'PC Modding' becomes trendy in Jakarta

'PC Modding' becomes trendy in Jakarta

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Your personal computer no longer has to be a boring gray box,
it can take the forms of a guitar, an aquarium or robot, and it
can come in a variety of colors.

The modification of a computer's casing, "PC modding", is a
new trend among computer lovers all over the world, including in
Indonesia.

About 300 people from across the country are currently
participating the PC Modding Competition held by Intel Indonesia
Corporation.

Intel Country manager Budi Wahyu Jati said the competition
aimed to give computer lovers here a medium to develop their
skills.

"We also to show the public that the PC should not always be a
gray box. With the modding activities, PCs could look more
friendly, comfortable, instead of frightening," Budi said.

He said the criteria for the competition were functionality,
aesthetics and ease for of productions.

He said that the company would promote the winners of the
competition to the computer companies so that their designs could
be mass produced.

Besides that the winners will get cash prices: Rp 12 million
for the first place, Rp 8 million for the second place and Rp 6
million for the third place.

"We will display the winners' works in exhibitions in ASEAN
countries next month," he said.

Since the competition was announced in August, 300
participants have registered their works. The jury which is made
up computer experts and artists, had selected 20 finalists this
week.

Among the finalists are Ali, a student of privately-run Pakuan
University in Bogor, West Java, with his PC titled "Gurita"
(Octopus) which is a model of octopus on top on an aquarium full
fish.

The 23-year old Ali said he had developed the PC design in a
month with cost of about Rp 1 million.

"People could turn on the PC by just touching the head of the
octopus," he said.

Another designer or modder, Rivan, a student of Yogyakarta-
based Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI) modified the casing from
a traditional Javanese rice cooker, dandang, and combined with
the lamp of bicycle to make a robot.

Rivan, 22, said his PC titled "Roboteco" cost only Rp 500,000
and was inspired by a cartoon popular when he was a kid.

Rivan's classmate, Ganjar, also become one of the 20 finalists
with his computer modification titled "Butterfly Fish" which was
made from fiber glass and costs about Rp 800,000.

Arif Wasgito, 23, of the Bandung Institute of Technology was
also one of the finalists with his PC modding titled "Gerbang"
(Gate).

Arif said his PC design costs no more than Rp 500,000 as most
of the materials are used goods, such as woods and aluminum.

The other finalists are Iman Yutisanto from Jakarta State
University with his design titled "Kitchen Edition", Bryant Tedjo
of Bina Nusantara University with "Cyber Toilet", and Hadi
Saputra of Dian Harapan School with "Computer for Pet Lover".

All the designs of the 20 finalists are currently displayed in
Indocomtech exhibition at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center,
Central Jakarta.