68k newbie

[PotatoBox]

Hi!

I'm a new member here and I'd like to introduce myself. I enjoy retro tech and I've always wanted a compact Mac for quite some time now. But funds, and shipping costs make it an improbability. But some day, a compact Mac will be mine .

Anyways, now I want to move on to the main purpose of this thread. I'm on the market for a beginner friendly 68k Macintosh that doesn't weigh a ton and is in the sub 70 dollar range. Oh, and it needs to be able to run DOOM

 

[Elfen]

And be able to run DOOM? That would place you in the PowerPC Era of Macs. Something small and light weight would put you in the Laptop range like a 1400c, which can be gotten for about that price. As for a desktop, a 6200/6300/7200/7300 series would do nicely though getting one for that price would be the tricky part. A first gen G3 (like a Wallstreet laptop or beige G3 Desktop) would be better but not within that $70 range.

 

[avadondragon]

Well, for DOOM you'll need a 68040 machine since that's supposedly the min CPU class required according to MobyGames.

Look for something off this list: http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_processor/68lc040.html.  Or anything named Quadra.  If you want it to be a 68k machine anyway.

 

[Elfen]

Anything stated as the "minimum" is awful, it is better to run with the "Preferred" system. I used to run DOOM on one of my labs; those 040 Macs were barely able to handle the load, the PowerPC ran it a lot better.

 

[PotatoBox]

Hm, then I should probably be looking for an early power pc mac then

 

[Elfen]

something at least 75MHz or better, PotatoBox.

 

[K55]

Heyo, I know searching the internet isnt "in" these days with the kids but here's a good comparison video between a 25mhz 68k vs 300mhz PPC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8CF_OJFBhc

Considering the 68k is running at a good 5 fps you'd probably be best off with one of the PowerPC CPU's like Elfen said.

 

[Bunsen]

Marathon > Doom

 

[Bunsen]

A PCI based PowerPC model would be a good starter machine IMO.  Cheaper than a good 68k these days, and cheap to expand and upgrade too.  They can take PCI cards for IDE/ATA/SATA/Firewire/USB so you're not stuck scrounging around for a working SCSI hard drive.

My go-to suggestion for a decent starter 68k is the LC/Performa/Quadra 630 series: mid-range speed 040, not too expensive, and takes IDE disks.  Most everything else requires SCSI drives.

 

[falen5]

don't give up on getting your hands on a compact mac just because of doom - there are lots and lots of games for the old macs

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the graphics and sound wont compare but are made up for , by the playability of the older games

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68000K macs are soo cool....heck... I have one right in front of me, up on a shelf............. just to look at....nothing else....just to look at. I tried swapping it with a picture of doom but alas.......it aint no mac!!

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now!!

 

[Bunsen]

a 6200/6300/7200/7300 series would do nicely

The 5xxx and 6xxx models, mostly marketed as Performas, are one motherboard family.  The 7xxx models are another story altogether: they were considered the "professional" range, and built on a different, PCI based motherboard design.

Avoid anything with a model number 52xx, 53xx, 62xx or 63xx unless it's literally the only Mac you can find.  They're.... problematic.

- with the exception of the PCI based 6360, which is a whole new, reliable and improved, PCI based motherboard architecture. 54xx/64xx and 55xx/65xx machines carried on with that design and improved on it.

The 7200/4400 is not part of the troublesome x2xx/x3xx series: it's a 3 x PCI slot desktop.  It's an okay enough machine.  Some dislike the slightly PC-like case, but I don't recall any other major problems with it.  CPU upgrades for this one take up a PCI slot.

a 1400c though getting one for that price would be the tricky part. A first gen G3 (like a Wallstreet laptop or beige G3 Desktop) would be better but not within that $70 range.

Eh, depends.  Prices fluctuate. 

Are you in a rural or urban part of Ontario, PotatoBox?

 

[PotatoBox]

I'm in the urban part.

 

[avadondragon]

I have been noticing quite a few PowerBook G3s on eBay going for under $70 lately.  I just picked up a fully functioning (if somewhat rough cosmetically) PDQ for $35 shipped.

If you are planning to get that compact Mac some day you should stick with the earlier G3 PowerBooks like the Kanga, WallStreet, or PDQ so that you can network it to the older mac via localtalk.  Having a good gateway machine makes everything SO much easier when dealing with the really old hardware.

 

[Bunsen]

I second that. 

A Wallstreet* has SCSI, ADB, Localtalk/serial ports, a floppy drive / CD-ROM (removable) and IIRC, built-in Ethernet; and two Cardbus slots where you can add USB, Firewire, WiFI, faster Ethernet and most any** other modern interfaces you fancy.


* "PDQ" is the slightly faster second series of Wallstreets.
** Mac compatible, with Mac drivers, Cardbus or PC Card / PCMCIA only.

 

[Elfen]

And I'll third that nomination for a WallStreet/PDQ. Like Bunsen and AvadonDragon stated, you can bridge your Classic Macs to it with Newer machines on the network. It does make file sharing and technology bridging between machines easier.