MacBook inhabits a Linksys router after ill-advised casemod
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted December 9th 2009 12:32AM
posted December 9th 2009 12:32AM
Apple products are known far and wide for their design. Linksys products, on the other hand, are not. That's why this latest laptop mod strikes us as a little odd. When a technically-proficient gentleman named Tyler wanted to get his hands on "a working, genuine" Mac as cheaply as possible, he did what any self-respecting (and frugal) geek would do: he scrounged New Egg and eBay for MacBook parts. Why he would then turn around and cram 'em into an old router is, quite frankly, beyond us. Had he asked, we would have suggested something a bit more classy: perhaps a flashing pyramid? Why not a Timex Sinclair ZX81? Or maybe even a toaster? That said, this achievement -- while puzzling -- certainly seems to have been pulled off with not a little technical skill. If you're curious to see how it all went down (including copious step-by-step pics) hit the source link. And prepare to scratch your head in wonderment.
what a cunning guise.
f(x) = (first post)/(low rankings)
@poematik14 That didn't even make sense
@Broderbund i know lol what does it mean mr. math major? i just wrote random stuff
@poematik14
Why would you divide the first post by low rankings?...those two variables don't quite line up in my inferior mind
f(x) = (first post)/(low rankings)
Where: f = the amount you fail and x = your age.
Hmm, well you weren't the first post, so this equation may be an inequality, but I can work around that.
Let's see, the first post was at 12:38 which is 2280 seconds into the day. You've been downranked about 40 times as of this post (soon to be higher I'm sure)
So we have f(x) = (2280)/(40)
Next step, we guesstimate your age, which is about 6.
f(6) = (2280)/(40)
Finally, we solve for how much you fail.
6f = 57
f = 9.5
So, that means you fail on average about 9.5 times more than the average person.
@MJGAMER 1991 XBL actually im 18 :/
@poematik14
You're not helping yourself buddy lol
@MJGAMER 1991 XBL
Surprisingly enough, f(x) is not the same as f*x.
Engadget seems confused. Their love of Apple is going against their love for modding. As it seems, Apple won.
@Avaviel
Waiiiit, I love mods, but are you arguing this is an awesome mod?
This guy kindda did the opposite of what a mac does, where really, a Mac has a router inside (plug in an ethernet cable and it will create a wireless network), this guy has a router that has a mac inside it, genius!
@MSM
Not really. What Apple does is it take some mediocre hardware, pairs it with some mediocre software and puts it all in a gorgeous shell. What Linksys (Cisco) does is it puts some awesome hardware in a mediocre shell. What the modder seems to have done is taken the worst parts of both.
@MrDiSante
I bet this guy can make one sexy router then!!
@MrDiSante
Not a fanboy or whatever you call them, but actually they have some pretty good hardware...
@MSM
Now someone needs to take a mac mini and put a linksys router inside.
@MrDiSante
Mediocre is a little harsh don't you think? The software is a big chunk of what sells Macs, I wager no one would buy them if they came with Windows, OS X and iLife are the allure and with good reason.
I like it, you could fool people into thinking you have a magic system that works without a computer and is all internet based.
@yulebellow i think we have a winner
Yo dawg, I herd you like packetz, so I put an computer in your router so you can compute while you route!
@Erb
Yo dawg, I heard you like macs so we only put one pedal in your car.
Old news is old.
@Nerdtalker
I had no idea.
@Nerdtalker
Link or it didn't happen. That's why you're downranked. (Not by me - I'd rather give you a chance to explain.)
To recycle wireless routers and cut cost... hmmmm, guess we found a green apple.
"not a little technical skill"
Hmm, sleep is always good...
Linksys wireless routers looks better than any Apple peripherals I have ever seen.
Hi there. Nice mod, but how do you get around the fact that the MacBook logicboard will only run at around 30% of nominal processor speed if there is no battery connected?
Bravo, not sure I care for some of the implementation details, but the overall mission was a sound one. This is even cheaper than my hackintosh albeit quite a bit underpowered compared.
Wow, what an intelligent idea; an intruder with the intent of stealing valuable items would never steal that, when in fact a MacBook is hiding inside.
WRT54 for life
But what would reallly cook the noodles of people is if some cunning person uses an iMac shell with linksys internals..... I'd like to see the faces of the people that try and boot that baby up.
I'm a bit surprised myself. I'd probably have gone with a Radio Shack TRS-80 MC-10 and worked out how to get the keyboard working with it. Could even emulate the actual machine and store programs written for it using MP3's stored on an iPod.
@Bones3D Haha I have a couple TRS-80 Model 100s.. maybe I should mod them into modern netbooks HAHA. If only I could find an LCD screen that wide and short :)
Hmm... getting a closer look at it, isn't it actually using two Linksys router casings glued together?
I think that actually improves the look of a MacBook.
why is this news, firstly it was on slashdot well over a week ago and secondly why is this news....you can buy a mac logic board online, the rest of the components are pretty easy and cheap to scare up, and slap them in a case.... alot of us are familiar with how to build a computer, if i put the internals for an EEE PC into, i dunno, a coffee maker and call it the coffEEE PC will i make it onto engadget too?
@(Unverified) lmao that's a great idea. coffEEE PC haha. Put an LCD in the lid, USB ports on the back.. surf the internet and watch your coffee being made at the same time.
@(Unverified)
Yes you will, if i don't beat you to it. any body got a spare eee?
Those routers were probably dead, considering it looks like one was a BEFSX41- a pretty old model that would likely have died by now (I had one hit the bucket on me). Good for him, he made a really cheap computer that's still a good computer, if substantially odd looking.