Are there any "fresh" ideas left? (kinda long)

[Arkamedies]

Forgive me if this seems to be in the wrong forum, but it is more for discussion and debate as a general conversation than it is for actually how any of this is done.

How long do you figure it is going to be before we run out of things to do with our systems that really add to or add no great value to the system as a whole?

I have been surfing for about two weeks now doing some cross comparisons on pages, sites and personal pages looking for "fresh" ideas. Things that are rather new and innovative. Has anyone seen anything new over the last 6 months? Help add to the list below and if you have links to where the "how-to" can be found, add that also.

But think hard, do you really believe we have much further to go? What was your favorite Mod/overclock?

Mods seen, and some seen MANY times....
[list=1]
Blow Holes Top, bottom, sides (both)
Tracer/Chaser Lights
Fan mounted LEDs
Front mounted LEDs
Neon Lights
Cold Cathode Lights
Strobe Lights
Strobing Cold Cathode Lights (hooked to something that made it flash with the hard-drive usage)
"In-drive" CD-ROM LEDs (they are mounted inside so they make a cool glow when the CD-ROM drive opens)
Windows (round, square, rectangle, oval, etc etc) (sides and tops)
Painted Cases
Airbrushed Cases
Chromed Cases
Wood Cases
Cases made from recycled RC Models, Suit Cases, Boxes, Fridges, *insert item here*
LCD Screens mounted in cases
Rheostats/Fanbus
Water Cooling
Bong Cooling
Phase Cooling
Molded Cases with Faces, Figures and Artwork
Laser Cut Cases
Fur Covered Cases
Combining Two Cases to make one
Clear Cases (acrylic, lexan, plexiglass)
Component Modding (clear top on CD-ROM to see inside, etc)
LED "color mods" on everything from mice to system indicator lights.
Rounding Cables
Case Foaming, sound proofing
Component Cooling
L-1 Bridge closure
Heatsink Mounts
Cooling Blocks
Component Overclocking
Laptop Mods (Sir-Epix)
[/list=1]

What would you like to see?
[list=a]
Integrated Microwave (William)
[/list=a]

Why is it that many of us, me included, refuse to buy item pre-made from vendors? How many of you honestly feel you can do better? In many cases I am pretty sure I can make better items than I find in the stores.

And if you think this even further, what are the modder's greatest enemies, other than lack of cash? Weather, condensation, heat, mobility, weight, airflow, electrical systems in your home, static, nicotine..etc.....

How many of us have "work areas" as a requirement for living someplace? Granted that many of us (and you know who you are) are rather cheap and would rather spend $20.00 making something our selves than spend $25.00 to just buy the already upgraded item from a store. I find the thrill of making something myself to be 90% of the fun of even doing mods or upgrades.

Sheesh, I better let this get out to the masses before I babble myself to death..... the result of having already been awake 24 hours and just waiting a few more hours to head to work for another 12.

[William]

yet to see an integrated microwave.

[Sir-Epix]

I to like making my own stuff, and I do have a fresh idea. I am a little reluctent to give it away though, as I want to be the first member in the forum to give it a go. But oh well it is my idea. It seems that a lot of people here are like sheep...not in a bad way. Once they see something Overclocks well they buy exactly the same equipment. I personally don't see any fun in that. We all know AMD processors overclock well and benchmark great. The same can be said for Intel. But wait there are other companies out there. One such cheap that has not been tested is the C3. It is dirt cheap, so even if it does blow you are only out 40 bucks max. As for mods, how about really cool laptop mods. Laptops have been overlooked all these years. I mean it can't be that hard if someone puts there mind to it. These are just my ideas though.

[NYC37]

there are so amny people doing things, the ideas bound to be used already when you come up with it. like, lets take this route so we dont hit traffic..but 500 othe rpeople thought of that, so the route that has traffic has none, but the one that shouldnt, is clogged up like fat *******s arterys. i hope you kinda get the idea, if you think of it, someone else has.
hows about integrated television in the case? or an refrigorator, with door etc. that is cooled by refigeration, which keeps the cpu cool as well. or something like that.

[ColdMiser]

This is original (http://www.xoxide.com/tach.htm)

[Tbird man]

i thought about the C3 a couple months ago but don't have the cash to try it. it should o/c well with a good hsf as it is designed to be used with a passive cooler

[-=HN=- Wild9]

honestly i think this would be awesome , a cooling method to keep your cpu and such coool but enough room to cool a few cans of brew also, just so you can grab a beer outta the case and its nice and cold.

[tbirdkiri]

my window on my door is original.....

[Christoph]

I've got a gutted microwave, but I know that I don't have enough experience yet to cut apart my case and make it fit.
If that's what William was talking about, then either I thought of it first or we both thought of it independantly (I don't really care which). A mod like that has a whole lot of potential .... [/thread hijack]

Two mods that would rock that I haven't seen are:
1 a latex brain that jiggles in correlation with the HD LED
2 something (tubing, probably) that changes color with the temperature for montioring water temperature

There was a thread a while back in which some of us tried to find paint that changed color with the temperature, but it never got anywhere.

