How to save a Mac IIvx? =)

[Space Marine]

Hi all,

i have found that site searching around with google about old mac stuff

In my parent's house there is an old Mac IIvx (8mb ram/ 80mb hd /no cd) that was bought around 1991/early 1992 for doing CAD work (at an extremely high price! > ) but never did much of it.

It's in good condition and still functional (system 7.1) , even if it show signs of needing a new bios battery, because unable to retain the correct date (it shows 1978 calendar lol), and i would like to let it doing something usefull.

The problem is:

what?

What usefull things can that mac still do?

It doesn't have a printer, but if you have some suggestion about a modern economical printer compatible with it, write it here

I would eventually try to play around with A/UX, i have read around about people on newsgroups that made it run on IIvx (even if unsupported), but maybe it can do something more usefull.

Some suggestions?

And no, i don't want to sell or donate it...

P.S: excuse me for my english, it is not my motherlanguage [] ]'>

 

[Unknown_K]

What CAD software was used on it, still have it?

As far as making it usefull, it should still be able to run any software that was out at the time it was in use.

CAD, mathematics, drawing, paint, programming, word processing, machine control, scan station, music creation, MIDI, database work, desktop publishing, games, server, etc. Just don't try doing too much web browsing with it.

You could also try to upgrade it to give it a little more speed (replace the 1MB SIMMs with 4MB ones for 20MB total, a bigger HD, find a cdrom and cdrom bezel, find a nice large monitor, connect a cd burner and scanner, etc). Some people like expanding their systems as much as they like using them. A new battery would be nice as well.

As far as a printer goes a nice used mac serial based laser printer would be economical to run and you might be able to find those locally for free or very cheap.

 

[Space Marine]

The CAD software was, from what i remember, RadarCH 4.

It should be the software from where the current ArchiCad series came from:

http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/

Together with that, were installed on it microsoft word (maybe 5.0), adobe photoshop (but this had been deleted years ago :-/ ), Aldus pagemaker, File maker pro, a software called something like "quartz express", that is not the actual MacOS X API, but was a sort of desktop publishing software, similar to pagemaker. There where even a spreadsheet software, but i dont think it was excel. Too many years passed since i used it last time, i don't remember exactly

About a laser printers, which ones should i search for?

I know that apple had during these days a "laserwriter" series, and these should be compatible, but i need a printer for which is not too hard/expensive to find cartridges/toners or it would be impossible to use

Any specific model ideas?

Together with that, i would eventually like to use the mac on lan. Should i search for a nubus Tbase10 card or something like an external adaptator?

And for the cd-rom drive? I know it support only scsi drives, and i haven't any of them (only EIDE stuff ). Any scsi drive would be ok or should i search for apple drives?

If apple drives, should i search for the ones with the plastic external caddy (look like a magnetic disk with a cd into it) or with a caddy like modern drives?

Sorry for so many questions, but i am a noob on mac stuff and don't want to risk to throw out too many moneys on it buying useless things. :beige:

 

[LCGuy]

StyleWriter II's are a good, reliable printer. And the ink cartridges for them are easy to find, as well, they use standard-issue Canon BC-02 cartridges. Also think about the original StyleWriter, and the StyleWriter 1200, both are wimilar, and use the same BC-02 cartridges.

 

[Space Marine]

I have an old lexmark 1000 with parallel port still functional.

From what you know, can i use it on the mac?

(maybe with an adaptator? i dont remember about parallel ports on the mac)

 

[Scott Baret]

Does anyone know of a good plotter for this guy? If he's got CADD software he may as well find one. Did the HP PaintJet or whatever they were called ever work on a Mac with adapters?

Also, you might want to check out Cliff Johnson's site and grab his games. He wrote Fool's Errand, 3 in Three, and At the Carnival and offers them free of charge from his website--all three are excellent puzzle games.

 

[Bunsen]

The Stylewriter 2500 is colour, and also take Canon cartridges. As far as I remember, the Laserwriters also use Canon components. A quick search for a toner cartridge compatibility list should clear that up.

SCSI drives: anything with 50 pins will work, as long as it's not the mini 50 pin connector. Although the Apple Disk Utility or HD Setup utility will only format some of them, mostly ones with Apple ROMs (Apple logo). You can use third party applications like Lido to format others, or there is a hack for an old version of Disk Utility.

Check out macfaq.org, search for jag's house, and gamba2. Also look in Mac Profiles at lowendmac.com for more information on your machine, and a list of helpful articles.

Your English is fine!

 

[Torbar]

I have an old lexmark 1000 with parallel port still functional.From what you know, can i use it on the mac?

(maybe with an adaptator? i dont remember about parallel ports on the mac)

I don't think thats possible, but some of the older HP printers had a Mac serial port.

(they look like this) http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7105/dwoverviewsmng1.gif