5th Generations Jukebox Five Floppy Disk Mechanized Hopper

[olePigeon]

After missing out on an auction a couple years ago, another one of these puppies showed up, so I snagged it.  Paid more than I wanted to, but given how long it took for this new one to show up, I couldn't pass it up.  Now I'm ready to make some software disks!   Man, I can't wait to try it out.  It's gonna be so much fun. :lol:   I'm gonna make a video of it in action.  There aren't any on YouTube.  You can load up to 15 floppy disks into the hopper, then just go to town.  It automatically loads and unloads the floppies.  It's so freaking cool.

(Not my picture, but a picture of the exact same device.)

 

[OleLila]

Post the link when it is up....did not  know this existed.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

So very cool,sSets of System Install floppies?

 

[olePigeon]

@Trash80toHP_Mini  That's the idea.  I have an idea floating in my head, I'll see how it pans out.  I have a large box of floppy disk labels, some floppies, and single-floppy cases.  I'm thinking about putting together some nice sets of system floppy disks.  Since Apple has them out for free, I'll just charge for the materials and time + shipping (assuming anyone is interested.)

If not, I just have a really fun gizmo to play around with.

 

[MOS8_030]

Fascinating. I've never seen one of those.

Perfect for installing Office 4.2.  :lol:

 

[olePigeon]

@MOS8_030 Pffft.  Who needs the CD version of System 7.5.3?

Speaking of which ... wow, I'm keen on trying that. :lol:   One-touch System 7 install.

 

[pcamen]

@olePigeon do you have the manual?  I have one but no manual.  I’d love to get a copy.

 

[Cory5412]

Hm, this would be great for installing software, but I also suspect it won't work for most large floppy-based software titles. In my experience, you often need to switch back and forth between the same diskettes a few times.

This would be amazing, however, for writing a large backup or archive using software such as Stuffit or Retrospect.

 

[olePigeon]

@pcamen It should, it's new.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I can't wait to see how the thing is supported in thin air. WAG would be that a projection occupies the Floppy slot and it has a built in, vertical fed FDD? Dunno, looks cool as hell and reminds me of Mac User Group shareware/system distribution production sessions.

 

[pcamen]

It just has two little metal hooks that hang over the lip of the floppy slot. 

 

[olePigeon]

@Trash80toHP_Mini That's exactly what I thought, too.   Or back in the day at MacWorld or Comdex where someone somewhere went to the Dev Party next door, got all the free copies of software, then everyone went back to the hotel rooms to get copies.  Hotel room looked like a sweatshop for a few hours as everyone traded software and serial numbers.  :lol:

Those were the days.

 

[Cory5412]

WAG would be that a projection occupies the Floppy slot and it has a built in, vertical fed FDD

Unless I'm reading this wrong - it doesn't have its own FDD, it feeds the Mac's existing FDD.

Hopper/stacker systems like this basically just detect when a diskette (or other media) was ejected and presume that the software wants the very next disk in the pile, and pops it in, and so on until either the process finishes or the diskettes run out.

These exist for CD and tape setups as well, they're cheaper than full auto-loaders because they only go one direction and because they automation they provide is by and large only mechanical. (Some of the newer CD ones gained some neat tricks, with, like, LightScribe but other than that.)

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

pcamen filled us in, it's just a couple of hooks supporting the hopper. Seems like a lot of stress to put on the brittle front bezels of this day and age.

 

[pcamen]

Here are some pictures of mine.  It supports quite a few models from the MacWorld add I found - SE, SE/30, II, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx.  This forum won't let me attach a screen shot of the ad unfortunately, just gives me the dreaded Queued that never resolves.  

 

[olePigeon]

So it IS motorized and has a power adapter.  The seller said it didn't need one, and I asked specifically if it was for 120v or 240v.  I hope it has the adapter. :/

 

[pcamen]

Yea, those instructions are going to be key.  Mine did come with a wall wart transformer. 

 

[pcamen]

Ah, it seems this system doesn't like PNG files. 

 

[joshc]

Is this the one that popped up on eBay recently? It is definitely cool, looking forward to the video.