I'm modding an iMac G3

[Rebecca]

It's more like: I bought a case and put some stuff instead of what usually goes there, though.

It started with me finding this case on Ebay

Thw plan was to make a stealth gaming computer but I decided to go retro with it.

I got an Orange Pi 5 plus with 16Gb (the ram is too much for emulation, I bought it this size so I could also use it as a computer from time to time).

Then I added an amp, some speakers and a subwoofer, 3D printed a piece to install an LCD panel (sidenote: that was so difficult to find! 14inch 4:3 screens are old and not working correctly. The third one I got was working, the other 2 where returned and money came back), and some sound activated light bars later
I got it going!

Cabling is a mess, I am in the process of sorting it out.

Controversial part? I will open holes to the case to attach flash mount extensions for everything inside:
- HDMI × 2 (input and output)
- SD card reader.
- USB3 connector
- Ethernet connector
- USB2 × 4 connectors for attaching gamepads or keyboard + mouse.
- Wifi + BT antennas (think Chappy) because internal ones are to small and crappy.

While I think how it's best that I do such holes (step drill bits are bought, masking tape, patience) here are some photos.

I will soon make another one that's smaller (8 inches) and simpler (using a toy from Flying Tiger). Let me know if you would be interested in a tutorial to get you inspired to make your own.

Oh, and feel free to post your projects too!

 

[NotReallyHere]

Personally, I like my G3 iMac just the way it is

Still, it's a wonderful project you have there, and I'm glad to see someone get some use out of the old case! Unfortunately, these machines aren't getting any younger, and they weren't exactly built to last - especially if you got a secondhand computer lab / education model >_>

They're incredibly versatile machines in their own right, though. Mac OS 9 can run practically any game or app from OS 6 - onward. It's nice to have a machine that can install and run The 7th Guest, Myst, Wing Commander IV, System Shock, Day of the Tentacle, Diablo, Deus Ex, Star Wars Racer, Oni, etc. All without tinkering, aside from the odd QuickTime updates.

Get a copy of Virtual PC with Windows 98, and you've struck gold! Now you can run even PC exclusives from the era, like System Shock 2, Jedi Knight, and Grim Fandango. And there's a damn good PS1 emulator for OS 9, too - The Connectix Virtual Games Station. So good, in fact, that Sony sued them out of existence

I won't hijack your thread anymore, but I have long maintained that G3 iMacs are amazing machines for retro gaming and computing. And if you get one with the monitor still in nice condition, you can enjoy everything in that comforting CRT glow. Too bad functional units tend to cost so much nowadays, but I firmly believe they are well worth the effort to track down

 

[junkman]

the upcycler approves. Also nice gamepad, Rebecca

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

I keep my iMac's free from modifications. Keeping them in their original state is a time capsule for me. Plus my G3 is Lime

 

[MajesticSiN]

Hell yeah!

 

[Yousef]

That’s pretty sweet. Awesome project you got there.

 

[NotReallyHere]

I keep my iMac's free from modifications. Keeping them in their original state is a time capsule for me. Plus my G3 is Lime

Very cool! I used to have a Lime one, myself. It was one of the first-revision tray-loading models, and I did a lot of work to "max it out" as best I could. New hard drive, new motherboard battery, overclock to 400mhz, max RAM (512 MB!) and I even replaced the internal drive with a tray-loading DVD-R drive. Managed to keep the original bezel in place, too. Even had the matching keyboard and mouse

This was back when you could still find functional colored iMacs at Goodwills and various secondhand stores for $20 or so. They were always so much fun to take home and tinker with, and if you messed something up, it was a low-risk investment. Nowadays... not so much

Over the years, I've owned Bondi, Blueberry, Lime, and Tangerine. I've had the keyboard and mouse for a Grape model, as well as a keyboard for the Strawberry model, but I've never managed to find the computers to match. Also had a matching Graphite keyboard and mouse, but I believe those originally came from a PowerMac G4.

Right now, I'm down to just two - the Blueberry (slot-loading) one in our entryway, and the Tangerine (tray-loading) one upstairs. Of the two, the Tangerine one is in much better cosmetic and functional shape. The Blueberry one needed its speakers replaced, and the screen is beginning to go dim. I mostly use it as a jukebox. The Tangerine one is my regular gaming machine. But both have been "maxed out" to the best of my abilities.

(Photo lightly edited to hide some of my wife's personalized artwork)

I think I'm done trying to collect iMacs, but if another one were to come my way, well... I wouldn't turn it down