Custom Mac SE Retrofit Includes Unexpected Floppy Drive Feature
Unleashing Nostalgia in a Modern Wrapper:
Whip out your rose-tinted glasses, folks, because if Dave Jones (or any of us vintage aficionados) stumbled upon a 1987 Macintosh SE at a garage sale, well, excitement and disgust would've probably collided like amatched set of tennis balls. Excitement, because hey, vintage tech don't show up at these things every day. Disgust, because this one came complete with a coat of house paint and a strong hint of an aquarium past.
But our man Dave couldn't care less about fish swimming around his computer bits—he had dreams of a computer instead, and boy, did he make it happen. After a 15-year-long wait, he finally christened his labor of love the PhoeNIX SE 🦉🏡🖱️.
The NIX part gives you a hint that Linux is running things in here, and ya damn straight it is. The innards of this beast were generously donated from a Dell XPS laptop, lending some muscle to the project with its Core i7 processor and motherboard. A sleek, contemporary 9.7-inch LCD takes the place of the original monochrome CRT, held snugly with some 3D-printed hardware. Is it purist-approved? Maybe not. But who needs replacement CRTs these days, and when you cancel those bad boys, might as well go all-in, right?
(By the way, the analog board? Not a concern, it's available to grab if you've got the itch for some retro-tinkering. The logic board? Ditto. But missing the CRT, some might have clung to e-ink instead. We think LCD works just fine here.)
Going modern isn't a one-way street, though. Dave started down this path, but he didn't ditch the Macintosh SE's iconic silhouette—clean lines intact, thanks to a custom-printed rear panel and I/O tucked neatly out of sight on the back. When it comes to full retro renovations versus flashy restomods, opinions may differ. But as far as old Macs being tossed into an aquarium? No question that the PhoeNIX SE reincarnation is a better fate for this classic beauty [1][3].
Got a knack for tasteful vintage tech restorations you'd like to share? Send 'em our way; the resto tips line is open for business [1][4].
Enrichment Insights:
- Notable projects: Macintosh SE Restomod, Macquarium Concept, iMac G4 Mods, and various vintage car restorations showcase innovative ways to blend vintage design with modern features while preserving the essence of original machines [1][3][4][5].
- Unique aspects: These projects often feature the modification of vintage computing hardware, the integration of modern internals into vintage cases, and creative reimagining of old hardware in new ways, like turning a Mac into an aquarium (Macquarium) [1].
- Techniques: Projects harness 3D-printing and modern repair skills to resurrect or enhance old machines, adopting contemporary methods while cherishing vintage aesthetics [1][3][4].
- Dave's PhoeNIX SE project, a 15-year labor of love, boasts hardware derived from a modern Dell XPS laptop, including a Core i7 processor and motherboard, while maintaining the former Macintosh SE's sleek silhouette with 3D-printed components and a Linux operating system.
- Despite the debates over the purist-approved nature of the PhoeNIX SE's modern touches, such as the sleek LCD screen and the absence of a traditional CRT monitor, the integration of contemporary technology within a classic ancient Macintosh SE design clearly illustrates the beauty and allure of blending nostalgia with today's gadgets and technology.
