get a mac". (full disclosure: i use a mac, and a windows PC, each for different things, and i enjoy using both.)
    • "Of course, nothing can be good enough for my Linux box..."

      He said Linux. He said the above. Linux runs on PPC as well as Intel. Why must he buy a x86 PC? And wouldn't you be aghast if someone said "don't buy a PC unless you specifically want to use Windows"? Linux is not platform-bound.

      "...do not buy a mac just because it looks good..."
      Quite frankly, the guy specifically said he wants something that looks good.

      I don't see the problem with recommending a stylish computer to someone who says they are look
  • I want to know how they managed to balance what looks like a very real cat on this case [mini-itx.com].

  • Antec (Score:2, Informative)

    by Lord_Scrumptious ( 552119 )
    For cases, have a look at the Antec Sonata [antec.com]. A simple stylish design in smart piano black. Try a search at various online retailers that let buyer's post reviews and you'll find the case to be well-rated [newegg.com]. The Nexus Breeze [nexustek.nl] is also a nice design.

    • Antec cases aren't just stylish, they're *quiet*.

      I just got the Antec Aria [antec.com], which is either a very small regular sized case or a somewhat large SFF case, depending how you look at it. It fits micro-ATX boards and has room for everything you'd need, but is half the size of a regular case. I'm happy with it.

  • Silverstone (Score:2, Interesting)

    by EdZ ( 755139 )
    If you're going for an AV-component look (i.e. clean and functional, but relatively stylish) then Silverstone make some pretty damn good cases.
  • The domain is down right now, but I can do custom work for you. What price range were you looking to spend?

    Here's an example of a woodgrain keyboard that I did:
    http://www.dashpc.com/show_picture.php?id=2230 [dashpc.com]
    I also do it for much less than the real-wood designs. The keyboard in that picture for example, would run you about $150 US.

    It's not cheap by any stretch, but high quality will almost always cost more.
  • I know everyone else is thinking WTF would I pay over three hundred bucks for a keyboard.... then consider you paid x hundred for leather or heated seats or a cool stereo in your car. Now think hrmm, I spend about an hour a day in the car and 10 or 12 hours a day on the computer... getting a keyboard that is as close to erognomic perfection as currently possible may be a good idea.

    Not to mention the thing is sweet; the gestures are very convenient, typing gets easy after a while... I own a Dvorak one and
  • Get a surplus notebook with a broken or removed display, plug in your own keyboard, trackball, monitor and off you go. You don't even need a working battery.
  • Take a look at Cooler Master [coolermaster.com]. I only found them because they had a case that I think every CompUSA got 1 of and could never sell so it ended scratched up w/o a UPC somewhere in their store. Still I followed up with the few letters and numbers on it and eventually found it.

    They make the most beautiful media pc or just PC case in general. The ATC-620 [coolermaster.com] is a wonderful case. It is a shame it is so often overlooked.

    For a tower, I would say the Antec Sonata [antec.com] is about as nice as they come.

  • lots of options (Score:5, Informative)

    by Fratz ( 630746 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @01:35PM (#11131316)
    Most of these are in HTPC form factor, but some are not:
    • Antec [antec.com]
    • Silverstone [silverstonetek.com] - if getting an HTPC case, be careful to get one that doesn't have cooling problems with your CPU of choice. HTPC cases with higher numbers in their names are generally better at cooling.
    • Travla [travla.com]
    • Ahanix [ahanix.com]
    • XOxide [xoxide.com] carries their own brand of cases, plus a lot of the other ones on this list.
    • Arisetec [arisetec.com] (formerly Kanam)
    • CoolerMaster [coolermaster.com]
    • Logic Supply [logicsupply.com]
    sells the Hush cases you're familiar with, along with some house-brand models.
  • I've been looking for stylish cases as well. I ran across the Asus Espresso and thought it looked pretty sexy with a touch sensitive LCD display. I am probably going to get it to be my new mythTV box. http://usa.asus.com/products/desktop/s-presso/over view.htm [asus.com]

  • Try HTPC Cases (Score:3, Informative)

    by nsingapu ( 658028 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @02:20PM (#11131596) Homepage
    HTPC (Home Theater PC) Cases are generally understated and made to look more like they house a stereo component then a computer.
    The two most prominent manufacturers are Silverstone and Ahanix, generally one of the cases will set one back $100-$250-ish so they are definatly on the higher end of cases pricewise. Generally they suffer from a number of common defects - heat management is poor (the cases are meant to produce very little noise and airflow suffers accordingly), and the layouts and placement for the various components is, more often then not, cumbersome. That said, from an astetic standpoint they are clean, from a noise standpoint they are quite; they are the kind of thing that would be at home in a living room...
  • Man those Hush machines look nice, but their English website is just awful. Anyone using one of those for a MythTV box? Thoughts?
  • iMac G5 20" - that's stylish. But that's not a PC.
  • BenQ [benq.com] makes some interesting keyboards and mice, including some in partnership with BMW design group.

