i make new software work on old computers, mod quake and quake 2, and sometimes make beepy music as "ersatz waterfall", among other things.
I wish computers still looked like they had dreams inside of them.
Do I understand these are actually very outdated now and just have nice cases? yes.
Do I kind of believe that if I had one of these, I would start creating better? also yes.
I would be so much more inspired if I reached down and powered up one of these every day.
They really are quite lovely pieces of design!
Yeah, sure, they're massively outdated now and despite being hideously expensive back in the day when they were The Shit™, they're trampled all over by comparatively very cheap x86 machines; but still... goddamn, they look so good.
Opening the front door on the Octane, to hit the power button, then closing it again to leave just that glowing stripe of the power & HDD activity lights... Outstanding.
i have a few of these - an Octane and an Indy. they are such nice machines. even the user interface actually using them just feels so different, unique, and inspirational in ways i do not have words for. it's not just those, either - plenty of machines from that era just have this vibe to them. they're not meant to be this utilitarian thing that blends into the background, that's just there to be a tool you use to get a thing done, to be something you set down and forget about. they take up space. they're vibrant, and attention catching. they want you to know that you are using a real computer that can get things done.
sitting next to any machine like this, the dell workstation-class laptop that my employer has me using just feels barren and empty.
