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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 01:18:57 PM

Title: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 01:18:57 PM
Even though I hated my A1200 tower (long since replaced with a much nicer 4000 tower), Jaruzel's Sparc 1200D has  got me really wanting to build a cool custom Amiga. I don't really need another Amiga (I have 4 already ;) but I just have the urge to tinker. So, i've started looking around for a cheap A1200. Now... what should I do with it? Does anyone have any cool case ideas? (and *NOT* just a normal tower... I want to do something different).
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Jost80 on July 03, 2003, 01:51:07 PM
A custom desktop case in a similar style as the Apple Airport with a BoingBall logo on it would be cool.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 01:58:14 PM
I just looked on google image search... heh.. the airport is an interesting shape, but i think scaled up to A1200 size, it would be quite unweildy. I do like the idea of a desktop case, though. I was thinking maybe a black VCR or CD player would make a nice case, because I love the look of the CDTV, and I could even install a vacuum flourescent display in there. hmmm....

Maybe something like this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3032599812&category=3272)...
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 02:08:14 PM
Incidentally, does anyone know what the physical dimensions of the A1200 motherboard are?
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Jaruzel on July 03, 2003, 02:09:48 PM
I was tempted with a VCR type case originally, to be exact I have an old Technics graphic equaliser unit, of the same dimensions as a VCR.

What put me off was building the new fascia. I was convinced I'd make a hash of it.  :-(

However, a fleuro-LED display in neon blue would look so kewl...

http://www.mini-itx.com (http://www.mini-itx.com) have some interesting case ideas, and while not exactly useful, can provide some inspiration.

-Jar.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 02:12:13 PM
The advantage of a CD player is that you already have a front for the CD-Rom, and a power button, so no new fascia is really needed, just a little tweaking of the one thats there.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: alx on July 03, 2003, 02:16:00 PM
Perhaps if you found the case of a fairly big TV, you could mount the mobo and a monitor in it - an iAmiga :-)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Framiga on July 03, 2003, 02:22:17 PM
by xeron on 2003/7/3 14:18:57

-Does anyone have any cool case ideas?


Here there is a very cool (but expensive) allumimium black desktop case that looks like a VCR (Cooler Master model):

http://www.networkweb.it/default.asp?zona=listino&id_cat=9&tipoc=Case

The picture is at:

http://www.networkweb.it/scheda_prodotto_foto.asp?cod_prod=ATC-630-B21&marca=Cooler Master

Ciao

Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 02:22:42 PM
Quote

alx wrote:
Perhaps if you found the case of a fairly big TV, you could mount the mobo and a monitor in it - an iAmiga :-)


Thats quite a nice idea, but I don't really like messing with CRTs...
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Jost80 on July 03, 2003, 02:26:06 PM
Yeah it would look a bit wierd but if you slim it down and make it a bit lower it would be nice. Alot of work though
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 03:50:08 PM
@Framiga:

Hmm.. its too big and ugly. And expensive :-). I want to get all the basic bits cheap, but i'm tempted to put an expensive accelerator in there. I'm hoping once the Pegasos II is out, and OS4 arrives on the AmigaONE, A1200 060 accelerators will flood the market and the price will come down...
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Cyberus on July 03, 2003, 09:47:04 PM
I've got my fingers crossed with you on that one Tickly...
Amiga hardware is just SO overpriced!
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: amigamad on July 03, 2003, 10:06:42 PM
I have 2 of these old macs

(http://members.aol.com/CompButton/pm6100.jpg)

there is not much height so no mediator pci i was going to put a pc celeron board in it with onbord sound and graphics then i was thinking of an a1200  then i thought of giving up and now im thinking of restarting again with the pc board these old macs were 60mhz ppc with 160 mb scusi hard drives only 8 to 16 meg of memory but they cost just 5 pound for the 2 from a car boot sale. :-)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: The_Editor on July 03, 2003, 10:07:08 PM
Although its a pc .. look what you could house your AmigaONE in ...

(http://www.xkill.net/rcaslis/computers/Falcon-making/fin2.jpg)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Brian on July 03, 2003, 10:30:43 PM
Here's an idea for you... make an "Amiga shaped" case in seethrough perplex. :-)

Or an even better one... "Amiga shaped" in fiberglass look.. wooo cool. ;-)

Ofcause you don't have to be 100% about the size thus saying you could let it be a lil bit bigger so you can fit an internal DVDR, 3.5" HD and a nice BlizzPPC/BVision combo without having to worry too much about heat. :-D
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 10:41:11 PM
Well, thanks for all the great ideas. I think the Millenium Falcon would be a bit unweildy, and I lack the plastic-forming skills to make a replacement wedgie case. HOWEVER, I have just won an eBay auction for a CD player, and so i'm going to make an A1200 based CDTV style computer.

