Steampunk enthusiasts are capable of turning everything into objects that resemble the Victorian era. A computer modder radically transformed his ThinkPad R51 by encasing it in a wooden chassis with pipes, wheels and gauges.
Wheels within wheels, turning wheels – this concept is mandatory in every steampunk project, so it could not miss from this particular one.
This is how the laptop components looked like in what later became the wooden chassis of the steampunk mod. Please note that this picture was taken during a preliminary stage of the modding process. Later on, the designer attached pipes of various girths and lengths, a gauge, as well as an array of LEDs.
The CD tray is placed in the lateral of the case. In order to eject the tray, the handle needs to be pushed.
As the USB ports of the laptop were obliterated by the wooden chassis, the modder had to attach an USB hub, which is of course designed in the steampunk manner.
The other side of the case reveals a vertical tube that looks just like a liquid level meter, but it is not functional. Additional copper pipes are seen on this side, too.
Here is how the steampunk laptop mod looks after completion, running Windows XP. Considering the configuration of the laptop, this operating system is one of the best possible choices. The modder did not neglect the ventilation of the components. After all, such old notebooks tend to get really hot, as the components were not really optimized thermally.
After such a mod, the laptop is not really portable anymore, but why care about portability when you have such a great design. The steampunk elements really make the laptop look like it comes from another time. It is nice to see that some people invest so much time and resources to turn their old notebooks into something unique.
If you liked this post, please check this steampunk PS3 mod and the Victorian steampunk mouse.
Via: GizmoWatch / CaseMods
