(Photo courtesy Ken Moss)

The physical remnants of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer are capturing the imagination of some local computer geeks. Wouldn't it be a great project to make a PC from one of those distinctive red distribution boxes? But it looks like they won't be as easy to buy as it initially seemed.

The boxes were reportedly being sold by the Seattle Times Co. for $40 each, according to this post on the Stranger's Slog blog. But the city's surviving daily newspaper company -- which handled distribution and other business functions for the P-I under their joint operating agreement -- has put a damper on things for now.

"They’re not for sale individually at this time," said Jill Mackie, Times Co. spokeswoman, via phone this afternoon. "Along with many other decisions that have to do with the unwinding of the JOA, it’s still being determined. It’s possible that we may sell them individually to interested collectors of P-I memorabilia in the future, but at this time that hasn’t been determined."

However, some Slog readers apparently were able to get their hands on boxes, and one of them, George, said he planned to equip his with an LCD screen showing the continuing SeattlePI.com home page -- really an art piece more than a functional computer. I have to confess that I discussed a similar do-it-yourself project with one of my old P-I buddies at one point, but we never got around to it.

At any rate, if the Times ultimately does start selling them for real, it would be fun to see what Seattle's techies could come up with.