To begin the B&O MP3 Mod. I have to decide what computer to mod. First off it needs to be quiet, preferably fan-less, it needs to start up quickly or have the ability to go into low power sleep (so that it is never really off), it needs to take large, cheap IDE hard drives (I’ve got at least 300 CD’s), and it needs to be able to connect to some form of display. The display is crucial, some of the B&O equipment from the late 70’s and early 80’s have large LED displays (like this Beocentre 7000).
They look great and I was considering this option but I’ve decided this may make it difficult to navigate through all the music files, an LCD display would probably be more convenient (and more flexible if I want to add extra functions in the future). Having decided on an LCD screen the logical computer choice would be a laptop; the screens built in and they generally have good low power sleep functions. The only problem is that large laptop drives tend to be very expensive – maybe I can add a desktop HD. I have a couple of PC laptops lying around but they’re old and really not up to the job. Also, my main computer is a Mac, it’s very stable and I enjoy using it (unlike the PC’s I have). I like the idea of making this a Mac mod. so I’ve bought a second hand PowerBook on eBay for AU$125.
It’s a 233MHz Wallstreet and it’s listed as faulty, but being the optimist I am I think I’ll have it up and running in no time.