To start with it'll have to have an Amiga 4000 keyboard and beige monitor, but in time i hope to source a CDTV keyboard, and i'll probably spray my 1084S black, or something :-D

I will of course put pics online as i work on it.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 10:47:09 PM
@AmigaMad

You might be able to cram a mediator and voodoo into one of those desktop cases with a PCI riser card (available from mini-itx.com). It'd be a VERY tight squeeze, but the voodoo would be lying flat parallel to the motherboard, instead of pointing upward.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: amigamad on July 03, 2003, 10:52:50 PM
You could use an a2000 keyboard it has the right connector for pc/ keyboard adaptors cdtv has a mini din plug and needs an adaptor. :-)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 03, 2003, 10:58:23 PM
Yes, but I have 1 A2000 keyboard, and 3 A4000 keyboards. If I put a mini-din connector on the computer, I can use an A4000 keyboard now, and a CDTV keyboard later.

Hooking up an A4000/CDTV keyboard socket to an Amiga 1200 only requires a little bit of soldering, something i'm very good at (got top marks on my electronics course ;)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: amigamad on July 03, 2003, 11:11:12 PM
Ok found some things that would help me on mini-itx.com like slimline dvd rom i might as well put the pc motherboard in the mac case.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: GadgetMaster on July 03, 2003, 11:31:14 PM
Whatever you do don't spend as much money on case modding as this crazy "but creative" guy:

Warning extreme case mod ahead (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=7dc4967c7f2ccf2b975ccf38b3990c9b&threadid=633809&perpage=15&pagenumber=1)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: R2D2 on July 04, 2003, 12:26:08 AM
Good looking AMiGA (http://batman.jypoly.fi/~saku/lehti/online/41/index.html)

What do you think about this one?

First click 'sekalaiset' and then 'erinäköinen amiga'.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 04, 2003, 12:55:15 AM
Hey, its nice. I was a bit dubious from the initial shot of the VCR, but the final design looks quite nice.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Iggy_Drougge on July 04, 2003, 02:33:26 PM
Well, 19-inch rackmount is a bit dull, but the professionality image weighs up.

http://www.aminet.net/pix/misc/A1200R_1.jpg
http://www.aminet.net/pix/misc/A1200R_2.jpg
http://www.aminet.net/pix/misc/A1200R_3.jpg
http://www.aminet.net/pix/misc/A1200R_back.jpg
http://www.aminet.net/pix/misc/A1200R_inside1.jpg
http://www.aminet.net/pix/misc/A1200R_inside2.jpg

John Klos's one is actively serving pages, and quite busy at that.
http://www.sixgirls.org/lilith/
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: amigamad on July 04, 2003, 03:05:25 PM
I have been thinking all day and i want to put a pc motherboard in the mac case i have i was thinking of maybe putting an a1200 in it.i will put an  a1200 with slimline cd rom in an a500 case . :-)
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: xeron on July 04, 2003, 03:09:05 PM
Didn't you say you had 2 of those Mac cases? You could stick the PC in one and the A1200 in the other.

OR, if you want to put the A1200 in the A500 case, you could put the A500 in the other mac case :-D
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: Jaruzel on July 04, 2003, 03:49:48 PM
Quote
John Klos's one is actively serving pages, and quite busy at that.
http://www.sixgirls.org/lilith/ (http://www.sixgirls.org/lilith/)


Oh! lilith is SO cute! Damn, thats what I should have done!

-Jar.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: lorddef on July 04, 2003, 04:19:17 PM
I have a "Castle Greyskull" at home from the Heman series of toys, I was thinking of putting a PC inside it and some red lights in the eyes.  It's probably big enough to fit an a1200 into.
Title: Re: Customisation Ideas
Post by: amigamad on July 04, 2003, 05:28:39 PM
Quote
Didn't you say you had 2 of those Mac cases? You could stick the PC in one and the A1200 in the other.


I have 2 but one is abit yellow and i broke the middle piece of plastic trying to cut it for cdrom door anyway the top of the case is now my printer stand with the paper underneath. a1200 into a500 case should be fairly easy. :-)