Boxed Mac 128k

[snuci]

I got my Mac 128k today.  I was hoping it was fairly complete as discussed in another thread here recently: https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/24452-original-macintosh-128k-box-contents/

Well, here's a pic of what came.



You can see something that I haven't seen before, the box for the travel bag.  The bag has never been used.  Also included were the Macintosh Test Drive disks as shown here:



An lastly, there were a couple of brochure. The first pamphlet is the AppleCare brochure and the other brochure doesn't show up in the first picture too well but you have one of the first brochures.  It's 12 pages and is dated December 1983.



I do have one mystery item.  It's a little plastic piece that looks similar to the programmers switch in composition but I don't know what it is.  Here's a couple of pics.  It looks like a switch cover or push button of some sort.  I'm not even sure if it belongs in this group of items.  It was in the Mac 128k box.  Anyone have any ideas?



Bottom:

 

[3583Bytes]

Its a reset button I think,

I got my Macintosh 128 a few months back, so far I am very underwhelmed, I mean it will run almost nothing.  If you manage to get yours to do anything useful please let me know.  Or if anyone knows of a list of software/games that will run on the Mac 128 I would love to see it.

 

[Macdrone]

It's a button off the fanny pack cooler. It's the fan deal that sits on the top to pull air out of the machine.

 

[unity]

Wow, the tote box is awesome. I too have never seen one. In fact, I never even thought it came in a box. Those test drive floppies are a first too. Very cool!

 

[ArmorAlley]

3583Bytes» it will run almost nothing

Have you tried «Through the Looking Glass»?

The Infocom games might work too.

I'd start looking at all of the various games designed for the compact macs.

Many of these are less than 100K and will fit on a 400K floppy.

 

[snuci]

It's a button off the fanny pack cooler. It's the fan deal that sits on the top to pull air out of the machine.

Bingo!  It also came with a System Saver (that I promptly forgot about).  The system also came with 10 or 20 original Apple blank floppy disks that are used and have software on them.  I'll have to check that out this evening.  To 3583Bytes point, I'll see what'd there.

 

[snuci]

I got my Macintosh 128 a few months back, so far I am very underwhelmed, I mean it will run almost nothing.  If you manage to get yours to do anything useful please let me know.  Or if anyone knows of a list of software/games that will run on the Mac 128 I would love to see it.

You need to step back into 1984 and then look at your Mac 128k from a different lens and then think about what you have.  The Mac 128k is a door stop today and is totally underwhelming... by today's standards.  It's rich history is why you buy them.   Being able to try out the software that was available back then, as limited as it was, is another reason to own one.  Be grateful that you can.

I have some systems from the 70's that if I get a monitor/command prompt, I'm very happy.  If I get a floppy drive to work and can get it to boot a floppy, over joyed... literally.  Case in point is my Processor Technology Sol-20 with Helios II drive.  You can count the number of working units that exist today on one or two hands.  I only know of three or four.  As another example, I'm just happy my IMSAI  8048 occupies the same space that I do.  I have not yet even powered it up.

Sometimes you have to be thankful you have the real hardware to play with.  It is desirable by some and they'd be very grateful to own one or even have the opportunity to play with it in person.  Maybe that's going a little too far with a Mac 128k but there are systems out there that people appreciate just knowing they exist.  I hate to be preachy but enjoy your Mac 128k for what it was, not what it is.

Edit:  After a quick look, I did find this site with some disk images:  http://tkc8800.com/page/Macintosh-128k-512k-disk-images These should work on a Mac 128k if yo can make the disks.

 

[unity]

^ A agree. People dont by these so much for using as for collecting. I know people who collect horse carriages. They are not useful in town and only work well at the far or country roads.

 

[mousemeat]

Its a reset button I think,

I got my Macintosh 128 a few months back, so far I am very underwhelmed, I mean it will run almost nothing.  If you manage to get yours to do anything useful please let me know.  Or if anyone knows of a list of software/games that will run on the Mac 128 I would love to see it.

yup. they are useless in running,,due to the extreme limitations of only 128k of ram...they were supposed to ship with far more ram at the time of it's debut..but then higher ram prices killed that notion..however, just having the computer that literally changed american culture, is awesome....the 128k made computers less scary...and affordable,,,,where the LISA, as sweet as that machine was, cost almost $10,000..in 1983. the average john q.public couldn't afford it...

 

[olePigeon]

Cool.  I've never seen the MacBag box.

 

[3583Bytes]

I get it, I read the Steve Jobs book too but even after hearing how limited they are I still was shocked by the reality of how very little they can do.  I always thought they have to be at least as useful as an Apple II right?  Not!

I mean the whole software library is probably about 20 games (at best) and that is if you are willing to swap disks 10 times to load 1 game.

I think the best tip I found is put the finder and system files on the same disk as the game and it will allow you to not have to swap.  However that means that the 400k disk now only has about 200K free.

Maybe one day I will spring for the Big Mess O' Wires SD adapter, that should help things.  Until then I am off to my Macintosh SE/FDHD

 

[Compgeke]

A stock original IBM 5150 isn't much better, that is a 16-64 without a ram expansion.

Not even DOS 3.3 will run on so little ram less yet a lot of programs.

 

[lameboyadvance]

That has to be the most complete 128K set I have seen. Great job.

...I would love to see (decent) scans/photos of all that Picasso art. 

 

[Macdrone]

Ummm external floppy with program with system software in main drive makes it much more useful.

 

[feeef]

I love it! This was our first family computer back in 1984. I was 5 years old.