Bridge Mac

[HAL2001]

What would be a good bridge Mac? I’m trying to revive a SE/30 and maybe some more compacts in the future. My software is on all kinds of hard disks, (USB and SCSI) floppy’s, CD’s, etc. I’m thinking of a PowerMac G4 with USB and SCSI and a external floppy drive. Would that be a good idea? If so, which G4 would you experts recommend?

 

[Bolle]

I like to having a machine with serial ports as this will make sending files between old Macs super easy if no other means of networking are available. (and you do not feel like ripping out hard drives to copy over that one small file which will ultimately also be like 12KB too large to fit on a floppy :evil:  )

 

[Compgeke]

Late 90s PCI mac, any of them. Onboard features include serial ports, SCSI, 1.44 or 800K floppy, CD-ROM. Easy to throw in USB or ethernet card and if you want to hot rod the things, G3/G4 upgrades for something like an 8600 are relatively cheap and common.

 

[CharlesT]

Totally agree with Compgeke. I'm using a 7600 for exactly that purpose. It ties into the ethernet network and using the serial ports and Apple's internet bridge s/w ties serial appletalk to that network. Plus you have both SCSI ports and can put in an IDE card for IDE drives. Plus it's easy to add a G3 card and also run os 9.2.2 with a little help.

All het beste

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I'd go with the above, but I've already got the cards for hot ATA/USB/FireWire, Ultra-SCSI and G3/G4 on hand.

I'm not partial to Beige in the least, but having G3 with decent IDE and SCSI on a board with all the standard ports is convenient.

I've got one of every G4 case style, but I wouldn't use any of them as a bridge machine.

 

[Scott Baret]

I'd pick a beige G3, any configuration, in this case. They can even get online in a pinch with OS 9 and Classilla.

 

[HAL2001]

Thanks. Never thought of a beige G3. But I understand the possibilities. So serial, scsi and usb is all possible? I can see the advantage of having a serial port, and that’s not possible with a G3 or G4, is it? So I will be on the lookout for a G3 tower or desktop. 

 

[Bolle]

There are serial port adapters that plug into the modem slot on G3s and G4s (which basically has all the serial port lines already present - it only needs signal conversion)

 

[HAL2001]

Can you ellaborate on that Bolle? Maybe a website with a picture? Or do you mean the adapters like those from keyspan? Never had much luck with them. 

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

There are serial port adapters that plug into the modem slot on G3s and G4s

.  .  .  and a hard to find adapter? Stealth Port? Has that changed?

BG3 already has  vanilla SCSI onboard along with IDE/ATA-2. The latest of them have the best graphics chipset.

 

[HAL2001]

I believe Bolle is indeed refering to the Stealth Port. 

 

[Bolle]

Yep Stealh Port. But wasn't someone here making cheap replacements or at least had a board ready to be shopped on oshpark or something?

I think I have seen such thing.

(if not I will make one )

 

[HAL2001]

A Stealth Port would be great. I much rather have a G4 than a beige G3. Meanwhile I’ve looked on all the Dutch auction sites. I can’t find any beige G3’s for sale... The only thing I could find was a 7200/90. 

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I love everything on either side of the Beige divide, MEH lies between, but everyone has their favorites and their favorite targets for detraction.

MEH-Beige edition: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g3/specs/powermac_g3_300_dt.html

You were asking about G4 recommendations? Quicksilver's probably my favorite and you can get Zip Bezels for them, likely a whole lot easier than finding a BG3 bezel. You can probably that USB FDD behind one on your G4. :lol:

Love the DA/466, but I'm spoiled by the speed of the QS'02/Dual-1GHz. Still setting up the MDD OS9 special edition, 1.25GHz will be a nice change when/if I need that backup machine. Got the uber-rare Zip750 kit Iomega produced for the MDD line because Apple decided to stop offering Zips/bezels.

A SCSI/USB Zip pair is my notion of a bridge machine to anything with SCSI from the Mac or PC side of things.

 

[HAL2001]

A SCSI/USB Zip pair is my notion of a bridge machine to anything with SCSI from the Mac or PC side of things.

That’s also a great idea! Thanks. 

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Zip detractors are very noisy about their objections, but there's nothing like them that's readily available. Their ubiquity killed off any other option, just try to find MO, Syquest or even JAZ hardware/media by comparison. Zip, there is not other option! [}]

Zip's been a huge favorite of mine since their announcement. []

 

[HAL2001]

Does a parallel zip drive with a parallel to usb cable work on a Mac?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

No clue, maybe, sounds too complicated. I wouldn't try it even though I probably have the hardware on hand. The parallel Zip drives I've wound up with over the years are only around as parts donors.

Get a USB Zip. []

 

[Alex]

I like to having a machine with serial ports as this will make sending files between old Macs super easy if no other means of networking are available. (and you do not feel like ripping out hard drives to copy over that one small file which will ultimately also be like 12KB too large to fit on a floppy :evil:  )

If the old Mac does have networking, you could and should install NetPresenz. This will give the older Mac FTP server capability over the network. The great thing about this is that because it is a server, an client that connects through the ftp protocol will have to dumb down. For example even the current MacOS v10.13.2 and an FTP client will connect to the NetPresenz Mac with no issue at all.

The software is very small, it can be setup as a startup item on the older Mac OS and is very simply to set up. The software is brilliant, I highly recommend this as an option if the older Mac can connect to the existing LAN.