Apple IIGS HTPC

[NeoCortex]

I just completed my first HTPC. I wanted a somewhat unique case, so I ended up using the case from an Apple IIGS. In fact, it was the same computer that I first used when I was a kid. Here's a Flickr set of the finished project:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26652170@N ... 1744029063

The specs are:
Motherboard: ZOTAC GF9300-D-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI WiFi Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

CPU: Intel Pentium E5300 2.6GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

PSU: Pico-PSU 150

HDD: Fujitsu MHZ2160BH-G2 160GB 5400 RPM 2.5" SATA

Memory: 2GB DDR2 1600 (2x1GB) It's being severely underclocked with this board, but I had some extra lying around so didn't need to buy any RAM.


I haven't used it too much yet, since I just set it up. So far, I'm pretty happy with it. Since the case is pretty low profile, and the top of the case lid is vented, the CPU fan actually works pretty well as a case intake fan. Then I just added a single 80mm exhaust fan to the back. It's not completely silent, but it's not any louder than the AC adapter on my XBox 360 when that's running.

[psiu]

You should get a pic of an Apple IIGS desktop and use that as the desktop background...then when someone comes over and you switch to the pc, they can be confused.

Nice looking setup all around.

[Shamgar]

That makes me wonder why I threw away so many of those old desktop cases from the 1990s. They could have been resused as media centre PCs or painted black/silver/whatever takes your fancy and sold for more than a few dollars.

NeoCortex: good recycling effort and a lot of money saved on today's overpriced bling.

[NeoCortex]

psiu: Yeah, I actually looked around for a good quality pic of an Apple desktop. Didn't have any real luck, though.

The hardest part of this, since I had only ever dealt with fullsize towers before, was finding parts that all fit inside. I ended up pretty happy with the result. Everything has plenty of room, without much wasted space.

[cordis]

That's pretty cool. Actually, there used to be a few apple II emulators running around, you could try running one of those on the system, that would be pretty amusing. Kind of makes me want to dig my old IIgs out of storage.

[jhhoffma]

That is a very interesting look. It actually isn't that bad, despite the beige color of the case.

I like it a lot. If they made a black version, that would be tops.

[Shamgar]

That is a very interesting look. It actually isn't that bad, despite the beige color of the case.

I think that's the good thing about it. And it's reminding him of his childhood. I like how he's reused something from another era in something contemporary like today's HTPCs.

I like it a lot. If they made a black version, that would be tops.

I kind of get tired of everything being either black or silver or a combination of both. Beige does look out of place these days though. But it's nothing that a beige revival can't fix.

[Fayd]

I like it a lot. If they made a black version, that would be tops.

I kind of get tired of everything being either black or silver or a combination of both. Beige does look out of place these days though. But it's nothing that a beige revival can't fix.

that's why i went with the gunmetal p182 ^_^

[ame]

psiu: Yeah, I actually looked around for a good quality pic of an Apple desktop. Didn't have any real luck, though.

Maybe its because Apple II didn't have a desktop. It was all text DOS.

That's pretty cool. Actually, there used to be a few apple II emulators running around, you could try running one of those on the system, that would be pretty amusing. Kind of makes me want to dig my old IIgs out of storage.

I still have an emulator for Apple II with 200+ games in loadable .DSK (floppy disk image) files. I still play it once a year or so. It runs in 640x480 and not in full screen. Maybe I can screen cap and cut that 640*480 for your desktop?

Excellent concept BTW, can we see the inside?

[NeoCortex]

Maybe its because Apple II didn't have a desktop. It was all text DOS.

Excellent concept BTW, can we see the inside?

I could have sworn I remembered a graphical interface for it. It's been a while, though. I might be remembering wrong.

As for pics of the inside, if you flip through the rest of the set on the Flickr page, there are a couple of pictures with the top of the case off.

[cordis]

Yes, the apple IIgs did have a default graphical interface. The IIgs had an updated processor with more power, so it was able to better support a more mac-like gui. It was super slow, but it was there.

[ame]

Ok,

Ma bad, I was confusing it with Apple IIc

This is the Apple IIgs GUI




This is how the Apple IIe emulator looks on my P4 desktop



the good old days?

[DAve_M]

the good old days?

Oh god no!

That DOS like prompt only was the dark ages of computing.

[Shamgar]

the good old days?

Oh god no!

That DOS like prompt only was the dark ages of computing.

I still use DOS from time to time. Many diagnostic and system utilities are DOS based and are very useful even today. Typing commands on a black screen might be tedious and boring compared to mouse clicks in candified GUIs, but it still has its place nevertheless.

We have it way too easy nowadays, for both good and bad; yet it is difficult to go back to using command prompts after years of Windows et al desktops and increasingly candified GUIs. With touchscreen interfaces featuring on more computers and related devices, the days of mouse clicking in menus may itself be lost to the "dark ages of computing", to use DAve_M's words.