casemod

Everyone remembers the first real desktop-computers, the first computers with a case, a screen, a keyboard and sometimes even a mouse! These cases were all the same. Big, square and white. And after a few months this white turned to some form of light yellow. In other words: ugly! But most of us didn't care, we were proud to have our own computer...the newest creation of modern technology!

But after a while people got bored with these dull computers which stood quite prominently on our desks, so a number of people came up with the idea to modify their computers. This started with painting the case in a better color then the yellow-white. And after a while some people came with bigger measures: more colors, sometimes even airbrush. People made extra holes in the cases to accomodate fans. To cool things down, but more because of the 'cool' looks.
From then on things started to accelerate. People came with so-called case-windows: windows made of plexiglass which were built in the cases to view the inside of the computer without opening the case. After that all sorts of lights came, starting with changing the color of the HDD- and powerleds, but soon after that people came with CCFL's. This are some sort of mini fluorescent lamps which people put in their computers to lighten up the electronics that could be seen through the case-windows. Then came rounded cables, watercooling, design-fanguards, etcetera...

Nowadays there are all sorts of 'casemods'. Varying from simple windows to complete homebuild computercases. Everything seems to be possible, and all the needs for a simple casemod are for sale now in most computershops. It is even possible to buy complete casemods! The producers of computercases smelled money and started producing design-cases with nice paintjobs, case-windows, CCFL's, extra casefans with build-in LEDs... 'Modding' became a movement, a new 'hype'...

For some examples: http://casemod.tripod.com/tngallery/Thumbgallery.html