Hardware Hacks... what qualifies?

I consider hardware hacks as a physical rearrangement of atoms in a creative manner to come up with something totally unique. Not a rubber band used as a spring type thing to hold a door open/shut

When my über rubber-band and spring door open/shut hack finally gets released, YOU CAN'T COME TO THE RELEASE PARTY.

YA LIKE APPLES? HOW 'BOUT 'DEM APPLES?

+1 for unique. I think that you could cover most (but not all, obviously) hardware hacks with a simple "Will the readers of the Hardware Hacks forum appreciate this more than readers of the appropriate mac model forum?"

If it worked before you started on it, it's a hack. If it didn't, it's a repair.

There's probably going to be some overlap no matter how you define it. A "problem" with a Mac could be it's too small to fit in my desk, or I've only got an ATX power supply.

Best I can suggest for defining where a post goes...

Hacks: I want to modify this

PPC: I need to fix this

So, if I wanted to put my G3 in a PC case and attach a new power supply, it'd go in hacks. If my power supply died, and all I had was an ATX for which I need pinouts, etc. (well, let's pretend it's something I couldn't find on Google ) it'd go in PPC.

If it worked before you started on it, it's a hack. If it didn't, it's a repair.

What about a power supply mod? IE iMac to ATX? I'd consider that more of a hack than a repair.

If it worked before you started on it, it's a hack. If it didn't, it's a repair.

What about a power supply mod? IE iMac to ATX? I'd consider that more of a hack than a repair.

Seriously though, I would define a hack as coming up with a way to make something do something it wasn't intended to be able to do. An iMac LB wasn't intended to be able to be powered by a standard ATX power supply, so I'd consider that a hack. Of course, if there's a commercially available adapter, then designing the adapter is a hack, using it is not.