Mac OS 7.6 on PowerBook 1400cs/166?

[tanuki65]

So, I am thinking of getting a PowerBook 1400cs/166 off eBay to run Mac OS 7.5/7.6 (I'll probably use 7.6 since it's better on PPC) really fast.

But, everymac.com says that the 166MHz model only goes down to 8.0. But then again http://web.archive.org/web/20060709042308/http://www.grumperfish.com/1400/os.html implies (read the home page too) that 7.6.1 runs. Any ideas? I'd get a 133 if the 166 can't run 7.5/7.6, as that was my purpose.

Edit: See http://web.archive.org/web/20060709042413/http://www.grumperfish.com/1400/configuration.html this page.

 

[galgot]

I have a 1400c/166 running 7.6.1. No problem.

 

[tanuki65]

YAY!

 

[tanuki65]

Should I purchase a floppy module as well as the CD module?

 

[Elfen]

If you can get both yes.

I have a 2GB CF in a PCMCIA Adapter which I copied the System 7.6.1 on my 5300ce as a back up drive, and tried it on my 1400/133 & 166. They both booted the CF card. Then I took it to the next level and used a PCMCIA Flash Memory card (512MB), though I had to remove a lot of extensions and control panels to make System 7.6.1 (same one on my 5300ce) fit in the card, it did boot on both 1400s. Both 1400 has OS 8.0 on their Hard Drives but I'm thinking of formatting the drives for System 7.6.1

And yes, when the CF with the 5300ce System 7.6.1 is moved to the 1400's IDE with a CF to IDE Adapter, it boots there too! Nice and quiet I will add!

 

[tanuki65]

OK, I'll pay the extra US$30 to get the floppy module. My PowerBook 1400cs/166 has the CD module already in it.

I'll also get a HDI-30 to 25-pin SCSI adaptor so I can

• Use SCSI Disk Mode with my Mac SE FDHD (dual floppy) and Macintosh IIci (subject of a few posts here)
• Use my Asanté EN/SC-10T to connect to the Internet
• Use my SCSI hard drive enclosure. It's a wonky one, with no screws, and an exposed power supply that doesn't fit my hard drive (160MB LC III pull), and I run a power cable from a SATA/IDE-to-USB conversion kit that I wasn't using (the power cable used Molex as an intermediate between the mains and SATA-style power).
• Use any miscellaneous SCSI peripherals I get in future.

I'll also get 18 650MB CD-Rs (a pack of 10 and 8 individuals; the seller of the 8 individuals threw in a CD-RW, which is hard for the 1400cs to read) for the CD drive.

I'll order Sunday.

 

[Elfen]

CD-ROM Readers have a difficult time reading CD-RW Disks, but a CD-ROM Writers can read them easily if the support the CDRW+ format. Not all older CD Writers have CDRW+. If it does it will say it on the door cover.

 

[tanuki65]

Hmm... I'll have to see what it says on the door when I get it. I don't mind using CD-Rs for now. It would be nice to have CD-RW capability though. Edit: In the eBay picture, the CD drive has a white blotch on it. It could be the CD-RW logo, or just the Compact Disc logo, or even just a sticker/splotch from 18 years of use(?).

And what about 650MB vs 700MB media?

 

[Elfen]

I have the Apple 600i CD reader and 2 CD Burners (one from Ricoh and the other from who knows...) all can read 700mb media and the burners can burn 700MB. It's just that last couple of millimeters at the edge of the disc that makes it 700MB if it is readable or 650MB if it cant.

Strange, I remember something about the color of the CD media having something to do with some drives being able to read them. The Sony Drive drives as I remember tend to like the Green CD Blank media while other drives like the Blue media. All can work with the clear media. Funny though - I used PNY's Black CD Media and there was no problems with that on any drive I use.

 

[Macdrone]

Some brands of media were crap also. Lots of burn errors on generic and the like. Slower write speeds helped.

 

[tanuki65]

Can I use the replacement power brick for my Dual USB "Snow" iBook G3 (700MHz I think, from GainSaver) for the PowerBook, or must I buy a replacement 1400c(s) power supply from eBay?

Also, I may have a Clamshell iBook G3 (Blueberry) power cord somewhere from an old Clamshell I had a few years ago. Would that work?

 

[Macdrone]

If the plug fits it will work.

 

[Elfen]

The Clamshell might work if it is the same size. The G3 iBook wont work because the plug is too small.

 

[tanuki65]

It's been ordered! (Though, to save costs, I only bought 10 CDs.) It should come by the 19th (next Tuesday/Tuesday week). (It's being sent UPS Ground from New York State to California.)

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

Clamshell plug is the same, the newer G4 plug isn't. The Duos, 1400, 3400, G3 PowerBooks and Clamshells all shared a plug.

 

[techknight]

I use Diamond CD-Rs, they have a silver recording layer. Thats the only thing that works on early CD drives as the laser power levels are a bit weaker, and adjusting the power levels on these older pickups are pretty much signing a death sentence. Bad idea. Also older drives dont read CD-RWs becuase of the beam scattering. its slightly different on the CD-RWs compared to CD-Rs or real CDs. the beam alignment from the scattering shifts enough where the tracking/focus servos are reading the error sensors incorrectly, which are located on the photo pickup sensor inside the optical block. 

Single beam pickups rely on PSD (position sensitive device) style sensors surround the beam. As tracking/focus changes the beam becomes oblong and the PSDs pick that error up and the servos correct. 3 beam pickups use a main beam for decoding and 2 side-beams. each side beam lands halfway onto a sensor on each side. and as tracking shifts, the beam shifts with it. So the optical pickup servo corrects. CD-RWs scatter the beam enough to cause problems with older pickups, So newer pickups position those photo-sensors slightly further away from each other. 

But I digress...

I have one of those little panasonic portable CD SCSI drives which doubles as a portable audio cd player. 

it wont read CD-Rs. Except those. 

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

I use Diamond CD-Rs, they have a silver recording layer.

That a brand, or just find one that says it's got the silver layer?

 

[CC_333]

Probably both?

The silver ones are probably most similar to commercially-made CDs, which is another (maybe somewhat simplistic) reason why they work with older players and drives.

c

 

[techknight]

I think its a coined name/brand. But honestly it doesnt matter as long as the reflective die is silver, as it reflects full spectrum without much color distortion, Now granted the laser is a specific wavelength so you would think it doesnt matter, but it does.