[h20link]

did you guys see the machine in the back of this month's Maximum PC mag? some guy molded a skill into the bottom front of his case....the mouth is open and there's a fan behind it (w/ blue lights) and the on off switch is in the forehead of the skull.......kinda original, i guess.

Sorry, i couldn't find a link to the pic but there is this:

www.maximumpc.com

[tbirdkiri]

ive seen it,
and its not original cause there is a company that makes those mods.

[hooziewhatsit]

Originally posted by ColdMiser
This is original (http://www.xoxide.com/tach.htm)


haha, that is original, the only thing is, on my comp, it would always be redlining :-)

[Christoph]

That tachometer would be fun, but I'd much rather have it indicate the CPU temp. If my computer's not at 100% CPU utilization, it's either (re)booting or off.

[Monaco]

I added a 5-port network hub to my PC, I cut a hole for it in the back perpendicular to the card slots. Now all you see if 5 RJ45 connectors in the back. I thought it was somewhat original; I've only seen that a few times since then.

[Crash893]

im going to have to say from philosophical point of view no idea is original or fresh


every thing we do is based of something we’ve seen or know already.

even today’s computers are based off old computers and those off of calculators and those of the things with the beads and that off of fingers.

there will always be new ( relatively new) stuff to do to computers as new stuff comes out and as more people work on it

the more people you have working on it the more angles people will see It at and some one will make a leap that no one else thought of.

That’s just my thoughts

[flounder43]

In the 19th century, there were those who wanted to close the Patent Office because they were sure everything of use had been invented.... :rolleyes:

There will always be new ideas! ;)

[Monaco]

thing is, all the mods we see everyday are still cool! Who cares if everybody and their brother has a blowhole in their case, it's still really neat.:D

I've seen a lot of people doing the same mods, but they still aren't played out- some things look good no matter how many times you've seen it before. Especially those mods that improve performance, and just happen to look good too.

When eMachines starts putting a window and baybus in every budget box they sell, that's when we should start worrying about getting more creative. Fo course by then we'll have something new and different that makes a case window seem like child's play!:)

[NYC37]

i was at first joking about the fridge in the case thing, but i got curious and read a little. it is actually quite easy to do, except you gota take apart a mini fridge...hehe, ok not that simple. but imagine, we wouldnt have to run down every 10 min to get a coke or ice cream. id like to see it done actually.

[Christoph]

Originally posted by NYC37

... id like to see it done actually.

Here you go. (http://www.pcrivals.com/projects/computerator/index.shtml)
I think that's 4 on my top 10 list of mods (#1 of course being a microwave).

Hmmm... Fridge or microwave. That sets off my juxtaposition-o-meter for some reason.

[Kryten]

Originally posted by hooziewhatsit



haha, that is original, the only thing is, on my comp, it would always be redlining :-)

How can you tell when your CPU is vavle bouncing???
what happens after 9000? how do you get the other 10% or do 9000rpm = 100%

[Xplisit Kontent]

Man, you guys really bursted my bubble! I had just yesterday picked up 2 mini-fridges from the junkyard in hopes of bodging together a refrigeration unit. I was going to cover the outside in mirrors, put my components in there along with my stereo receiver, and make it a subwoofer to boot. I thought it would be the best and newest thing, but i guess it just shows that even themost novel ideas have already been thought of by someone else.
I also liked how the PC tach was supposed to be mounted to the top of the case, and have the wires run through the top of the case, but yet in the pic, they are hanging over the side....

[Christoph]

Originally posted by Xplisit Kontent
Man, you guys really bursted my bubble! I had just yesterday picked up 2 mini-fridges from the junkyard in hopes of bodging together a refrigeration unit. I was going to cover the outside in mirrors, put my components in there along with my stereo receiver, and make it a subwoofer to boot. I thought it would be the best and newest thing, but i guess it just shows that even themost novel ideas have already been thought of by someone else.
I also liked how the PC tach was supposed to be mounted to the top of the case, and have the wires run through the top of the case, but yet in the pic, they are hanging over the side....

Kinda reminds me of Ecclesiastes (http://members.aol.com/MonT714/NIVBible/Eccl.html).

[NYC37]

i knew it, if you thought of it, someone already has done it. thanx for the pic thou, its really cool. err..no pun intended. I cant think of anything else, perhaps a computer with built in printer? I wouldnt be surprised if someone found out thats been done too.

[TheNewbie]

Maybe a conputer built in a tool box that could electronically track ur tools then when u let ppl barrow them u will know where they are at when u need them back:beer:

[UserName]

i have an idea i have never seen

i think a keyboard with led's in the keys so it lit up from underneath and you could see each letter in the dark would be very cool.

any of you all ever seen it?

[TheNewbie]

Well i have't but it sounds cool

[UserName]

you could do different colors or just the new white led's and add filters to make colors.

you could power it from the usb or the PS2

i got lots of ideas like that

[TheNewbie]

Have u seen the frig. computer mod?