A personal computer includes a housing to which decorative panels are removably attached. The housing is formed of metal and includes a removable top for exposing an interior chamber of the housing. Removably mounted in that chamber are two independently removable sub-chassis. Each sub-chassis forms compartments and other mounting sites for receiving electrical components of the computer. The computer can be functionally reconfigured to a substantial extent by replacing or removing some of the electrical components horizontally from the housing, once the respective decorative panels have been removed. An aesthetic reconfiguring of the computer can be effected by replacing the exterior decorative panels with different decorative panels.

Housings for personal computers are assembled at a first site and then shipped in bulk to one or more configuring sites. At the configuring sites, electrical components are inserted into the housing, and the thus-configured computers are packaged in individual containers, along with packing material. Each container has an openable vertical wall. If the computers need to be reconfigured, the openable wall of the container is opened, and one or more of the electrical components are removed and/or replaced horizontally through that opened wall without having to remove the computer or packing material from the container.