Fashion Meets the Computer Case

The science-fiction visionary William Gibson — the man who invented "cyberpunk" — describes computers of the future that are handcrafted out of exotic materials by communes of dedicated artists. It's a logical leap: The next breakthrough in computing won't be in engineering, it will be in aesthetics, and fashion-conscious geeks are already pushing the envelope with computer cases made of everything from mahogany to Legos. The line between computer design and sculpture is getting very, very thin.

Jon Winters was bored with the way his desktop computer looked, so he decided to do something about it. He took the metal panels off, covered them with paint containing iron filings, applied a solution that accelerates the oxidation process, and in a couple of hours he had what he calls the Rust-Box: a truly unique computer that looks like it was recovered from the Titanic. MORE >>