[comp.sys.att] Suggestions on placing a 3B2/300 into a Tower case.

ibarra@DPW.COM (Michael Ibarra) (01/26/91)

I would like to hear from anyone who has attempted using a tower case
for their 3B2/300 or 310. I would really be interested in knowing which      
case you had used and what problems you may have encountered. I really 
wish to do this for cosmetic purposes and to remove it from my desktop
while still having it nearby.

	              Any comments would be appreciated.

				Mike Ibarra
		              ibarra@dpw.com
	         	       (212)530-4119
	

thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) (01/27/91)

ibarra@DPW.COM (Michael Ibarra) in <3006@esquire.dpw.com> writes:

	I would like to hear from anyone who has attempted using a tower case
	for their 3B2/300 or 310. I would really be interested in knowing
	which case you had used and what problems you may have encountered. I
	really wish to do this for cosmetic purposes and to remove it from my
	desktop while still having it nearby.

I would strongly urge you to consider a very easy solution: get the upright
mounting base (as sold for Mac II or IBM-PC/AT systems) and simply clamp them
to your 3B2 case and stand it on the floor.  From my recollection of the case
for the 3B2/310, this should be NO problem at all!

The bases "should" be around $20 for a set.  Some are fixed-size and some are
adjustable, but, in general, look like (cross-section):

	___/_______\___

And are attached to a computer like so:

	    |     |
	    |     |
	    |     |
	___/+-----+\___

They work well and free up a LOT of desk space.  You can get even more desk
space by mounting your monitor on one of those suspension-arm assemblies so it
"floats" above your desk, but those arms cost around $100+ or so.

All the above are available in most computer stores and mail-order catalogs.

Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com ]

jlw3@cbnewsj.att.com (Joseph L. Wood, III) (01/28/91)

The real problem with this is with the physical design of the
3B2/300 and 400 series processors.  In order to use them you
need access to all four sides of the processor.  The front
for the floppy and the tape drive; the left side for the on/off
switch; the rear for the power cable and the console I/O connectors
and the fans and the external disk cables; finally the right
hand side is where the standard I/O bus in accesses.  They finally got
it right with the 600 and later machines.

Joe Wood jlw@mtuxo.ATT.COM