M0110 Clear Case

[Gouty]

Have any of you seen this?



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283572577249

I can't find any info about it. I know that apple made some of their macintosh prototypes clear, but I haven't seen any keyboards like it, and I haven't seen any transparent original (128/512) Macintoshes using finished (or nearly finished) moulds.

What do you think? Original? Modification?

[Compgeke]

It's a modification for sure. There's been some talk on Mac forums about it and general consensus is it's an SLA printed case on the keyboard. They've also had a clear mouse and a clear joystick and you might notice none of them mention prototype or any real information. I bet they're betting on some sucker thinking it's a prototype and bidding high, just like the mouse.

[Findecanor]

I found that the Mac SE (1987) had been made in clear supposedly so that they could study the airflow inside the machine to see that the fan worked as it should. The engineers blew smoke inside and watched through the clear plastic where it went.

BTW. See also this old thread: Apple Prototype Keyboard (for Macintosh 128k), which has some more plausible examples of M0110 prototypes.

[JP!]

There is also a clear joystick from the same seller. If it's a reproduction case it seems really well done and to me wouldn't be worth the hassle to design and make this just to make a few hundred bucks and risk your reputation as a seller.

[JP!]

There is also a clear joystick from the same seller. If it's a reproduction case it seems really well done and to me wouldn't be worth the hassle to design and make this just to make a few hundred bucks and risk your reputation as a seller.

Edit:
I also found this Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ma ... cintosh-ma

"In fact, a Macintosh SE prototype with a clear case recently sold for over $20,000!"

Also the person to ask would the collector featured in this article...that's if he's not already bidding on this.
https://gizmodo.com/this-guy-is-selling ... 1823652744

[Gouty]

I heard back from the seller they said:

I received it from someone overseas - I believe the case did not come from Apple.

Looking at it, and the finish, lack of blemishes, channels and size of it, I don't think it's SLA printed, or if it is it would have been a hell of a lot of work.

[andrewjoy]

I found that the Mac SE (1987) had been made in clear supposedly so that they could study the airflow inside the machine to see that the fan worked as it should. The engineers blew smoke inside and watched through the clear plastic where it went.

When apple cared about cooling

The picture above has me in two minds, The screw mounts look original i dont think you would do it like that if you printed it. But the left hand side surface does look a bit like its SLA printed. The clearness of the print tho does not look like any resin i have seen.

[Muirium]

Apple always used to make transparent prototypes during the design phase of their products. (They may even still do, but as far as I know this stuff dried up sometime in the Jony Ive era, along with most of their use of case plastic.)

These prototypes are a collector’s industry in themselves. I’ve never seen one in person, but hear about them now and again, along with picture evidence.

[andrewjoy]

In the depths of my mind i can see a image of a clear classic shaped Macintosh, so i think your right that it was a thing for apple in the past. Now that Mr Form over Function has left lets hope we get apple devices designed for humans to use again , and not just look pretty in photos. The new mac pro is a welcome change if you exclude the bullshit none standard cards and the insane price, baby steps, lets hope they get there.

[Muirium]

Here we go. Check the vid:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/06/rare-ap ... video.html

Transparent compact Macs, a PowerBook, a Mac Portable, a Newton MessagePad…

[andrewjoy]

That fully transparent G4 cube is dope! Gota love the G4 cube, some of the best engineering apple has done, pritty much ever!