Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in!

[Anonymous Freak]

<sigh>

Just shipped off two compact Macs to two fine gents on here this morning.

So this evening, I picked up three more from Craigslist...  The haul is still in the trunk of my car because I got home barely

in time to start work. But here are the pictures and list from the Craigslist ad:


Keyboards - M0116, M2980, M0487(x2)
Mouses - M2706(x2), G5431, A9M0331(x2)
Printers - M6000, A9M0320
Computers - SE 5010(x2), Classic M0420
Bags - 3 Mac bags
Performa 640CD M3076
M0001 case (incomplete)
Apple tower + keyboard
Monitor stand(x2, both are different)

The Performa was the interesting one - it's the DOS Compatible model!  All three compact Macs work to some extent - apparently both SEs boot to their hard drive fine, the Classic "has bars" (SimasiMac?) A pre-128k-branding OG Macintosh rear shell (just the rear bucket.)  Imagewriter II with two new-in-box Color ribbons! (Doubt they're still any good,) and a LaserWriter II. Plus a B&W.

What stood out to me were the Performa and the disks.  Some REALLY early Apple disks. I'll have to image 'em first thing tomorrow.

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

Wonder if the 128k shell came off an upgraded machine? 

 

[EvieSigma]

A 640CD, huh? I forget what the deal with that one is, unless the 640 was just the DOS compatible version of the 630.

I know the 631 and maybe a couple others had a weirdly restricted second RAM slot.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Yeah, it's a member of the 630 family.

 

[EvieSigma]

The problem with the 630 family is the same problem with the 57x family and the mess that is the Performa 6100 and 6200! Too many members with too few differences!

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

It's all in the software bundle, baby!

You've gotta remember that when these models shipped it was the era of Crazy Eddie, "Nobody can beat our prices!" and "If you can find a lower price on the same model, we'll  .  .  ." ads on the Radio, TV and in the papers.

It was all tripe, you really couldn't find a better deal on the same model! Manufacturers, Apple included, put different model numbers on the same product for each major re-seller. It wasn't so much of a confused marketing scheme on the part of Apple and that they should have known better. The game was rigged outright and Apple played by the rules of the time. At least Apple changed the bundles a little bit to mix it up by distribution channel so it wasn't REALLY the same damn thing, as waqs the case with major appliances, air conditioners and consumer electronics with different stickers slapped on the same exact boxes. :

 

[EvieSigma]

Yeah, instead of the Packard Bell idea of slapping 5 different names on the same case, Apple just slightly varied RAM and hard drive sizes and stuff.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Yep, and the cases were actually produced in different runs in the silk screen department. If it says so right there on the front of the case, it must be true! :lol:

 

[blitter]

Don't toss out that rear bucket-- if you ever are looking to unload it, ping me. I got my early model 128 from a fellow who *engraved* ID into the back case. Would be nice to have a pristine version some day.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Oh, definitely wouldn't throw it out. I'll probably offer it up here soon.  And the other compacts - depending on if either of the SEs are better than mine.

Also, is anyone interested in paying shipping on a LaserWriter II? 

Yeah, didn't think so.   I have enough Apple printers already. And the II is just too huge. Even though it is iconic.

 

[ScutBoy]

LaserWriter II too huge? Piffle. You need the original LaserWriter to say that

 

[Juror22]

The software!  Sir!  The software alone is worth the trip!

 

[Brett B.]

Very nice score.  The LC630 DOS machine I have is one of my favorites, although it is getting a little quirky in its old age.  I had a LaserWriter IINT back in the day, can't remember why I parted ways with it, but I do remember that it would stink up the room with ozone like none other!  Good times! 

 

[CC_333]

Last year, I got a Performa 637 Money Magazine Edition (it's weird branding that I've never seen before), and aside from the included monitor that seems to be displaying a blank picture, the thing works wonderfully (the plastics, as is typical for the era, are becoming quite brittle, so I'll have to somehow find plastics that aren't broken, but most of it is still intact, and the yellowing, last I checked, was minimal).

Also, if I were 500 miles closer, I'd gladly take the LWII!

c

 

[Anonymous Freak]

The software! Sir! The software alone is worth the trip!

You have no idea how many busted machines I've acquired over the years solely because they came with some interesting piece of software!

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Booted up the Performa, works great! 24 MB Mac memory, 8 MB memory on the PC side. The PC disk image it was set to boot to was corrupt, but there was the original image still on there, with a few hundred empty "backup" folders at the root level of it.

Haven't fully tested the two SEs yet, but the Classic is fully Simasi'ed.

If anyone wants to come to Portland, you can have the printers and the Classic for free.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Alright, booted up the two SEs.  Both are branded as "one megabyte, dual 800k floppy" systems.

One is indeed simply a dual 800k floppy system, but with 2.5 MB RAM.  Both internal floppies are in need of cleaning, both mechanisms stick, and neither will boot.  An external floppy works just fine.

The other still has its stock 1 MB RAM, but the top drive was replaced with a hard drive (no bay cover, though, so couldn't tell without peering in.)  Boots to System 6.0.8 with a fairly standard set of apps. 

Both came with Apple Keyboard II and first-gen ADB mice.  One has the original 1987 manual, the other has the newer-style 1988 manual.

There is one set of original floppy disks (four System floppies, one "Your Tour of the Macintosh SE" floppy - which gives me a dozen of those.)  One manual has stamped in it that it used to belong to a church/school.  The hard drive has Microsoft Word, with a whole bunch of files that are first names - promptly deleted those. (I'm guessing student records.)

Boxed copies of HyperCard (the box itself was open, but the manual inside was still shrinkwrapped, and the floppies still have the sticker over them holding them in the plastic holder,) "System Software Update Version 5.0" (I've never seen a boxed copy of any OS prior to System 7, so that's a nice find!) and MacPaint (the disk has version 1.5, and some obviously religious-themed saved files.)

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Okay, finally got around to hooking up the printers.

LaserWriter IINT has the "needs service" flashing light code - no matter what I do.  Unless anyone wants local pickup, I'm just going to take it to my local e-recycler.

ImageWriter II powers on, the ribbon even has some ink left, but the head crashes both left and right when it tries to print.  It's like it doesn't know where the head is, so it just throws it randomly around.  I get one "good pass", then it either crashes right (doesn't reset left fully) or resets fine after the first pass, but doesn't go far enough on the second pass, so when resetting left after the second pass, it crashes left.

I have two good IW2s already, so I'm also thinking of just e-recycling this one unless someone local wants it.  Both printers are just too darn expensive to ship.

 

[CC_333]

How's the printhead on the IWII? If it's in okay condition, I might be interested in acquiring it (maybe the plastics too, if they're not too yellowed; I have an older IWII that I've neglected over the 11 years since I got it, and it could use some rehabilitation).

Too bad on the LWIINT (I hate to see any Apple things go to E-Waste). Could the "needs service" code be caused by bad caps? I mean, they have been the culprit for so many unlikely failures in the past....

c