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Cool looking vintage computer cases

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1988 GEM Computer Products 386/20 - granted, the LED's were already replaced at this point - they were originally rectangle and flush with the panel. I've never seen a clone of this case on any other clone but this one, and it's basically the same chassis as a Compaq Deskpro 8086/286/386 - but in the full-AT form factor (instead, the keyboard jack runs UNDER the motherboard to a rectangle hole in the back). This is also the case i've been looking at using Google Sketchup and a Metal Brake to make reproductions of. Apparently, according to the "GEM Assembly Drawing" inside the case, there was a version with a Turbo. If I see one like this again, I'm buying it, even if it costs me a lot to get as I want it for my 486. I regret letting this one go.
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This thread is not complete without the Packard Bell corner computer!

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The idea behind it was space saving. The result was neck-breaking ergonomics and the need to have free space left, right and center. But it looked coolish. And A for effort because this atypical case was designed in an era where the shape of a typical desktop PC was already well defined.

The Holborn 9100 and other Holborns as Roland Huisman mentioned on the other hand, came out when nobody had a real reference of what a PC should look like. So they came up with this:

Holborn-9100-1024x682.jpg

This PC is from 1981. The movie ET is from 1982. Coincidence?
 
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I like the looks on those, with the implied bragging rights of visually seeing just how widely expanded your system is.

They did spend some thought in designing this system:
-all text is at 45° so you can place it upright or flat while keeping things equally (un)readable.
-the base unit is designed as 3 blocks wide even though it is 1 case. That way the visuals are maintained when you add a 4th or 9th expansion block.

eiWSgK4.jpg
 
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