Apple Toaster

Ok, the first toaster (Oster model #6315-000-000) I got from WalMart for like 29$ and it really looked promising for this project.  This was one that I was already thinking may work. The best feature that it has for this case mod project is that the area that receives the bread ( I will now call the cage) is very compact and has a metal chrome top that will look nice as the top piece. The weakness is everything else. Notice how nicely the outline of this toaster’s guts appear to fit unfortunately this is misleading and I will need to find another toaster to add other parts to make a even more compact toaster.

The push down mechanism and controls take up to much space and as it is do not fit into the cube.

I did not know this butt apparently toasters are held down by an electro magnet and this implementation does not allow for it to be moved.

This is just a start and I am liking the possibilities.

I have the G4 case all apart and this project is going to totally depend on finding the right toaster or combination of toasters. I got the internal dimensions and went shopping at Wal-Mart and found one that looked like a pretty close match, you can’t really tell if it will fit until you get the shroud off the toaster. Unfortunately this one is just a tad bit to long. The internals for the push down mechanism stick out to far. The cage for the bread slices are perfect though so I am thinking now that I will try to find another toaster with a slimmer and less complicated push down/pop up mechanism and merge the two systems. I hope it does not come down to making my own internals but if it does ….so be it. Going try hitting up the thrift stores for more simple used toasters tomorrow.

Both my cubes arrived today, it is looking like am Apple store up in here.  They are truly slick looking cases I must say.  The power button confused me a bit as it is not really a button but it senses that you finger is where the power icon is painted on the case. Now I have to figure out how to get the CD out.

I can see why all the cases crack at the top by where the internals mount to the acrylic. It does seem like a bit much weight to be on a small location ( in the middle next to an opening too). I think it probably would have been better if they had them in the four corners.

I was pretty disappointed in how loud this sucker is . I mean I thought the whole point was for it to be silent. I think there is either a hard drive motor going or if there is a fan motor in there because there is a loud whining coming from it that I can hear in the next room.

Oh and there was a Pube on my Cube… Note if you are Ebaying something please remove pubic hair from the item you are selling.

Toaster selection is going to be difficult until I get the Apple G4 Cube case and size up the specs.  I am leaning towards a simpler toaster the better approach. For one I never make toast (I do not have a toaster currently) and I do not need a toaster with all kinds of buttons and LED switches I mean sure I could do that but it is pretty unnecessary. All I am currently looking for is a handle to push down and a light / dark dial. Also if the dimensions support it I will take one that can toast English Muffins…  because  why not…

Another key item I will be looking for is a flat metal top for where the two slots for the bread is inserted. Some models have metal around this region that is just slightly larger than the area and I think that could be a very good candidate for my project. I believe this mill make it easier to get the top of the computer to look ok .

My first candidate is this simple Black and Decker model. I like the way the top is and it does have buttons but I could get around that if I needed to. The dial would also need to be relocated a bit. Not sure about the dimensions yet though.

This one looks like it belongs inside a G4 cube but it has some problems such as the dome top and large push bar at the bottom. Oh and it is a little overkill.

The search continues.

This one was another buy it now for a good case with power supply, paid 100$ shipped  (power supplies are on EBay for 70-100$). It says the Cube shuts off after a a little bit so I am thinking I will have some spare parts in the future so I can probably fix it. Or just gut it and turn it into a windows machine for a bedroom silent media center. Conversion to a modern PC sounds fun and I am assuming it can be done with some of the low power processors and perhaps a Western Digital Raptor 300GB with the heat sync on it .

I paid a bit more than I probably should have for the computer but it was a buy it now and I want to get started ASAP. The auction description had the case down as being mint (rated 9 out of 10) and it looked pretty good so I just pulled the trigger. I hate waiting for an auction and then forgetting about it or some other issue. The specs are pretty standard for these boxes ( I mean Cubes) some have more memory or disk space but this is a toy essentially so I don’t think a 450mhz vs. a 500mhz processor has much significance in this day. Wish I could find some broken ones cheaper.. I keep looking though. There is a buy it now case only for like 70$ and that doesn’t even include the chassis.

Anyone should be able to figure out what I am doing here. I started shopping around for used Apple computers and the model I am interested in is the G4 Cube I have always liked the design of it even though it is kind of hobbled by how specialized it was.  This is a silent computer taking cool air from the bottom and piping it pout the top. I think the external power supply is kind of lame but you can hide it I guess. I would like to get my hands on a couple of these and see what I can do with them, perhaps modernize one for a silent media center computer for my room.

Nobody can argue that Apple has put a lot of resources into the ascetics of their products (and rightly so). In fact I believe the ascetics of Apple products is the only reason they are around today. Nowadays people have Apple products that they carry with them and display like the IPod and IPhone these products are a reflection back on themselves and therefore they want something that is sexy and pleasing to the eye.  Microsoft on the other hand is a software company and leaves this up to the OEMs to figure out and  is a much more a function before form company (although some would argue that).. (are there any RFID or bar code scanners for Iphone?) Anyway I digress. But the Apple Cube is perfect for what I am looking for in this project.