I have made no attempts to hide the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the aesthetics of the Mac mini. The look isn't terrible; it just isn't for me. One hardware hacker from the Retro Mac Cast forums (hat tip to Cult of Mac) got his hands on a mini with some hardware issues. He might have not had the same dislike of the mini, but he gave it a makeover nonetheless. Those who have been Apple users since the beginning, or just have an eye for old Apple hardware, will immediately recognize the iconic Disk II shell that has been gutted and replaced with the innards of a Core Solo Mac mini.

The mod uses the original 5.25" floppy slot for the DVD drive opening and the original activity light for what appears to be the sleep light. The transplant comes from a hardware hacker who has also created a Mac Plus G4 and an USB Mac Plus keyboard and mouse combo. The Mac mini looks like it actually fits into the Disk II fairly well, needing only the outer shell removed, the power button extended to the back of the case, and the sleep LED moved.

Overall, it's a clever idea and a well-executed hack. The only criticism we have is the lack of access to the machine's ports, but the dongles used seem appropriate, considering the hardware. Now if someone could give Apple a few tips for a better enclosure, we'll be on a roll.