What is this wart on the front of this G3?

[macuserman]

Has anyone seen one of these before? I'm puzzled is it a knob? Is it a button? What the hey is it for?

 

[CircuitBored]

Open up the case and show us what it's connected to on the inside, if anything.

If it's not connected to anything then it could be some form of security tag, although it's strange that it's colour-matched to the G3.

 

[macuserman]

Open up the case and show us what it's connected to on the inside, if anything.

If it's not connected to anything then it could be some form of security tag, although it's strange that it's colour-matched to the G3.

It's not my computer, I just found the picture. There are photos of the inside but none that really show this part. It's a japanese auction listing.

 

[croissantking]

Could it be a storage case for something?

 

[capa150]

My guess: Pez dispenser.

 

[jeffmr4]

Isn't it like that thing they put on R2D2 in Star Wars to control him? A regulator? Ask the jawas.

 

[Dude.JediKnight]

Isn't it like that thing they put on R2D2 in Star Wars to control him? A regulator? Ask the jawas.

A restraining bolt? That machine would need to have become quite eccentric to want to run away from its owner, certainly given its lack of any method of self-movement.


That ‘wart’ reminds me of one of those anti-theft devices that would attach to expensive items in retail stores. However, it looks stuck onto the outside plastic and not firmly attached to the inner frame in a secure way, which would make it way too easy to just remove it and steal the machine. Doesn’t even make sense to be used to store a key in it for an anti-theft lock or the like; even if that ‘wart’ locked somehow, you could just yank it off the machine and probably break it open to get to the key. Overall, as a security device, it seems about as secure as hanging your front door key right on the exact door it opens.


Aside from the unknown ‘wart,” the front of the machine seems to be in fairly good condition, given it’s age. Drive bezel is a bit… dirty, but overall not too bad, and the handles that are visible look undamaged.

Certainly would give it a closer look if I saw it at a flea market or the like. Depends on the condition of the other sides and the internals, but I’d at least ask what they wanted for the machine. That, and I’d ask what the heck that ‘wart’ really is, and how it’s secured to the case… hoping they didn’t drill through the case to attach it.

Even if it was drilled through, the other panels and the internals (and the case itself, even with a hole through it) would all be worth something to the right people.

 

[Phipli]

I've seen a similar thing in the past that was a giant volume knob, but I can’t remember how similar it was.