Several generations now have enjoyed playing with Legos, with many carrying the interest in the building bricks well into their adulthood. Take Michael Schropp, for example, who has combined his love of Legos with his love of computers, to create the Micro Lego Computer.
Previously, Schropp built the Mini Lego Computer, but the Micro Lego Computer takes things a step further, measuring a tiny 4 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches. It can be fit almost anywhere, and looks like a big Lego block.
"Two things that have always been near and dear to my heart have been Lego and computer," said Schropp on the totalgeekdom.com page for the Micro Lego Computer. "For decades now I've been playing with both of them, so when the opportunity arose to combine them I went all in."
Users can customize their Micro Lego Computers how the want, stacking multiples to add computing power. Users can also simply expand the chassis using Lego blocks if they want to add parts to their computer, such as a larger motherboard or a new PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) card.
The base computer, however, is nothing to yawn at. In fact, Schropp imposed a number of challenges on himself in designing the Micro Lego Computer. For example, Schropp assumed that users might want to use the computer to its full potential, meaning that it could heat up and a fanless system wouldn't cut it. This itself adds a number of extra design problems, such as where to best place the fan for optimal air flow.
For those who don't want to add their own components manually, however, there are prebuilt components available for the system, which is the second design challenge that Schropp imposed on himself. These modular components are as stackable as Lego blocks themselves.
The computer itself will cost $600 for the Core i3 base system with 4 GB of RAM, with a Core i7 version with 16 GB of RAM also being available for $879. Extra brick modules include things like an external hard drive, which is a blue block, and a card reader, which is a red block. The card reader supports 15 different types of memory cards and also offers users an extra 3 USB ports.
"One of the best parts of Lego is it's flexibility and versatility. The Micro Lego Computer is designed to work with add-on brick modules to offer an easy way to expand the system and add more capabilities," continues the website. "The Micro Lego Computer is a scaled 2×2 brick, the external hard drive module a 2×3 plate, and the card reader-USB 3.0 hub a 1×2 brick. All bricks allow stacking on bottom and top."
Via: Total Geekdom
