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The SE/30 was one of the all-time great computers. The form factor was very intimate, and even portable-ish if you needed it to be. With Mode32 you could insta

The SE/30 was one of the all-time great computers. The form factor was very intimate, and even portable-ish if you needed it to be. With Mode32 you could install 128MB of RAM. This was an insane amount of memory back in the day. With full RAM and the SCSI port, they made pretty good file servers once you stuck an ethernet card in the PDS slot. I had one that I used for programming back in the 90s. I used BBEdit (v4 I think), which was (and still is) a great text editor. Later, I installed NetBSD on it and used it as a local mail server. It was by far my favorite computer. I don't understand why someone isn't making a more modern computer in this form factor. Okay, you're not going to want to watch a movie on a 10-12 inch screen, but for a dedicated "I'm going to do computer things now" computer, it's very inviting.

solardev 4y ago
Well, your average Chromebook has a similar screen, more power, built-in battery, and can run Linux. And Ye olde Beaglebone or Android computer on an HDMI stick is more portable and more powerful. And if you want a new Mac, well, the Mini is an amazing machine in a tiny package, or there's also the Intel NUCs. Or for gaming, the Shuttle PCs, Razer Tomahawk, etc. Or just connect your iPad to a keyboard. Don't get me wrong, I loved those old Macs too, having learned Logo and Hypercard on them. But most of that machine was the CRT monitor plus huge components. You can pack a lot more into a lot less these days. I do miss the "cute" factor though. They were loveable in a way that modern machines just aren't.
- deltarholamda 4y ago
  > You can pack a lot more into a lot less these days. True, but even so, there is no reason to not have a little tower with a friendly face sitting on a desk, even if it's mostly empty space. Or use the empty space for something, like a door to a cubby where you can store a game pad. If you need mobility a laptop is great. But sitting hunched over at a desk using a laptop is not nearly as good as sitting upright with the screen at a more ergonomic height. Maybe it's all just nostalgia, but I think we got a lot of things right back in the day, and the toaster Mac was definitely one of those things.
prmoustache 4y ago
> I don't understand why someone isn't making a more modern computer in this form factor. Okay, you're not going to want to watch a movie on a 10-12 inch screen, but for a dedicated "I'm going to do computer things now" computer, it's very inviting. In a non CRT world it doesn't really make sense. You could say that the NUC/micro computers with a VESA mounts and all-in one and iMacs are its successors. I used to wish someone would sell a laptop in portrait format but nowadays you can really build that out of a tablet + external keyboard or a laptop/tablet convertible.
- lostlogin 4y ago
  The Nuc is excellent, and the big ones (ghost canyon etc) take a pci card. With 10gb networking and Proxmox or ESXi you have a great little server that is pretty portable.
drewzero1 4y ago
That's kind of how I use my Surface Pro. I keep it docked on the desk and carry it with me if I need it to be portable. If I could build/buy a computer this size with an integrated screen and one or two PCI slots in the back, I'd be all over that. Several years ago I built a few "lunchbox" style portable-ish PCs by bolting a monitor on the side of a SFF desktop, adding feet and a handle, and integrating a power strip so I only needed one power cord. I'd like to try that again with updated components. Think Compaq Portable III[0] but with a micro ATX or mini ITX. 0: http://oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html http://oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html

solardev 4y ago

Well, your average Chromebook has a similar screen, more power, built-in battery, and can run Linux. And Ye olde Beaglebone or Android computer on an HDMI stick is more portable and more powerful. And if you want a new Mac, well, the Mini is an amazing machine in a tiny package, or there's also the Intel NUCs. Or for gaming, the Shuttle PCs, Razer Tomahawk, etc. Or just connect your iPad to a keyboard. Don't get me wrong, I loved those old Macs too, having learned Logo and Hypercard on them. But most of that machine was the CRT monitor plus huge components. You can pack a lot more into a lot less these days. I do miss the "cute" factor though. They were loveable in a way that modern machines just aren't.

deltarholamda 4y ago
> You can pack a lot more into a lot less these days. True, but even so, there is no reason to not have a little tower with a friendly face sitting on a desk, even if it's mostly empty space. Or use the empty space for something, like a door to a cubby where you can store a game pad. If you need mobility a laptop is great. But sitting hunched over at a desk using a laptop is not nearly as good as sitting upright with the screen at a more ergonomic height. Maybe it's all just nostalgia, but I think we got a lot of things right back in the day, and the toaster Mac was definitely one of those things.

prmoustache 4y ago

> I don't understand why someone isn't making a more modern computer in this form factor. Okay, you're not going to want to watch a movie on a 10-12 inch screen, but for a dedicated "I'm going to do computer things now" computer, it's very inviting. In a non CRT world it doesn't really make sense. You could say that the NUC/micro computers with a VESA mounts and all-in one and iMacs are its successors. I used to wish someone would sell a laptop in portrait format but nowadays you can really build that out of a tablet + external keyboard or a laptop/tablet convertible.

lostlogin 4y ago
The Nuc is excellent, and the big ones (ghost canyon etc) take a pci card. With 10gb networking and Proxmox or ESXi you have a great little server that is pretty portable.

drewzero1 4y ago

That's kind of how I use my Surface Pro. I keep it docked on the desk and carry it with me if I need it to be portable. If I could build/buy a computer this size with an integrated screen and one or two PCI slots in the back, I'd be all over that. Several years ago I built a few "lunchbox" style portable-ish PCs by bolting a monitor on the side of a SFF desktop, adding feet and a handle, and integrating a power strip so I only needed one power cord. I'd like to try that again with updated components. Think Compaq Portable III[0] but with a micro ATX or mini ITX. 0: http://oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html http://oldcomputers.net/compaqiii.html