When Apple released the original Macintosh in 1984, it was looked at as a triumph of design — one of the more minimalist and user-friendly computer designs to hit the market. Old Macs have long since become obsolete, leading fans to come up with creative ways to hack them into a useful second life (like the MacQuarium), but John Leake took a different approach for his tribute to Apple’s most enduring product. Using Sintra foamboard and a Raspberry Pi, Leake has successfully created a working scale model of the original Mac that’s one-third the size of the original.
Half an Apple: developer creates tiny, working version of original Macintosh
The Mini Mac consists of the aforementoined Sintra boards that Leake cut with an X-acto knife; he filed and sandpapered down the bezels to give it the distinctive Mac look. As for what’s inside the case, Leake used a Raspberry Pi and a 3.5-inch monochrome display, and his Mini Mac comes complete with a pair of USB ports, an HDMI port, and an ethernet jack. There’s also two more USB ports inside — those are used for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles. Beyond the technology, however, is just the sheer enjoyment of seeing a working Macintosh that you can hold in the palm of your hands — for more great images of Leake’s creation, make sure to check out his blog and listen to his podcast for more details.
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