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Cutting the case of a Mac SE

BustedCap97

Well-known member
So I got this SE. It was booting from a SCSI2 SD, but now, I need that SCSI2SD for my perfectly restored and recapped LC2. So what to do with the SE? I have this idea. I have a new in the box Jaz drive. and about 5 new in the box Jaz disks. Since this is a 800k (ugh) SE, the floppy drives, although they work perfectly, are pretty much useless. I can't write disk images from a PC without an expensive KryoFlix, and I already have a floppy emu. So... I was thinking. If I took one of the floppy drives out, I could stick a Jaz drive in there and dremel out the front hole for it. I'd still leave one 800k in there for nostalgia purposes and for saving data between it and the LC2. But I was thinking I could boot from the jaz drive and swap out disks with different system versions. What do you all think?
 

robin-fo

Well-known member
I wouldn‘t touch it. Attach the Jaz drive externally and keep your SE as an unharmed piece of history.
 

Juror22

Well-known member
Just be careful.
1) There is no going back.
2) In my experience, there is not a lot of forgiveness in the appearance of a manufactured plastic vs. something modded. (one slip of the Dremel and its game over, your eye will always be drawn to that slip)
3) Here is a similar effort - https://www.applefritter.com/node/1359 its an SE/30 and a CD drive, but note they redid a floppy and it looks a little hinky around the opening (see point two).

That said, its your SE and I've heard worse ideas. This would make it useful, be somewhat of a stealth upgrade if you can pull it off (from a storage perspective), and still compact.
I would work out all the internal connections and make sure that the Jaz drive worked like you want (and some of the media too), before I ever touched the front of it to cut it up.
 

rjkucia

Well-known member
This (or for a ZIP drive) could be a neat third-party mod, for something like MacEffects.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
People did this sort of thing in the early 2000s all the time: installing internal Zips, spray painting, etc. when all of these still worked well and were a dime a dozen.
 

rjkucia

Well-known member

3lectr1cPPC

Well-known member
People also become nostalgic for them. Back in the 2000s, no one cared about anything from the 90s, just as no one cares for your average mid 2000s desktop because back then they were just old junk. Now they’re desirable, so people want them again. The same thing will happen with systems from the 2000s, mark my words.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
why HAS the price gone up so much? was it because Steve Jobs died?
This isn’t even limited to computers. The perfect example I like to use is World War II aircraft. In the 1960s, 20 years after most were scrapped and the remaining ones sold for work or pleasure, they were like old, rusting junk in airports, back lots, etc. No one wanted them, and no one cared. Fast-forward to the 1990s, people started restoring them and suddenly many had values in the millions of dollars as people became enthusiastic and their numbers also dwindled. This is exactly what has happened to Macs, although not as much because they are not so rare as these aircraft are.
 

BustedCap97

Well-known member
Well then, maybe I won’t cut mine up. But for sure it needs an upgrade to high density floppy. 800K is just useless.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
Many have done that here. I think someone would be able to rustle up an IWM for you. I may even have a SuperDrive around if you want to trade for the 800ks.
 

tecneeq

Well-known member
i need that SCSI2SD for my perfectly restored and recapped LC2.
I would try for an external case for the Jaz drive, avoiding cosmetic changes on the SE.
I have an external SCSI CD drive i can give you, but shipping would be harsh i suppose.
Easy to remove the CD and put something else in there, HDD, Jaz, Zip, removeable drive bay, you name it.

You also could make an external drive out of the SCSI2SD, plugging it in where you need it. If you find a 3D model i can print it for you, i have the perfect color matching (after retrobright that is) filament.
 
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