If you could only have one: SE/30 or Mystic CC?

[CVKealey]

I retrieved a Color Classic from a stack of discarded Macs some time ago (~2002-ish) and in the same stack, grabbed an LC 575 (which turned out to have a cracked CRT) and a box of miscellaneous parts that included a full (non LC) 68040. A year or so later, I did the VGA mod to the analog board, found a 32 MB SIMM that worked, swapped in a 1.2 GB drive and installed some system(probably 7.5.3 - that's what I installed on everything back then). Then I put it on a shelf and it hasn't moved since.

Around the same time I got that CC, I found a couple SE/30s. Both had dead drives, but I found replacements and cleaned them up. One I donated to a shop my father used to work at (they used several old Macs for running their CnC machinery) as a spare. I think they lost it in a fire a bit after that. I still have the other, which, like the Mystic-ized CC has sat on a shelf since that time. I think I've got 32 MB in there as well, and I later found an Asante MacCon ethernet card that I have yet to install on it. 

So, all that in mind, if you had to choose to keep one of these (and only one, because justifying both to the lady of the house may not be possible), which would you keep?

 

[ArmorAlley]

The first macs I used were Mac SEs. I used the Performa 475 before I used a CC.

Personally, I would rather an SE/30 than a Mystic CC. I'd rather a P475 before a Mystic CC.

 

[KnobsNSwitches]

Well, I'd say keep the Mystic CC....but what should should do is keep the SE/30 and then sell me the mystic board. ;-)

 

[EvilCapitalist]

Assuming you've already had the caps replaced on each machine and since you mentioned you'd already done the VGA mod, personally I'd keep the Mystic.  The upgrades that are typically done to hot rod SE/30s still won't bring it up to the level of a Mystic CC with a VGA mod and I'd rather have a color machine (especially at 640x480) than B&W. 

Of course, the preferred option will always be to keep both :smiley: :cc:  (though I know that isn't an option in this case)

 

[Gorgonops]

I'd keep the Mystic because I find the SE/30 somewhat overrated, and I've also discovered that kids are less than impressed by monochrome computers. (Sigh. Seriously, my kids love playing MECC games on the II+ connected up the color surveillance monitor, but are all "bleah" about the same game running on the IIc with the cute little 9" "Periscope", as Trash80 would put it.)

 

[CVKealey]

Of course, the preferred option will always be to keep both :smiley: :cc:  (though I know that isn't an option in this case)

It might be. The other half just sees piles of stuff. As long as the piles get smaller, she may be appeased. Plus, these are "compact" Macs, so I may just have to be creative about where I stick 'em.

Finally, the old 14" displays I've got take up way more room and really serve no purpose to me. I'll keep a couple for testing, but I really don't need the 5 or 6 that I've got. CRTs are just so hard to (legally) get rid of these days.

 

[CVKealey]

Assuming you've already had the caps replaced on each machine and since you mentioned you'd already done the VGA mod, personally I'd keep the Mystic.  The upgrades that are typically done to hot rod SE/30s still won't bring it up to the level of a Mystic CC with a VGA mod and I'd rather have a color machine (especially at 640x480) than B&W. 

Also, have not had any capacitors replaced. TBH, I've been out of the scene long enough that I don't recall them being an issue back in the day (which they weren't, I guess, since it's an age thing). I know the logic board in the CC is in OK shape (at least, there aren't any obviously leaking caps), but I haven't had the back off the SE/30 for a very long time. I'll have to do that soon and see what the damage is.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

There's the downside with both machines and where the SE/30 might pull ever-so-slightly ahead of the Mystic CC.  The SE/30 and CC both need caps replaced on the motherboard, no getting around that, but while the analog boards also will need them replaced the SE board seems to hold out a bit longer than the CC analog board.

 

[IlikeTech]

Well, I'd say keep the Mystic CC....but what should should do is keep the SE/30 and then sell me the mystic board. ;-)

NOO IT'S MINE LOL

 

[rickrob]

CRTs are just so hard to (legally) get rid of these days.

Yep-- $25 each in my town for disposal.

That's a tough choice for me between a SE/30 and a Mystic CC.   I'd probably keep the Mystic because it's so much faster than the SE/30 (and Color).

 

[Unknown_K]

SE/30 with ethernet is what I would keep.

 

[CVKealey]

I'm hatching a plan to keep 'em both, but it looks like the SE/30 definitely has some capacitor issues (see below). My solder-fu is a bit rusty, so I'm not sure I want to do it myself or farm it out. Anyone know what the going rate is for an SE/30 board? And can I assume the caps on the analog/display control board susceptible to the same issue?

The Mystic CC starts up fine (well, it took two power cycles for the drive to spin up), but the display seems to be a little off. Almost like the contrast or brightness is shifting on its own. I don't remember that from before, but I probably didn't do such a clean job on the VGA conversion. There don't seem to be any leaking caps on the logic board, but there may be elsewhere. Also, the cage for the CPU cooler broke into 3 pieces, so if I want to use that (I don't know if it's standard on the 575 board or an aftermarket), I'll have to fabricate a new one.

 

[Alex]

I already sent someone to http://www.applerescueofdenver.com/contact/. Contact them, I know he has se/30 parts even though he doesn’t advertise it. He may have the cage you are planning to rebuild. You might even try Ebay for parts. 

 

[LazarusNine]

I see you're angling to keep both, which is of course the best possible outcome. If forced to choose, I'd personally say the SE/30. While the Mystic CC is a wonderful novelty, it feels like the 'Never Say Never Again' (random, unofficial Bond film with an official Bond actor) of the classic Mac line. In some ways, it feels slightly out of place in the Mac lineup (kind of like the 550/575). Maybe that's part of its charm, though. I own the CC with a 550 motherboard and three SE/30s and I have toyed with the idea of selling the CC, but never the SE/30s.

Good luck with the recapping job on your SE/30! If you're not comfortable with recapping the board yourself, I would send it off for recapping rather than simply replacing the board with one that may suffer from the same issues. While I've recapped my SE/30s motherboards, I've not gotten around to the analogue boards. I've recapped the CC's motherboard and analogue board, though, because the CC analogue board is...interesting.