Best products from r/VintageApple

I have an 867MHz G4 TiBook, running OS 9. I do most of my writing on it.

It isn't that heavy, although I guess that depends on what people mean by mobile. I'm not hiking somewhere to setup and work on it, so I don't have an issue. I wouldn't think twice about a bus/train commute with it. It's just a laptop. Doesn't hurt at all to use on your lap, if that's what you mean.

Battery life is poor, but it depends on what you do and how you want to use it. At full brightness and running the CPU for performance, even without crunching I can burn through the battery in an hour or so. But turn the brightness down, minimize everything else that eats power - I can get 4+ hours out of it. If you're serious, you either buy a new battery, or take the time to rebuild your own.

You say you don't need WiFi, but if you do: AirPort cards don't play nice with OS9, and they don't support WPA2 so they don't really connect anywhere even on OS X. What I do is use a USB-powered travel router that basically turns wifi networks into an ethernet connection. Aside from a couple of cables and a tiny box connected when online, it's a really simple way to connect to any/every modern wireless network - I recommend it even if just to surf and download classic software directly to the system. Speaking of surfing: Classilla. You can do quite a few useful tweaks to it, block out ad servers, and ultimately you are able to surf most reasonable websites (Reddit, Google, Mac Garden, anything text-driven or served by the great wiby.me search engine for ancient-friendly websites).

That said, the TiBook makes for a great writing machine with OS9, specifically because it takes that effort to get online and be distracted. Even if you can't get all-day battery out of it, it puts you in your creative space and leaves you alone. Even if it needs cables, or a power outlet. When it comes to writing, the most important aspect of a laptop to me is how much my fingers and wrists like the keyboard, and the keyboard is great.

If you are so inclined, I also recommend a good solid clamshell iBook. They are bulkier and heavier, and smaller screens really bother some people, but the keyboard is without a doubt the greatest laptop keyboard I've ever used (and it's a common sentiment around the web).

Went back to my OP and provided the links to Amazon below for each:

Raspberry Pi (pick a flavor but it needs to have an available USB port. Go for a B+ or Pi 3)
Install tcpser - read the docs and install his update, which has some improvements over the APT version.
sudo apt-get install screen (so you can run tcpser in the background)

Now, the hardware:

This “6 Ft Apple/Mac to HAYES Modem Cable” (Mini-DIN 8M to DB25M) link

A 6-ft DB25M to USB RS232 cable (for the RasPi/tcpser option) link

A DB25F/DB25F gender changer link

Lastly, my command line (insert in /etc/rc.local once you test):

su - pi -c "screen -dm -S tcpser /home/pi/tcpser/tcpser -s 19200 -l 7 -d /dev/ttyUSB0 -tsS -i\&k0"

Adjusting for the actual path to tcpser and desired baud rate. The Plus and SE (therefore, everything else newer than these) can handle 19.2k with no problem.)

Also important: plug in the USB cable and "cat /dev/ttyUSB*" to see which USB interface enumerates - should be 0 - but check and adjust if needed.

What you're doing here is opening a screen session, setting to 19,200 bps, pointing it to listen on the virtual USB serial port, debug-level logging and disable flow control (via AT command). If you want to test without screen (and should), just delete everything prior to /path/to/tcpser.

THEN, if this is all working correctly, you need to launch ZTerm/MacTerminal/etc, set the baud rate to 19,200, ANSI if possible and save. You should be able to type 'AT' and get back a familiar 'OK.' Then it's just a matter of going all 'ATDTbbs.fozztexx.com' to get your feet wet.

I would then recommend looking into installing SLiRP on your Pi, which can provide a PPP stack for your "dial-up" machine (like any old dial-up ISP) but start simple.

Good luck!

As others have said, your options are somewhat limited. To run a SATA drive you've got two options - first a IDE-to-SATA converter module thingy, or two, a PCI-to-SATA card. I'd suggest you check out this website for more details:

http://lowendmac.com/2010/sata-and-ssd-options-for-g3-and-g4-power-macs/

The IDE-to-SATA converter might be the better option, as they're available new now and the system would boot and operate just like before. The PCI card might be technically better, but I don't know how easily available those SATA cards are anymore. Those Sonnet cards are excellent though, if you can find one for a reasonable price. eBay prices seem to be quite high. I would suspect that there are comparable cards too, but one of my concerns would be compatibility with whichever MacOS you choose to allow it to boot from SATA.

You might be able to use an IDE-to-SATA adapter like this one here:

https://www.amazon.com/Female-SATA-Adapter-Converter-bidirectional/dp/B001PYSAJI

Some musing from the 68kmla forum indicate that some PCI SATA cards based on the SIL3112 chipset, as well as some ACARD models may work. Exact models and availability may be a big issue these days though.

https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/31402-beige-g3-pci-sata-is-it-an-option/

As for SSDs, I'm not sure how long-lived a SSD would run in a non-TRIM supported env, however I've certainly run Windows XP on SSDs and those worked for years. And of course there are people out there running CF cards in IDE slots that have no idea of TRIM at all without any trouble at all. Your mileage may vary depending on your use case, so they still might make sense.

