classicmacs.org – Page 7 – Celebrating Classic Apple Technology

In pursuit of a tri-booting Lombard

hardware, powerbook, Software No Responses »

Apr 122010

Lombard

Last week I posted an article about acquiring a 333 MHz PowerBook G3 “Lombard” to add to my collection of classic Apple computers. During my research about this computer I discovered that it has the ability to operate under three different major versions of the Macintosh operating system: 8, 9, and X.

Thus was born my idea to configure the Lombard with the ability to boot into each of these operating systems so that it might be a self-contained demo of the evolution of the Mac OS from 8.6 (May, 1999) through 9.22 (December, 2001) all the way to 10.3.9 (April, 2005).
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Getting reacquainted with classic Mac OS computers

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Apr 092010

I recently acquired a beautiful Macintosh PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard) via Craiglist. Known better by it’s nickname of “Lombard,” it features the smooth curvy lines and black case plastics that characterized Apple’s stylish portables from 1998-2000. As the third generation of the G3 PowerBook, this unit has a quirky combination of new and old features. This is the first portable Mac with a “new world ROM” – and the last with a built-in SCSI port. For the first time in the Apple portable line USB replaces ADB for connecting mice and keyboards, and the multicolored Apple logo is replaced by a white one.
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Truly classic Apple collectibles

hardware No Responses »

Mar 162010

There’s an amazing group of early Apple items up for auction on eBay from a pair of former employees who worked there from 1977 to 1984. The items include a genuine Apple I computer, handwired by Steve Wozniak (including a certificate of authenticity signed by Woz himself), an early mouse prototype, a Newton prototype, and even an Apple telephone directory from December of 1983.

You can find more info about the items here. Bidding on the Apple I starts at $30K. Buy it for your local museum and deduct the contribution from your taxes – help preserve this important artifact! Since eBay items eventually disappear I’ve saved a PDF of the auction listing for it here: Apple I auction.

Newly acquired: Macintosh Classic and Classic II

repairs No Responses »

Jan 052009

I recently received a Macintosh Classic and Classic II from a fellow in San Antonio. While both were working before they were shipped the Classic II will not boot properly; there’s no startup chime and there are vertical stripes on the display.

To diagnose this symptom and plan a fix I found the following resources helpful:

I plan to replace the “power/sweep board” and have one on order that I found on ebay. With luck that will resolve the problem and the Classic II will be healthy again! I’ll keep you posted.

Which version of Mac OS will my Macintosh run?

reference, Software No Responses »

Dec 052008

If you aren’t sure which versions of the Mac OS are compatible with your Macintosh, here are some excellent resources to find out:

AppleCare’s Knowledge Base includes several relevant articles on the topic:

My favorite tool for finding a quick answer to this question is Ian Page’s awesome MacTracker, a comprehensive collection of vital information about every model of Macintosh that is available as a free Mac OS X or Windows application, or via a web site that’s optimized for viewing on an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Now, as for which version of the Mac OS is optimal for your model of Macintosh, well, that’s beyond the scope of this article. The folks over at lowendmac.com have a number of helpful articles on this topic, though.

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