Twiggy Mac Boots up - software found!

[Mac512k]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to let you all know that the story of how we got the prototype Twiggy Macs to boot is now published. Although I don't agree with the title of the story "The world's oldest Macintosh", These two computers are definitely the world's oldest working Macs. Please check out this link, let me know what you think!

http://www.cultofmac.com/239280/twiggy-mac-lives-quest-to-resurrect-worlds-oldest-macintosh/

Cheers,

Adam

 

[uniserver]

pretty awesome!

i wonder how much $$ was thrown at this project?

 

[uniserver]

So as long as the .rev of the rom's matched the .rev of the system software, it will boot?

Also I am really trying to figure out what makes a twiggy drive defective.

In theory couldn't we locate/fix what ever is messed up?

bring a boat load of twiggy drives back to life...

 

[Macdrone]

I'm sure it's the same issues why old floppies are dying. Bad rubber, bad alignment, old grease and motor issues. My IIc doesn't work with internal drive. I just haven't had time to try and fix it yet. There is like a five page write up on test , repair and calibration of regular drives.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

One explanation I recall was that the masses involved in the 5.2" floppies didn't work out very well at all for the variable rotational speeds necessary to squeeze in maximum information density. Production yields were then extremely low on the one hand and read write/cycles lengthened due to error rates caused by the mass/rotation problem when the drives did pass inspection on the other.

IIRC it might have been Gorgonops who posted about this.

 

[Macdrone]

Regular 5.25 have different rotation speeds , just not variable. I may be off there but the repair guide mentioned different rotation speeds. Its been a year since I even looked at it but again I can imagine due to age the fact they had issues make them worse now.

 

[TheMacGuy]

Yeah I was just reading an article about this somewhere else on the internet. Pretty cool you were able to get it to boot!

Will you be making a demo video of the beta OS? That would be cool to see.

 

[uniserver]

Also i'm assuming, no way this thing is going to run Mac OS..... OR, will this run some other Mac Apps ASIS?

like MacBandit

or

Missile Command

or

Shuffle Puck

or

Stunt Copter

or

macwrite

 

[Mac512k]

Thanks guys!

The trouble with the Twiggy Mac prototype is that once you eject a disk, it immediately asks you to re-insert it. This means that you cannot copy files, programs, or even the system / finder. The only way to make Twiggy Mac disks is with a Lisa 1 computer. This is how they did it back in the day, as a form of security control. Also, when you first turn on the computer, it asks you to set the date and time. If the date is not within a couple weeks of Aug. 15th or so, it will auto-destruct the disk and it will not work anymore. There is no way really to get mac games to work on this system, unless you can get the code onto a Lisa 1, and then subsiquently onto a Twiggy Mac system disk. 400k drives do not work on the Twiggy mac, it will fry the drive if you plug one in. I am still looking for the early version of Alice, that i have seen in one photo running on a Twiggy Mac, circa 1983. Joanna Hoffman may have other disks.

We have made a documentary video of the Twiggy mac in operation, still in the editing stages though. Will keep you guys posted.

Original

Original

 

[Mac512k]

Here are a few more images of interest that were not used in the Cult of Mac story. I find it interesting that Apple re-set the system and finder version numbering back to 0 when the switched to the 400k Sony drive.

Original

Original

Original

 

[Paralel]

So, with the motherboard and power supply of the other prototype damaged, that means there is only one working Twiggy Mac in existence? Can the other one be repaired, or is it beyond all reasonable hope?

Also, what was on the third disk, or was it too badly damaged to be recovered?

Why do you disagree with the title of the article? These are the oldest known Macs still in existence, no?

It's great you are able to share this with the world. Gives a real window into the mindset at that time in the development process.

 

[Mac512k]

As of the post of this mesage, both prototype Twiggy Macs are now in fully working order. The 3rd disk contained only Mac data files meant for the Lisa 1 computer - not a Macintosh bootable disk.

Original

Technically, the oldest "Mac" is on display at the Computer History Museum, in California, circa 1981. It is not in working order.

Original via wikimedia

Thanks,

Adam

 

[Macdrone]

That looks like a normal 5.25 floppy drive in that Mac. Light and Apple Logo and all.

Now my Twiggy question.

Can you not hook up an external floppy to the floppy drive port or is no code written to use it? That would allow you to run other programs.

 

[Brooklyn]

So cool!

 

[max1zzz]

Wow, would love to have a play around with that version of mac os... If only there where more twiggy macs

Very cool to see!

 

[CC_333]

Well, now that so much is known about them, perhaps an emulator could be built which would allow at least the software to run, allowing everyone to experience this very early version of the OS.

And maybe replicas of the hardware can be built as well. It's substantially similar to a regular 128k from a hardware perspective (as far as I can tell), albeit with different ROMs and somewhat different logic board layout/wiring, so it would be fairly easy to use a 128k as a template, I would think.

But then the unique-ness would be ruined by tens of thousands of replicas flooding the market

Oh, well. Given that, the emulator option sounds more appealing to me.

And by the way, this is very neat!

c

 

[onlyonemac]

What interim menu invoked using what command I?

 

[Mac512k]

Hi Guys,

Sorry for my late reply.

Since my last posting I have received the following commentary...

Regards,

Adam Goolevitch

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

From Jerry Manock,

Designer of the Original Macintosh Case/Housing:

Hi Adam,

Please pass on the comment below.

Thanks for sending! That side-by-side photo sure brings back many memories.

When the Twiggy started to fail at higher and higher rates, there were many attempts at specifying a substitute drive for the Mac, including one by Terry Oyama and I to use the old Shugart 390 "Disk II" drive with an added mechanical kluge to give auto insert, auto eject operation.  The 400k Sony drive was a much cleaner solution!

Nice reconstruction of the electronics and drives!

High error rates with the Twiggy disk drive forced Apple to switch over to the 400k Sony 3.5″ disk drive

in the last two or three months before the Macintosh’s scheduled release on January 24th 1984.

Regards,

Jerry

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

From Bruce Horn,

Designer of the orginal Macintosh Finder & Macintosh Resource Manager:

Hi Adam

Great article! Love seeing it and hearing the background.

A wonderful effort and perfect timing with the Jobs movie

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

From Susan Kare,

Designer of the Original Macinosh Icons:

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your note - it was fun to follow the link! My first Mac at Apple had a Twiggy drive.

I honestly can't remember if I did the icon for "Steve Sez..." or not.

I believe (but am not totally sure) that Steve Capps did the sleepless programmer icon.

I know I was at Apple then, because I designed those MacPaint icons and title bar.

Best regards,

Susan

 

[uniserver]

wow this is hard-core info.