You could probably pop open the battery casing and replace the ancient lead-acid cells with some more modern equivalents, such as these: https://www.amazon.com/Battery-replacement-QB24-QB26-QUANTUM/dp/B002BJZ2XI

It's not a project to undertake unless you're comfortable with soldering and voltage safety, but it's very doable. The new cells won't be an exact physical fit, but a little expanding foam or something should secure them nicely. Since the chemistry and voltage are the same, the original charge circuit should be able to do its job.

https://www.amazon.com/SDHC-40Pin-Male-Adapter-SD-3-5/dp/B07G29TZPS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ide+to+sd&qid=1556116022&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Yeah, something like this, plus a good SD card. Like the other guy mentioned, there are also IDE to CF adapters which is also a good way to go. As far as if one is better than the other, I don't know enough to comment on that, but something along the lines of one of the two is the best way to go since you can't really get new IDE hard drives anymore(even ones that are new are older stock that have been sitting around for a while), so the reliability should be much better too

Yeah, I don't think there's really anything that can be done with it without an ADB keyboard and mouse. The ADB protocol is different from USB so it's not just a matter of soldering on a different connector. As /u/DNA128k said, there don't seem to be any kind of adapters that will let you hook USB devices up to an ADB port.

I also looked for PS/2 to ADB adapters since PS/2 devices are still widely available, but the only one I could find for sale only works with mice, not keyboards. Also they're in the US, so it'd still probably be horribly expensive to ship. Only other thing I found was someone who custom-made an adapter to use PS/2 keyboards and mice with the really old, phone-cord-style keyboard port and rectangular mouse port used on the Mac Plus and earlier and later added ADB support for his Mac SE. Unfortunately it looks like this was a one-time project and the guy isn't selling the things.

Just in case, I also looked for anything on adding USB ports to an old mac via, e.g., the SCSI port like you can with Ethernet, but no luck there either.

There might be some hope of wiring up an Arduino to the port and having it pretend to be a mouse and keyboard but this would be more for electronics hobbyists to try than casual users. Someone did make an ADB library for Arduino and while the project looks undocumented and unfinished and unmaintained, its existence suggests that this may at least be possible.

I was actually just looking into the ADB protocol in the hope I could at some point program a microcontroller to interface with it as a device. I'm not a microcontroller dev but I'm interested in getting into it and thought this might be a fun project to work towards since I also have some old ADB Macs lying around. Doesn't really help you though :/

For what it's worth any ADB keyboard should do the trick, you don't need a particular one or even an Apple one. I don't know how easy they are to find, but there were third parties that made ADB peripherals. I happen to have one identical to this which was made by Adesso.

Frankly you can probably find an Apple produced ADB keyboard on ebay now and then for about $20-30.
E.g.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AppleDesign-Keyboard-M2980-ADB-Connection-1994/153191025860
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Design-Keyboard-M2980-With-Cable/183362245115
^ this one is a really good deal imho.

Searching with different keywords can help a lot, for example:

• adb keyboard
  
• apple adb keyboard
  
• <insert keyboard name here> (e.g. apple design keyboard)
  
• <model number> (e.g. M2980)
  
  Also ->https://deskthority.net/wiki/Category:Apple_keyboards
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Keyboard

You should only need a power cord, the Mac Plus power supply is inside the computer case. The cord you need is the same type commonly used for electric kettles: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Tex-Kettle-Power-Cable-Mains/dp/B003U798T4. Check the spec labels on your Mac to verify that the power supply is compatible with UK 220V voltage (it will be if it was bought from a UK dealer and is not a US 110V import).

Toss out that battery; you are lucky if it hasn't leaked. I think its only purpose is to power the clock circuit to maintain the date & time. A replacement might be expensive (like > £20 expensive) and it will work fine without it (but you'd need to set the date/time each session manually). It is a 4.5V alkaline PRAM, the Panasonic PX-21 camera battery is an example. Some people have whipped up home-brew alternatives using ordinary batteries.

Some useful websites: lowendmac.com, 68kmla.org. Great forums for chatting with other Mac Plus owners and asking questions.

A few weeks ago I was given this Macintosh IIsi, the operating condition of which is unknown. The system looks to be fairly clean, I haven't been able to spot any signs of major abuse. I purchased a DB-15 to VGA adapter but unfortunately the only VGA monitor I have at the moment does not detect a signal using this. When the machine is turned on it makes pretty normal computer noises including pretty normal hard drive noises. I tried booting with speakers plugged in and I got the standard startup chime (not the sad Mac death chime). I think that implies that everything should be working fine which leads me to believe that the video output/conversion is the issue here. Does that sound accurate? If so before I put down the cash for an era appropriate Apple display, what are my options for converting that video signal to something usable on a modern display or a CRT television? Has anyone had success with displaying this era of mac on modern displays?

