Many readers might have heard of one of the most bizarre yet beautiful custom laptop mods in recent years, the Steampunk Laptop. Designed and built by Richard "Datamancer" Nagy, the device is a handcrafted steampunk masterpiece, desired by many fans of the Victorian style. Until now, however, it hasn't been available for sale. Nagy recently announced that after thousands of inquiries, he's ready to start building and selling the first batch of Steampunk Laptops.
It began in November, 2007, when the world first heard of the Steampunk Laptop. Many other of Nagy's creations became famous too, including custom steampunk keyboards (now on sale) or the Gothic PC. It looks like Richard has found a surprising niche in the market, as many of his designs are on sale or being prepared for commercial release.
Unlike the original Steampunk Laptop, the retail version will be much more portable, which means lighter and slimmer - it is even promised that it will be as convenient to carry as a standard laptop. There are several options of customization in terms of the case, including clockworks, gold foil maps or brass plates. Each of the machines will also include a weird key-shaped USB drive, which actually opens a brass lock inside the laptop.
The computer will feature cutting-edge hardware, enabling not only convenient office work, but even "running any of today's games," Nagy explains. There are not yet any details, however, on which processor or GPU to expect. The first group of buyers will receive PC versions only, due to the proprietary nature of MAC's hardware and software. Still, hardcore steampunk fans may possibly not care about the inside, anyway.
Such a handcrafted, Victorian masterpiece is far from cheap. Nagy requires US$5,500 for the first batch, which actually is a discounted price, as later the Steampunk Laptop will sell at US$7,500. Prospective buyers must pay a 50 percent deposit, and wait until it's built. If your pockets are somewhat shallower, you could always instead buy one of the steampunk-esque Old Time Computer keyboards, monitors or mice created by Kirk DuQuette.
Below is a short video showing the Steampunk Laptop's unique booting up and powering down procedures.
