Many parts, a system or two, and a nice surprise

[EvilCapitalist]

Was trying to keep from going on any more conquest road trips but this one was a little bit closer to home and I managed to get quite a bit of stuff.

The system in the lot is a Mac II with the high resolution monitor, ethernet card, and extended keyboard.  The guy also threw in a IIci, though he had taken it apart years ago and had everything (or so it would appear) except the power supply as he said that was just ticking.

Hardware wise, I snagged another two high resolution monitors, a few extra NuBus cards, a bunch of hard drives both internal and external, an external CDROM, a few floppy drives, some tape drives (one with a tape no less!), a bunch of cables, and some miscellaneous hardware.

What I wasn't expecting, apart from the IIci, was all the software that he threw in as well.  The guy said he used to do software development in the late 80s/early 90s on a variety of platforms, and there were many good things I found digging through all the disks.  Biggest suprise though was a still shrinkwrapped A/UX 3.0 Beta disc.  I'm not sure I even want to open that.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

I'm torn with the A/UX CD.  On the one hand I want to open it up and see what it looks like since I've never messed around with A/UX before.  On the other hand, it's only new in the shrink wrap once.

 

[techknight]

I would frame that A/UX disc. But thats just me... 

 

[IIfx]

Software is meant to be used. Thats my stance. Image the disk, if nobody else has made a copy.

Very nice finds.

 

[Unknown_K]

Do what I did , get one to use and keep the shrinkwrapped one intact (WGS 95 A/UX 3 package).

 

[CelGen]

To hell with shrinkwrapping. Are we action figure collectors or something?

Open it and oogle it.

 

[max1zzz]

I'd open it and image it, afaik there isn't a copy of A/UX 3.0 Beta around anywhere online

 

[EvilCapitalist]

To hell with shrinkwrapping. Are we action figure collectors or something?

Open it and oogle it.

That thought did cross my mind.  On one of the old Simpsons Halloween specials (Treehouse of Horror X?) "The Collector" aka Comic Book Guy is in a fight with Xena and takes out a lightsaber out to fight her then she gasps in mock horror "You removed it from its original packaging!" and he falls to his death in a vat of Lucite.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

To hell with shrinkwrapping. Are we action figure collectors or something?

+1

 

[onlyonemac]

Seriously that disk looks beautiful. I'd try to do as Unknown_K suggested and try to get another (or an image) if you are interested in trying it out. However if it turns out that you are unable to get another one given a reasonable length of time, and there are no locatable images of the disk, then for the sake of software preservation it might be worth your while to open it and image it. Maybe make an unboxing video, or take plenty of pictures (heck, you could even continue the unboxing to include installation and first impressions on an appropriate system, if you have such a system)?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

PFFT! Open it, image it, put the CD in a matching jewel case, hinge the two together with clear packing tape and display it like a store bought two pic "V" frame. [}] ]'>

 

[onlyonemac]

Just don't open the thing and then find out that you don't have the right system to run it on... then you'll be sad.

 

[max1zzz]

Idk, Even with no system to run it on I would open it and image it, I have never seen a image of that one online. It would be worse to leave it until you have a compatible machine, only to open it and find the disk has decayed to a point it is no longer readable (Ok, I know this is rare with cd's, especially pressed ones, but it can and dose happen)

You could try to open it carefully (e.g, by cutting one end open and sliding the case out, then imaging it and putting it back) Sure it wouldn't actually be sealed anymore, but most people wouldn't notice

 

[Unknown_K]

I haven't seen the beta around, but images of the retail disks are around if you want to mess with A/UX. I open up boxed vintage software all the time when I plan on using it (even if there are disk images on the net) mostly for the manuals. Have you guys seen the A/UX manual set, its a whole library?

 

[ScutBoy]

Yeah - it's about 8 or so binders. I've got the doc if anyone needs something looked up.

 

[olePigeon]

I have an Apple box with all the documentation binders (still shrinkwrapped), but the one that has the discs is missing.