apple ][ disk drive modded into a mac mini (or vice versa)

February 21st, 2009 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! by: technabob

This could be my favorite Mac Mini mod yet. Take one part retro Apple Disk ][ drive and one part Mac Mini, and what do you get? A little bit of casemodding genius.

mac_mini_apple_2_drive

Modder Charles Mangin took the guts out of his old Disk ][ enclosure and managed to find a way to squeeze the innards of a Mac Mini inside the case. The 5-1/4" drive is perfect for slot-loading DVDs. And when not loading a disk, you wouldn't ever know this was anything other than an old floppy drive.

mac_mini_disk_2_mod

Charles even wired up the old drive activity LED, so it looks like the floppy drive is cranking when the Mac Mini is on.

mac_mini_2_int

And contrary to the warning lable below, I don't think it would be a good idea to connect that video cable sticking out of the back to an Apple Disk ][ Interface Card. At best, flames would shoot out.

mac_mini_disk_2_back

Kudos to Charles for a great mod! Maybe he can find a way to cram my iPhone into a Newton. Or my Macintosh IIfx into a MacBook Pro. That would be sweet.

[via MacRumors Forums]

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filed under: computing hacks + mods retro technology