Any constructive input is appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Yes, I did this with the Clamshell I got a little while ago. I used a SD card to PATA adapter and while it is not lightning fast, it is noticeably faster and runs completely silent - it's pretty awesome.

Got the parts on Amazon, about $25 for everything.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LFT3MA/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DGNYXQ0/

The card I used is way way overkill, but I think they have some wear leveling technology in them that will make the thing last a bit longer. It is i chore to get to the hard drive, so I wanted to make sure it lasts a little while before needing to rip it apart again.

Edited to add some links and other info.

The maximum ram it’ll take is 6gb so you’ll probably have to find a 4gb stick and swap out one of the 2gb. As for an ssd, it really doesn’t matter too much.

Here’s a cheap Kingston one on Amazon, should be just fine for it: Kingston A400 SSD 120GB SATA 3 2.5” Solid State Drive SA400S37/120G - Increase Performance https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6JQS8C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dw1ACbJHPPEB7

Edit: not sure about a battery, but I’ve gotten my third party ones from eBay, Amazon, and OWC.

I got an Apple IIGS at the Garage Giveaway at Kansasfest two weeks ago, and since then I've been tinkering with it almost daily. I took this photo to show off the IIGS working with my Magnavox 1CM135 monitor that originally came with my Amiga 4000. My IIGS did include an AppleColor RGB display, but after using it for a week I'm not very impressed with it. The Magnavox is more vibrant and puts out a sharper picture, and its built in speakers are a huge boon for the IIGS.

To make the IIGS work with the Amiga monitor, I bought a DB9 connector and a DB15 cable, snipped off the female end of the cable, and after finding the pinouts I made a IIGS RGB to "Almost-CGA" Analog RGB Monitor cable.

I plan on using a manual RS-232 switchbox to switch between my Amiga 4000, the Appple IIGS, and my CGA-compatible Tandy 1000HX so I can have all 3 computers plugged into this monitor at the same time.

Yes. For the 7300, you need a DA-15-to-VGA adapter. (That is just one of many similar ones you can find. Just make sure it goes the right way, to connect a VGA monitor to a vintage Mac, rather than to connect a Vintage Apple monitor to a VGA computer.)

For the 8100, it depends on which video card it has. The "stock" 8100 used Apple's extremely short-lived HDI-45 display connector, that there was only one monitor for. (As did the 6100 and 7100.) But many 8100s were sold with either the "AV card" which added video input an output as well as a standard (for Apple) DA-15 video port or the "High Performance Video" card (HPV card) which also added a DA-15 video port. If you have either of those, you can use the same adapter I linked to above.

If you only have the HDI-45 port, you would need the HDI-45 Display Adapter first, then the DA-15-to-VGA adapter linked above.

Actually, something like this is pretty much all you need to use your new Mac with any PC monitor made in the last two decades that has a VGA port. You will, however, also need an ADB keyboard and mouse.

I used this one for a while, works pretty well: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00TQEX8BO

Novus plastic polish is the shit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UCYRZU/

Try searching for ide instead of ata.

Optimal Shop Secure Digital SD SDHC SDXC MMC Memory Card to IDE 2.5" 2.5 Inch 44P 44 Pin Male Adapter Converter, SD 3.0

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGNYXQ0/

If you can't find it here's one pretty cheap:

https://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-02902-Female-Adapter/dp/B0002J1JAE

Something like this? https://www.amazon.com/External-Floppy-Portable-Windows-Required/dp/B00RXEWOAA/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=external+floppy+disk+mac&qid=1563815476&s=electronics&sr=1-3

The Mac LC can use a regular VGA monitor with an adapter like this: https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-DB15-Male-Female-Switches/dp/B0016OC1J2

Just a note that the adapter on Amazon is good for up to 640x480 per the item description. For more options, you can also get one of the 10-switch versions which does 800x600, 1024x768, and higher, which you will probably want for a 6500, unless you're using a very small or poor-resolution monitor. Running OS 8 or 9 will be quite unpleasant on anything smaller than 800x600.

Try this: https://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-02902-Female-Adapter/dp/B0002J1JAE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1541120592&sr=8-3&keywords=db-15+to+vga&dpID=416X4KEsUUL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I bought one of these for a power mac G3, it seems to work without any dip switches. I got mine as cheap as 9$ w/shipping because it was "damaged" (one piece of plastic was slightly melted, couldn't even notice). Also works with my LC III, so i think unless your model has some known issue with monitor adapters this should work.

Here's the adapter I used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002J1JAE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00