Now, industrial designer Paul Staal has flipped the script with a working desktop PC that’s a super-sized homage to the classic computer brick (via Reddit and Hackster.io).
It’s ten times bigger than the original:
The “M2x2” is largely a 3D-printed case for a Mac Mini — one you can freely print at home yourself — but it’s not just a shell. He’s outfitted it with a 7-inch IPS touchscreen display, and a full array of additional ports and SD card reader thanks to an integrated USB-C hub.
The big studs on top are functional, too! The left one contains a hidden Ikea Symfonisk remote control so he can control his Sonos speaker, while the right has a hidden wireless charger for his AirPods. Both have normal Lego-style studs on top, too, so you can connect some classic bricks or a minifig.
Around back, the kit has an integrated carry handle and easy-wrap cord hangers.
At his stunning interactive website, Staal says he’s currently using the M2x2 as his primary computer, though he’s mostly using its screen as a Home Assistant dashboard he can tap to control his home. He has a primary monitor plugged into it, an LG DualUp, to get work done.
If you’ve already got the Mac Mini, he estimates the rest should cost you less than €100 (roughly $116), and he has guided step-by-step assembly instructions at his site with excellent photos. Do note that the Ikea/Sonos Symfonisk products are discontinued, and the knob in particular is from an older generation of Ikea product. I still see some on eBay, but you might want a different knob solution.
