The Power Mac G4 series had a tool-free hinged case that dropped the entire mainboard horizontal when opened. The patents on this design have to be expired by now. All desktops should be using this feature.
@leemccat I have a G4 QuickSilver I use as a Mac OS 9.2.2 machine. It's brilliant.
@mos_8502 I keep meaning to pick up a cheap g5 powemac to use for MorphOS. I have it on a g4 Mac mini but would like the extra oomph.
@mos_8502 i loved this design!
@mos_8502 These were such good machines. I had forgotten all about that feature of the case design.
@mos_8502 My G3 tower does this too. Loved that feature.
@mos_8502 so convenient!! guess i gotta start designing computer cases...
As much as i would like such a feature ... we have to admit, that nowadays needs for "the usual desktop" has become _WAY_ different from way back then. ;)
@hackbyte I still have an older tower case; the drop-down board rack makes it easy to reach the Raspberry Pi cables now.
@mos_8502 Even though the logic board is bricked, I can't throw away my old G4 graphite case. One day* if there is time galore it might become a glorified Raspberry Pi case.
*never
@mos_8502 why should it had been a patent in the first place ? were they really the first to think of it ?
@mos_8502
i still have one, sleeping just near my feet,
don't know what to do with,
eating to much energy imho
@mos_8502 I had a Micro-ATX Case in 2003 with this ability and a brushed metal design.
I have forgotten the brand name. But the construction was nice, but cooling was kinda tricky.
@mos_8502 I suspect the reason that type of thing isn't everywhere is more to do with cost cutting than a patent, sadly.
I love that design too.
@mos_8502 I loved them. I had one back in 2002 where I worked at the time.