Press Any Key To Continue...

…Which one is the Any key? The first computer I used on a regular basis, maintained and even upgraded, was an Hewlett Packard 386 (yup, ancient history). This latest from Powerpig gave me the instant retro feels for that old heap. You can even open the side to take a peek inside, and maybe upgrade the RAM to a whole MEGABYTE! It’s pretty much what all the computers looked like back then, large, beige and bulky, but gorgeous in their own way. And you can build your own soon because Chris is going to release a building guide.

My First Computer: PC Edition
Computer Detail

My First Computer: Adore Edition

No one brings the nostalgia with a subtle unique style quite like Chris McVeigh. His creations are so cleanly built and beautifully photographed you know they're his as soon as you see them. This is an update of one of his earliest computer builds, and it's awesome. Being an old school Amiga man, I have a soft spot for Commodore, and the 64 is an undisputed legend. You can build your own soon when he publishes a building guide to his website.

Adore Edition v3.0

LEGO Gaming Computer

Mad scientist and customizer extraordinaire Mike Schropp is back with another mind-blowing custom computer, this time it's for gaming. This isn't just a matter of wrapping an existing system with a LEGO shell, this is a ground-up, highly customized monster. He even modified the power supply and uses a custom machined heat sink! I won't go into the specs and details here, because there's too much to share. Luckily Mike has an excellent website that breaks down the entire process.

Strike Any Key When Ready

This brings back memories. The first computer in regular use in my life was my wife's college computer, a Packard Bell 386, not unlike this brilliant MOC by powerpig. Among it's many impressive specs was a whopping 20MB hard drive. Yes, that was cutting edge back then, about the size of three mp3's these days. And what's amusing is we wondered how we could EVER fill it.

My First Computer: DOS Edition

LEGO Computer

Computers are pretty nerdy, LEGO is pretty nerdy and Mike Schropp is pretty nerdy (my kind of geek!) He has brought his considerable customizing and fabricating skill to build one of the coolest custom-built computers I've ever seen. And it sports some impressive specs too, this isn't some crippled system that put form over function. He shared the whole process on his excellent website Total Geekdom.