Photos: Turning a Mac into an iPod speaker

by Bill Detwiler  |  July 18, 2006, 3:39pm PDT  |  Image 8 of 11

More details on the interior: "The case now features a wooden rim, hot glue gunned in place, and covered with closed cell foam so when the speakers in place they are reasonably well sealed The interior has been sealed, painted black, and then sanded back to reveal the names again. A splash of varnish on the back has made them stand out even more, even though they will spend the rest of their life in the dark. (Why should Apple have all the fun paying attention to the details?).

"The amp is standing on a a piece of plywood which is fixed to the bottom of the case. It's held in place by a strip of wood on either side and a metal clip. This means it can be easily removed when the batteries need replacing. A 12-volt transformer is plugged into an outlet fixed on the back of the case. A problem at the moment is that plugging the amp into the mains power source overrides the battery so you have to remove the speaker to switch from AC to DC. I'll have to work away around this at some point. In the meantime the battery life has been very good."

The on/off volume control has been removed and attached to the back of the Mac so the amp can be controlled from outside the case.

Image 8 of 11

Bill Detwiler

About Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Head Technology Editor of TechRepublic. Previously, he worked as a Support Tech and IT Manager in the social research and energy industries.

Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler is Head Technology Editor for TechRepublic. Previously he worked as a Technical Support Associate and Information Technology Manager in the social research and energy industries. Bill is a Microsoft Certified Professional with experience in Windows administration, data management, desktop support, and system security.

Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler has nothing to disclose. He doesn't hold investments in the technology companies he covers.