Hasta La Gadget!

It is not every single day that you see an icon from the past get transformed to catch up with the times, albeit in a far more miniaturized form that would surely have confounded your ancestors – all without having to use a shrinking gun to boot. The first Mac ever, which so happens to be Apple’s iconic beige box that made its mark in many peoples’ consciousness in a memorable 1984 TV commercial, also proved to be the harbinger of GUI (Graphical User Interface) for consumers, while being the grand daddy of all all-in-one computers that seem to be all the rage these days where desktops are concerned. Here is an idea, how about remaking the original Mac in a far smaller form factor, and ensuring that it will also work as desired? This is where such a DIY project comes into play, where this Mini Mac will run with innards powered by a Raspberry Pi computer.

John Leake, a self-proclaimed Mac nerd, is the one behind this ⅓ scale Macintosh 512k (or 128k) replica, using white PVC as the building block of choice, in addition to a Raspberry Pi credit-card sized computer (motherboard), while fitting a small 3.5-inch LCD monitor – and all of this can be put together only if you have the relevant technical know how of doing so.

Apparently John Leake spent approximately a dozen hours building this particular working computer. The 3-millimeter-thick PVC was obtained from the sign shop where he works, where it was subsequently bent and carved in the manner that he wanted, and plenty of time was spent to ensure that the bezels end up looking right as rain. Of course, Leake did not rule out the possibility of using a 3D printer for future case builds. Other hardware features of this DIY Mini Mac include an HDMI out port, USB and Ethernet ports. It will boot from an SD memory card and runs Mini vMac, which happens to be an open-source Macintosh OS emulator that enables the Mac software to run without any hiccups across a range of operating systems, Linux included.

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[ Mini Mac has a Raspberry Pi heart copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Logitech has been producing some of the best mice for gaming and general computer use on the market for a number of years. Logitech has rolled out its latest rodent called the Ultrathin Touch Mouse. The new mouse is designed specifically for users looking for a sleek and svelte mouse to match their thin Ultrabook […]

Apple may please fans of diminutive hardware with the Mac Mini, but John Leake of the RetroMacCast has created something that can satisfy fans of miniature and classic hardware: a tiny replica of the original Macintosh. The aptly-dubbed Mini Mac sits at 1/3 the size of the original, is crafted from a PVC board and crams a Raspberry Pi inside. In order for the board to fit however, Leake had to solder wires instead of relying on connectors, trim the SD card and snip part of the USB cable. When it comes to visuals, the box packs a 3.5-inch display, which receives 512 x 384 output from the Pi. As for connectivity, the package supports a wireless keyboards and mice via Bluetooth, plus it exposes two USB ports, an HDMI slot and an ethernet jack. Not only does this slice of the 1980s have the looks to match the era, but it also features some of the old-fashioned functionality. Sure, floppies won’t fit into its faux drive slot, but it runs System 6 via the open source Mini vMac emulator. Head past the break to catch a video of the model or visit the source for build shots.

Filed under: Desktops, Alt

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Via: Mashable

Source: RetroMacCast

Many attempts at tablet-friendly remote desktop still present a traditional desktop to the user; they deliver a lot of control, but they’re unwieldy on touch-only devices. Parallels’ just-unveiled Access client for the iPad could provide a simpler, more consistent experience. Rather than recreate the full desktop of a host Mac or Windows PC, Parallels Access provides a streamlined app launcher with controls that are largely iOS-native. Text selection, gestures and even multitasking behave much like they normally would on Apple’s tablets. The approach sounds intuitive, but is it worth Parallels’ $80 yearly subscription fee? Read our hands-on after the break to find out. %Gallery-slideshow73454%

Filed under: Tablets, Software

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Source: Parallels

After the WWDC 2013 boost given to the MacBook Air range with Intel’s 4th generation Core processor technology, it would appear that the end of Summer is appearing as the most likely landing spot for this team-up with the MacBook Pro. What better time to bring this Haswell action in a FULL reboot than the […]