How to Personalise Your Computer

This is not an article about Windows. It is not an article about any Operating System. This is about hardware, pure and simple.

Now, "why is he writing about this?", you might be asking yourself. After all, everyone seems to be obsessed about software and the Internet. The hardware is just there to make all that happen, right? As long as the monitor is big and the mouse cordless, that's all that matters as far as style goes...

Well, it hasn't escaped my attention over the years that people seem to have a blindspot when it comes to computer styling. While they spend a great deal of money on their house, furniture, clothes, TV, plants, etc... they opt for an ugly mass-produced computer or sell out and buy an expensive stylish computer (that is identical to millions of others). Hardware personalisation is usually called computer modification, or "Mod".

First of all, let's get the preconceptions out of the way. The computer casing is usually the biggest, and therefore most visible part of your computer. You can try to hide it under the table (let me know if this interests you, then I'll write an article about it). The casing only really serves one purpose: To hold all the pieces together. The outside is not important to the software. Your programs don't run faster because the box is black.

All you need to worry about as far as the casing is concerned, is that the fan ventilation holes are unobstructed and that you can reach all the buttons, USB ports, etc... The computer casing can be any shape, size and colour, within reason.

Let's take a quick example. Say your computer is next to a bookcase. Why not make it look like a giant book? If you like jewellery, why not make it look like a giant diamond? Or even goldplate it? As I said, as long as the ventilation is unaffected, the software doesn't care about external appearance.

Now, I'm not going to go into detail as regards craftwork. What I can do is point out a few of the common mods out there. If you're building your own computer, there are many stylish cases available (mine looks a bit like HAL, the computer with the eye in 2001: A Space Odyssey). If you've bought a ready-made computer, then the first thing you might consider are LEDs. These are lights that glow or flash, and come in different shapes and colours. I guess they're a cheap way to bring some life to your computer's appearance.

However the simplest solutions are sometimes the best. Why not paint your casing? It can also be airbrushed, stencilled, drawn on, etc... You can put pictures on it, even wallpaper. The outer casing doesn't even need to be metal. How about wood, glass, plastic? Make it into the shape of a star, or a heart.

There are also mods for the drive bays (where your CD drive is). A common one is a fan control system, where you can adjust the fan speed. You can also get flashing RAM and glowing fans.

My point is, you don't need to see your computer as an obligatory dull tool. It's not a drain cover or a septic tank. It's a high-tech piece of kit that can be every bit as stylish and desirable as your gigantic TV (well, nearly). Your creativity and resourcefulness will determine how much it costs you.