Tired of black cases and the ATX form factor? Bored with too much aluminum and RGB? On the web, there's never a shortage of people who take a traditional case and turn it into something completely different. But artist and designer Oriol Ferrer Mesià took it a step further, combining all the firepower of parametric design with the aesthetics of retro terminals, giving rise to a series of mini-computer cases that look like they were pulled straight from the Fallout universe... and they look great.
The first step is as simple as searching for 'case modding' on YouTube or taking an old case and experimenting with it. Other advanced projects propose making it disappear entirely, among which DIY Perks' invisible computer stands out. However, we have a fabulous resource at our disposal: 3D printing. Besides printing parts that allow us to optimize existing cases, an even more interesting option is to design a case from scratch, using a main component as a reference.
That's the path artist and designer Oriol Ferrer Mesià followed with his excellent series of retro terminals. First he chose the screen, followed by the rest of the hardware pieces, and a healthy dose of Autodesk Fusion 360. Printing was handled by a Creality Ender 3, one of the models with the best price-performance ratio on the market. Unfortunately, Oriol didn't share the files for his cases, but the artistic project is labeled 'WIP', so it's likely we'll see something new in the future.
The Ultrawide Terminal
This ultrawide design uses an unusual 8.8-inch screen at 1920 x 480, equivalent to a 4:1 aspect ratio. The case had to be printed in two parts. The hardware is based on an Nvidia Jetson Nano with 2 GB. A Ducky One 2 SF keyboard. The copper-colored PLA looks fantastic.
The 10-Inch Terminal
The second terminal adopts a more common panel, a 10-inch 4:3 format, with a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768. Its brain is a Raspberry Pi 4. A Ducky One SF keyboard, black PLA.
The Compact Terminal
An even more compact version of the previous terminal, with a 5-inch screen and a resolution of 800 x 480. There's a Raspberry Pi 3 inside, and the keyboard is the official one from the Raspberry Foundation. Black PLA, although it would look great in red...
The 16:9 Terminal
Another 5-inch terminal, but now in 16:9 format. Raspberry Pi 4, with very attractive orange PLA. The keyboard is one of the many mini models with Bluetooth support we've seen online.
The Latest Terminal
In his latest design, the terminal adopts a 4:3 8-inch panel, but the case seeks to minimize its footprint as much as possible, leaving its Raspberry Pi 4 exposed. The PLA is transparent neon yellow. The whole setup begs to be a retro console.
Rejected Concepts
His rejected concepts are also interesting, inspired by the retro-futuristic TVs of the '70s and '80s, the Macintosh Classic, and telephone booths.
Official site: Click here
