Apple teams up with an iconographic equal to deliver its first build-it-yourself Mac. Fun, learning, and near limitless customization ensue.

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Endlessly modifiable—it’s a term that characterizes PCs, but has never been used to describe Macs. Until now. We give you the LMac, the desktop computer love child of two companies renown for clever, enduring visual design.

It was inevitable, wasn’t it? In this polysynergistic corporatized world of ours--where Microsoft bonds with NBC, Ford teams up with Eddie Bauer, and even the jam-band Phish has its own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor--it was inevitable that at some point Apple would look for a suitable partner with which to mix some DNA. And what better partner than LEGO? Like Apple, LEGO’s brand ID is so rock-solid, it can not only withstand some fanciful brand fusion, but can actually benefit from that fusion in a profound way.

On an aesthetic level, LEGO is the perfect DNA donor because its visual language matches the simplicity and whimsy of Apple’s. But let’s also acknowledge LEGO’s excursions into DIY geek-tech, which is where the LEGO-Mac marriage really finds its stride. LEGO’s first forays into hardcore tinkering were manifest in its Technic series, noteworthy for complex gear assemblies, pneumatic parts, and electric motors. And then came the MindStorms series, which plunged deep into computer-controlled robotics.

So why not go one step further by offering a full-fledged LEGO personal computer?

Actually, the LMac might not be one step further, but rather two shuffle steps to the side. It’s a fully functional, OS X–driven Macintosh, but because it’s geared toward ages 8 and older, it offers more of a traditional edutainment experience than the MindStorms or Technic kits (which are Mensa-level mindfracks for all but the nerdiest of nerds). The LMac’s owners manual not only details a relatively simple assembly process, but also explains the roles of all the different computer parts within the data-crunching workflow.

The LMac’s computer components use industry-standard connector interfaces, but the actual parts lock into place via LEGO’s familiar round “studs.” Male/female component pairs are color-coded for convenience, and parts that have no business being snapped to each other actually can’t be snapped together, ensuring no precious electronics are improperly mated. And because the LMac must survive in the harsh environment of a child’s bedroom, its pieces have significantly more “clutch power” than that of the typical LEGO brick. In other words, once snapped together, the LMac pieces stay together until it’s time to break the project down and begin again.

Of course, the LMac wouldn’t be a LEGO kit unless it let you imagine multiple variations of the basic theme. So, while the computer parts only snap together in one particular way, you have carte blanche in personalizing all non-computing parts of the structure. Bricks with various colors, themes, LED lights, and even programmable “E-ink” displays are available for purchase online, ensuring you never run out of customization possibilities.

Let it never again be said that Macs aren’t for DIY-modding enthusiasts. The LMac changes everything.

Next, pretend you're Admiral Ackbar with the iCom.