photo from Dremel Junkie Blog

Apple makes great computers. They run well, and look fantastic. But like all computers, they can break down or become less useful over time, though that doesn't mean the old gear doesn't still have some life in it.

A physician in New York City has turned an old, dead 17-inch iMac G4 into a touchscreen monitor, and connected it to a Windows computer.

"I have to admit though its a little weird to see Windows on the iMac G4," wrote Blogger user Jberg, publisher of the Dremel Junkie Blog. "I may have to get a Mac Mini for this computer, I'll just have to hide it under the desk."

Jberg began writing about the modification in March, after he modified a 20-inch iMac G4 to work as a monitor with a Blu-Ray drive in the base, but couldn't get a touch screen to fit.

"Like many people I have always thought that the iMac G4 was one of the most attractive computers out there," Jberg wrote on his blog. "The computers' aging processors based on PowerPC architecture make them difficult to upgrade without replacing. Because the monitor connects to its controller through a proprietary connector, it's difficult to use with upgraded equipment."

He used a broken iMac G4 shell, a Hanns.G HB171DBB monitor, a 17-inch 16:10 4-wire resistive touch screen bought from eBay, a Griffin PowerWave amp (so he could use the iMac's speakers), and parts and tools.

Jberg removed everything from the iMac G4's base and put his new monitor's controllers and power source there instead. The screen now holds the LCD panel he removed from the new Hanns.G monitor, to which he added the touch screen overlay. The cables that make everything work run through the neck to the base, making the old, dead iMac G4 into a monitor ready to display just about anything.

On April 2, Jberg posted an update to his blog from his Windows laptop connected to the former iMac.

"When I became interested in doing this - I was shocked by how many others had similar ideas and I hope that this blog has helped and inspired others that are attempting to do a similar thing," he wrote. "It is very doable and there is nothing that you can buy in a store that comes close to a one of a kind device that you build yourself."

About a week later, he uploaded a video of the monitor connected to a computer running Windows 7 to YouTube, embedded below for your enjoyment.

JBerg says his next project is an Atom/Ion modification for the G4 cube.

In other "Huh?" news, here's another video posted to YouTube. This one, by user pavelegorkin, is of an iPad running Windows 95 in emulation: