Ben Heckendorn, an experienced game system modder, has created a portable laptop version of the Xbox 360. It took him 3 months to make and is just under 3 inches thick.
The Xbox 360 was a revolutionary console with a huge flaw: it’s not very portable. Taking it on the go would require the console itself, a TV, enough outlets and desk space to accommodate them both, and a super roomy carrying bag to put it all in without having to make multiple trips or growing a few extra arms. But now, a young man named Ben Heckendorn has created a completely portable “laptop” version of it. We heard about it straight from his blog, where he detailed the process of constructing it.
According to his blog, the entire process took three months. He even posted photos and detailed each step in the process, so theoretically his results could be replicated – though it looks incredibly complicated and involves welding, breaking circuit boards, and voiding about 15 warranties. But for someone like Heckendorn, all this is practically second nature by now – he’s a professional modder with years of experience under his belt.
Amusingly enough, Heckendorn claims that the impetus for this project was simply a friend asking if it could be done; after countering by asking his friend to finance it, he agreed to undertake the challenge. His goal was to make the unit be less than 3 inches thick; he was able to achieve this goal, with the finished product standing at 2.8 inches.
It’s too bad the process doesn’t lend itself well to mass production, because these units would surely sell fast.