    The NEC 1765 [necmitsubishi.com] is a really stunning looking monitor both on and off - you need to see it in person to appreciate it, the best looking LCD i found.

    The rest of the PC was plain old AMD-Shuttle, finding a classy, suitable for an executive type PC case is really hard.
  • Alienware [alienware.com] has some truly great cases. In fact, all the other ones I've seen mentioned here are ugly, square, or both. There's really not much on the style front here.

  • Is there ANY available? What do people use, for heavens' sake?

    What I mean by this is that I need:

    • small, fairly cute case
    • silent, no fan. This has to sit at a parents' house & act just like a consumer device.
    • 2 PCI slots. Yes, TWO, damnit! I want one for Hauppage TV-out and another for a Hauppage digital-TV tuner.

    I can't find anything that actually meets these requirements. My mother has a Mini-ITX machine in her study at present, something like this [mini-itx.com], but the fan noise is too much for the living roo

  • Your right, others are on Crack but here are ideas (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Foo2rama ( 755806 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @04:44PM (#11132552) Homepage Journal
    First you where looking for good quality peripharals... You seem to have the small form factor case down. I am a littel leary of the Nanode, since the specs are a little vague and it runs on a VIA cpu.

    Today most computer parts are no longer beige, it seems that build quality has gone down. Mitsuko which is generally considred low end becuase of the price, but they make a good keyboard available in a variety of colors, and for mice Alienware [alienware.com]has all the microsoft high end mice in custom colors. You pay a little bit for it but they match the mitsuko keyboards in color.

    As for cases most cases look like cheap plastic junk [newegg.com] now. I've been using a server size chenming [newegg.com] that is similar to the original alienware. Not flashy not cheap looking, but has the size I need to run all my drives, as well as clean lines.

    Another option is just to check out www.newegg.com and see what is offered they have a large selection, with pictures of every item, as well as a good search engine, and search engine interface.

  • Old Sony Stereo Receiver (Score:3, Informative)

    by Gilmoure ( 18428 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @05:08PM (#11132726) Journal
    I have an old Sony stereo receiver I got off a trash pile. I gutted it and installed an old G3 Mac and 2 160GB hard drives. This is my digital music player in my A/V rack. As soon as I can afford it, I'd like to get a smallish (6" high) LCD touch screen and use that to control iTunes. For now, I just remote access it.

    You might be able to find some cool retro A/V cases, ala McIntosh. That would sweet, especially if you got the analog gauges working.
  • The Microsoft/Phillipe Starck mouse [microsoft.com] is nice, although I wish it were made of metal. Comes in an interesting box, too.

    That Masamune Shirow mouse [dynamism.com] is nifty too, but not ninety bucks' worth.

  • At one stage, I was looking into building a computer with small, functional yet aesthetically pleasing case. Of all the ones I looked at the AOpen XC Cube [aopen.com.tw] cases seemed the best, at least in terms of aesthetics.

  • Find a dead SGI... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by (H)elix1 ( 231155 ) <slashdot.helix@nOSPaM.gmail.com> on Sunday December 19, 2004 @07:19PM (#11133559) Homepage Journal
    If you are looking to stick a mini-itx board in something, you can use almost anything as a case. I like the classics, and breathed new life into a dead SGI O2 [majix.org] workstation. (Not pics my box, but a nice set of pictures of the space you have to work with) Add a wireless mouse and keyboard, mix in a nice LCD display, and it makes for a lovely terminal.

    The look on my uncle's face when they saw the 'email and web browsing' computer sitting on their mom's desk was priceless. Such awe for a meager fan less 533mhz Eden board - due only to the case. (grin) A gift that keeps on giving.

  • Low Power + Small Footprint + cool case = SOLTEK (Score:3, Interesting)

    by birukun ( 145245 ) on Sunday December 19, 2004 @10:42PM (#11134631)
    Soltek IQ3601 - Via C3 1Ghz, colored cases, just throw in some DDR266 memory, a hard drive, CDROM and voila! Bought mine from newegg.com, the damn thing is too quiet. I forget it is on, except the hard drive spinning noise is just enough to make you hear something, but not enough to identify what it is.

    www.soltek.com.tw

    6 USB ports, 2 1394, VGA, 6.1 audio, optical audio out, TV out option, 1 PCI slot, all for under 200 bucks!

    I may buy a couple more to hand out at Christmas.

    Cheers-

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