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Steampunked XO OLPC laptop

I wanted a change for my green and white plastic XO OLPC. I copper leafed the top and bottom, wood grained the edges, and added wood details.

16 comments

Jan 13, 2011. 4:03 PMmsdrpepper says:

Too bad these little laptops are no longer available. It looks really really cute. And I like the teapot too!! We used to have a company called Dock 14? Dock 44 ? I've forgotten, something similar to your Building 19. The only things we have remotely similar but not as cool is Tuesday Mornings (corporate??!!) and umm oh Big Lots. And a local place called The Yard.

Wonder how it would be to find an antique Osborne computer and steampunk it? maybe a wooden like "case"... the copper foiling... the mind boggles!

Jul 18, 2010. 6:14 PMFionaP says:

I love that, and could you PM me where you got your teapot? Its adorable and I am dying for one!

Aug 19, 2010. 11:31 AMski4jesus says:

really? this is about a laptop not a teapot! but thats okay cause jesus loves you! :) cool laptop!

Aug 20, 2010. 4:57 PMFionaP says:

Oh ya no the laptop looks great, I was just hoping that MAYBE she painted the teapot.

Aug 22, 2010. 10:46 AMski4jesus says:

haha, okay! do you do that a lot or something?

Jul 22, 2010. 11:14 AMwendyknit (author) says:

I got the teapot for $2 at building 19. Building 19 is a store that sells liquidated inventory, so you never know what you are going to find.

Jan 14, 2010. 9:58 AMmcshawnboy says:

Do you know where to pick up OLPC inexpensively? I've been trying to win one on ebay, but they go for way over $200 even though the new touch screen dual screen models are to sell for half that when they come out! They do have nice range on Wi-Fi though!

Apr 5, 2010. 8:44 AMAnianna says:

They aren't offering them for sale to the general public anymore. You can only pay for one to be shipped to third world kids. The only ones available to the public were purchased in the BOGO deal XO did some time ago (around Christmas 2008, I think it was) where you could buy two and you would get to keep one while the other was shipped off. Perhaps they will run the deal again in the future.

This same sort of fun could be accomplished on any old laptop, though. Just be careful not to cover any important vents or allow internal parts to become damp with paint/glue etc.

I am curious, though, does the leafing stand up well to travel? If you actually take your laptop from place to place, this sort of embellishment may rub off, particularly if you frequently slide the computer in and out of a carrying case.

Apr 5, 2010. 2:17 PMwendyknit (author) says:

I knit all the time, so I have a knitted bag for my laptop. I only occasionally take it traveling since I need a windows machine for my work. The leafing still looks fine, but I did coat it with many coats of varnish.

Jan 14, 2010. 10:06 AMwendyknit (author) says:

My Mother-in-law did the buy one get one a few years ago. I think it was $400, but one went to Africa.

Jan 18, 2010. 9:04 AMcommando1225 says:

really think my XO makes me look like a dork but you've all of a sudden made Linux rock!