Took about 4-5 months, but finally found an original iTunes disc. Also, picked up a 240MHz PB 3400c for $62.65. More on that after the break 
I was inspired after reading this blog post on one of the original iTunes CDs by Kevin Rye on his site, appletothecore.me, while I was hunting for one myself.
http://appletothecore.me/files/itunes204CDtake2.php
I had missed one that went up for sale on the Bay a few weeks before I started looking for a copy myself. Suffice to say, the wait was well worth it, and I was tickled to find this one last week! I'm sure more will pop up in the future, but this one is staying in my permanent collection.
Is there even a scratch?? Doesn't look like it (obligatory surface inspection, as per the blog post )
The 550c doesn't seem to care for it much, though. :/
It appears to be version 1 as the Read Me update shows last updated 8 January 2001. Apple officially launched 1.0 on 9 January 2001.
Not to mention, it looks flipping smexy on the TAM. What
While I was searching about for a power supply from a 3400c (since the stock power adapter for the PB G3 fits wayyyyyy too tightly on the power socket!!), I ran upon a PowerBook 3400c in the ended listings that had no buyer, complete with power adapter and CD drive.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Macintosh-PowerBook-3400c-Series-Laptop/123128418617?hash=item1cab069139:g:-3IAAOSwodpa9wHy
The thing that attracted me to it was the included 20x CD drive, which reminded me of the one that came with the PowerBook G3 "Kanga" I used to have. That, and the case plastics looked immaculate in the pictures.
So, what do I do? I sent the seller a message, asking if he planned on relisting his computer. The seller didn't respond until 3 days later, letting me know that he relisted it, and it was a Buy It Now auction for $49 plus $13.65 shipping. I bought it on the spot. After tearing it down, I found out there was corrosion on the board and on the connector of the LCD, so that explains the computer not starting up. A victim of pesky PRAM battery leakage. Sad.
When I got to the HDD, my heart kinda jumped with excitement. It was a 3GB drive, and if original to the computer, means I've just landed the 240MHz model! I knew this, because the 200MHz one I have had a 2GB drive, and looking it up I remember how unexcited I was about finding out the specs. Sure enough, when I got to the CPU, I knew exactly what I was looking at
240MHz
It looks like it has the original RAM, too, so I believe this computer is bone stock. Sadly, it displays nothing on the screen and there is no sound, even after I swap out the LCD and HDD...no power is getting to the display as it does not even light up. There is visible corrosion on the LCD flex at the connector.
However, when HDD and LCD are swapped out, it "Bongs" to life when plugged in, and the HDD spins up as though it is loading the OS, so there is hope, yet! I'm going to try and see if I revive it back to life. Otherwise, on the bright side, it looks like it will make a good parts machine for the 200MHz model I have. And, I guess it will finally have a black keyboard again.
I was inspired after reading this blog post on one of the original iTunes CDs by Kevin Rye on his site, appletothecore.me, while I was hunting for one myself.
http://appletothecore.me/files/itunes204CDtake2.php
I had missed one that went up for sale on the Bay a few weeks before I started looking for a copy myself. Suffice to say, the wait was well worth it, and I was tickled to find this one last week! I'm sure more will pop up in the future, but this one is staying in my permanent collection.
Is there even a scratch?? Doesn't look like it (obligatory surface inspection, as per the blog post
) The 550c doesn't seem to care for it much, though. :/
It appears to be version 1 as the Read Me update shows last updated 8 January 2001. Apple officially launched 1.0 on 9 January 2001.
Not to mention, it looks flipping smexy on the TAM. What
While I was searching about for a power supply from a 3400c (since the stock power adapter for the PB G3 fits wayyyyyy too tightly on the power socket!!), I ran upon a PowerBook 3400c in the ended listings that had no buyer, complete with power adapter and CD drive.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Macintosh-PowerBook-3400c-Series-Laptop/123128418617?hash=item1cab069139:g:-3IAAOSwodpa9wHy
The thing that attracted me to it was the included 20x CD drive, which reminded me of the one that came with the PowerBook G3 "Kanga" I used to have. That, and the case plastics looked immaculate in the pictures.
So, what do I do? I sent the seller a message, asking if he planned on relisting his computer. The seller didn't respond until 3 days later, letting me know that he relisted it, and it was a Buy It Now auction for $49 plus $13.65 shipping. I bought it on the spot. After tearing it down, I found out there was corrosion on the board and on the connector of the LCD, so that explains the computer not starting up. A victim of pesky PRAM battery leakage. Sad.
When I got to the HDD, my heart kinda jumped with excitement. It was a 3GB drive, and if original to the computer, means I've just landed the 240MHz model! I knew this, because the 200MHz one I have had a 2GB drive, and looking it up I remember how unexcited I was about finding out the specs. Sure enough, when I got to the CPU, I knew exactly what I was looking at
240MHz
It looks like it has the original RAM, too, so I believe this computer is bone stock. Sadly, it displays nothing on the screen and there is no sound, even after I swap out the LCD and HDD...no power is getting to the display as it does not even light up. There is visible corrosion on the LCD flex at the connector.
However, when HDD and LCD are swapped out, it "Bongs" to life when plugged in, and the HDD spins up as though it is loading the OS, so there is hope, yet! I'm going to try and see if I revive it back to life. Otherwise, on the bright side, it looks like it will make a good parts machine for the 200MHz model I have. And, I guess it will finally have a black keyboard again.
