My second cigar box mini-stack is now complete.
Like the first one, it pairs a vintage Mac with a modern one — a 2010 Mac mini running Snow Leopard and a M1 Mac mini running the latest macOS. They share one keyboard, one monitor, and one mouse through a KVM switch. One button press takes me from the modern world of security updates to the thrilling days of yesteryear when you actually owned the software you bought.
Greenstreet Mac mini? Blackbird cigar box? It could only be called The Maltese Mac Mini Stack.
I had planned to post this earlier, but I had to do the RMA rumba with some defective RAM I bought for the 2010 mini. The seller eventually made it right, so the build is finally finished.
A 16 year old Mac mini
This stack is very similar to the Murciélago Mini-Stack, with a few differences. From top to bottom:
- 2010 Mac mini (Snow Leopard on SSD)
- ELDSTJÄRT trivet
- M1 Mac mini (Tahoe)
- USB hub (with a 2.5″ drive)
- Another trivet
- Tray-loading optical drive
- Bright red Blackbird cigar box containing the KVM switch
The KVM switch inside the Blackbird cigar box. On the left is a small hub with an audio jack in it. I can switch speakers from computer to computer with this addition.
I plucked the cigar box from a bin at a South Philly smoke shop. It was red and it caught my eye. I didn’t realize until I got home that it was from the Blackbird Cigar Company. It was kismet.
My son will be the primary user of this stack, so it replaces the big 2009 Mac Pro that’s now safely stored away like a mothballed battleship — ready if ever needed. He’ll do just fine whether he’s surfing the web, watching media, or ripping the occasional disc.
One of the big reasons for the switch? Electric bill savings. Between the lower power draw of the minis and the components I already had, this project should pay for itself over time.
A glorious black trivet atop one of the Mac minis that will comprise this stack.
There’s one more small project I need to finish, and then it’s back to the old-fashioned drawing board.
The isometric illustrations were created with Affinity Designer 2 on a 2012 Mac mini running Catalina.
Some of the photos were edited in Photoshop CS4 — the one I own.
Very nice!
Thanks!