"Mini/30" Custom system

[Brooklyn]

Had some extra time this weekend to get going on a project I have been meaning to do. Awhile ago I bought a 9" IBM monochrome VGA monitor with hopes of putting it in my old SE/30 case. (the original had a massive battery explosion) Today I was able to mount the screen and electronics and test it out, check out the pictures. The screen resolves up to 800x600, and you can still see the scan lines at this resolution. (the picture turned out blurry from my iphone) I just need to buy a mac mini to put in there! I am going to use it as a music server in my garage for when I am working out there.

 

[sirwiggum]

Nice work!

If I was classic case-ing, I'd be LCDing because I'm scared of CRTs. However that monochrome VGA monitor looks almost stock!

MiniVMac on and it'll have the same functionality it had previously

I like the Power LED through the vents too!

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I love it, but Mac Mini is a bit overkill for a Music Server, and way too expensive for your purposes, IMHO.

Take a look at my Short Bed TAKKY Hack for the Compact Series.

With a USB or USB/Firewire Card in the single slot of the X500 board, you won't need the Sub-Basement Expansion Bay or even the G3 Card for your purposes. With tiny ATX PSU hacked into the CRT area, you could likely run the both MoBo and CRT from it.

Drop it down to 640 x 480 for full screen video output from a DVD or VCR and you can watch colorized movies in the raw as well! :approve:

 

[sirwiggum]

You could put a Raspberry Pi in there and have a nice little music server / general purpose without splashing out for a full Mini.

Though is there an ARM port of MiniVmac?

 

[Bunsen]

Yes.

Mac Mini is a bit overkill for a Music Server, and way too expensive for your purposes, IMHO.

But it will run OS X - and that's pretty neat on something that looks like an SE/30

 

[Mac128]

Heck, you dont need a "computer" at all -- pick up a $99 AppleTV to put in there and use AirPlay to stream the music from any of your Apple devices, or directly from iTunes Match (well worth the $25/year). With Mountain Lion you'll be able to stream/mirror whatever you can see on your Mac, including Flash content!

 

[uniserver]

i personally would buy this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-Mini-110c-1040DX-Netbook-Intel-Atom-1GB-16GB-SSD-Parts-Repair-/200784627850?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item2ebfb2488a#ht_500wt_1170

i know 10.5.8 installs nicely on that hardware (sleep mode works too), what ever the issue is with it i am sure you can figure out.

maybe you will win it for 99 cents

ideneb would be the distribution you would be looking for,

 

[Mac128]

Oops, didn't get to this before my ability to edit expired ... If you are going to go with the Apple TV, you'll need this:

http://www.kanexlive.com/atvpro

So, $59+$99=$158 for a complete media solution, 100% compatible with your existing Apple equipment. That beats the heck out of even a used Mini. Plus the ability to stream anything out of a Mac running Mountain Lion if you decide later to use it for more than a media player.

Rig it so your HDMI cable can be swapped via the battery compartment or port array, and you can carry the AppleTV (inside the Mac) into any room to be used with any TV.

Man, I may just do this myself ... Slap some stereo speakers under the vents, and add a sub woofer and you have yourself a sweet little media box.

Now granted, to use it portably, you'll need access to wifi. However, if you have an iPhone, then you can stream content to it over wifi via any cellular connection. Not that you could take this particular solution too far away from an electrical outlet (and therefore wifi).

 

[Charlieman]

When the Colour Classics enthusiasts were hacking, putting an entire PowerMac inside an SE/30 or CC would have been ridiculous. I am on my second Mac Mini, and I still marvel at its simplicity.

 

[Mac128]

You know, as much as I LOVE flat screen display technology, it's too bad CRTs didn't hang on just a bit longer so that superslim CRT technology could have gained some traction. This would allow a color CRT to be installed in any unaltered B&W compact Mac. Unfortunately the smallest sizes I can find are 21-inch. Although the screens would likely be flat too, so probably we'd have the same bezel problems we experience with LCDs. So never mind ....

Guess we'll have to wait until flexible LCD screen technology becomes affordable. When it's cheap enough, I imagine some custom nostalgia screens shaped like an old shadow mask CRT. Then we'll have a nice compact Mac hack job.

 

[SEthirty]

You could put a Raspberry Pi in there and have a nice little music server / general purpose without splashing out for a full Mini.
Though is there an ARM port of MiniVmac?

This.

The Raspberry Pi is only $25/$35, and will do your job just fine, and keeps your wallet happy.

 

[Brooklyn]

Hey all, I ended up getting a Mac Mini, but all of your suggestions were still great

I am having trouble syncing the proper refresh rate with my Apple DVI->VGA. For some reason it does not display the option of 800x600x60hz (or 640x480x60hz) The lowest is 85hz up to 120hz!!! This is with the b/w VGA monitor plugged in. It will not sync to these frequencies. It works fine on my flatscreen TV, and gives me the option of 800x600x60hz. Is there a way to force the dispay preferences to show all of the refresh rates?

Thanks!!!

 

[Bunsen]

SwitchResX?

 

[Brooklyn]

Thanks, I tried this program but it won't activate the correct resolution. Something with the apple branded vga-dvi cable messes with the edid information I think. If I use a generic vga->dvi, it works fine. The only problem is I cannot package the system in the se/30 case properly without the apple cable style adapter...

 

[Brooklyn]

I figured it out, and got the system together. I had to pull out pins 6 & 7 on the DVI connector. These are DDC clock & DDC data. Now I can choose normal lower resolutions from the preference panel. I still need to figure out a better way to turn the system on...I have to use a pen or similar now. See pictures below!

 

[Mac128]

I still need to figure out a better way to turn the system on...I have to use a pen or similar now.

There are several solutions to this on similar systems. This is one of them ... http://www.dclausen.net/projects/tfam/ There's also another one that used a paint nozzle cleaner ... but I don't have that link handy ...

 

[Bunsen]

I had to pull out pins 6 & 7 on the DVI connector. These are DDC clock & DDC data. Now I can choose normal lower resolutions from the preference panel.

That's an excellent little tip to file away for later use. I'm picturing a simple passthrough box with a switch for those two lines, or just NC.