A retro computing fan has installed a thermal printer inside a vintage Apple Macintosh Plus. A brief video posted on social media demonstrates that the modification works well—and, if we’re being honest, it’s surprisingly useful. The otherwise superfluous floppy drive in this Mac Mini brain-transplanted desktop appears nearly ideal for ejecting spirals of thermal receipt paper.
1円で落札したサーマルプリンタをMac miniに組み込んでMacintoshに接続してみた。何となく、自分が目指しているものが見えてきたような気がする。 pic.twitter.com/Lb4z8lVj2Q February 5, 2026
The above perfectly valid answer is provided by Japanese pickle store manager and Mac enthusiast, Meinan, on X. Apparently, they were fortunate enough to acquire this thermal printer at an auction for just ‘1 yen’ and were seeking a practical way to put it to use. We’re not sure how it connects to the computer, but we assume it uses USB, just as printers have for decades.
Modern Mac Mini inside
A quick look at the Mac Plus’s screen reveals that its processing capabilities have also been significantly upgraded. The old low-resolution monochrome CRT is gone, replaced by a vivid LCD panel mounted in the casing. Driving the modern macOS system you're seeing in action is a version of the Mac Mini.
In some respects, it’s unfortunate that Meinan’s machine wasn’t kept in its original setup, naturally. Yet we have no idea what became of this old computer before its casing was repurposed. It appears to be a notably intriguing cross-generational specimen. The casing combines a Mac 128K facia with a Plus 1Mb rear housing (and its contents at the time), rendering it a potentially rare transitional unit.
Overall, the thermal printer mod is quite a fascinating one. The project brings to mind the iMac G4 ‘lamp shade’ revitalization mod by Action Retro from 2024, where a Mac Mini was also fitted into a retro-style casing. Sadly, Action Retro didn’t repurpose the leftover optical drive in that mod, which felt like an opportunity lost.
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