Adam Rosen I am a vintage Mac collector in the Boston, MA, US area, and an Apple Certified Macintosh consultant doing business under the name Oakbog. I've been using Macs for over three decades and counting!
The PowerPC G3 CPU is ideal to run software from the final years of the Classic Mac OS era. Its design is optimized for the core assembly language routines of the Blue Box (aka System 7, Mac OS 8 and 9) and it spans a wide variety of Old World (beige) and New World (colored) Macs. Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the most used machines in the Vintage Mac Museum is a PowerBook G3.
VMM Workhorse – PowerBook G3 Wallstreet, Mac OS 9.2.2
The PowerPC based PowerBook really hit its stride with the G3-based Wallstreet. Sporting a striking jet-black Batman’esque case, 14″ active matrix screen, 2 PC card slots and dual expansion bays with lots of options (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Floppy, Zip, SuperDisk and later CD-RW drives), the Wallstreet – Apple’s internal project name – was built like a tank and is a pleasure to use. SCSI, ADB and Serial Ports gives this laptop full compatibility with a wide range of peripherals and data storage formats.
The VMM Wallstreet is running Mac OS 9 and has a Floppy drive and Zip drive installed in its expansion bays. The (original) SuperDrive can read 1.44MB High Density (HD) and 800k Double Density (DD) floppy disks, which are the most common formats received for old file transfers. Any troublesome 800k disks or 400k disks are shuffled over to the Mac Plus, which shares the same desk.
Because it has a SCSI port I can also read data from both external and internal SCSI hard drives, the latter by using parts from an external drive case as an adapter or “sled” for the internal disk. Ethernet capability allows me to access the AppleShare volume on my PowerMac G4 Cube – the central server for the VMM – to copy completed conversions or grab older data from the Quadra 840av.
The Wallstreet does the bulk of the file format conversion work. The workhorse for these efforts is MacLink Plus, a batch conversion utility which used to be bundled free with all Macs. Most old files are either word processing data or spreadsheets, and MacLink Plus can read a great variety of these formats and convert them to modern MS Word .doc or MS Excel .xls files. For older word processing formats, MS Word 5.1a serves as intermediate software to Save As… to the Word 5 format. Also installed are copies of MacDraw II, FileMaker 4, Photoshop 5.5, etc..
I love using the Wallstreet, it’s a solid machine that holds up well over time. The keyboard is nicer than the one in Lombard and Pismo models which followed, and it’s really quite zippy running Mac OS 9.2.2. The hard drive is only 4GB and is getting rather noisy, when prices for the new Solid State Drives (SSDs) come down a bit I plan to pop one of these puppies inside. That should give a big boost in storage and really make this old girl fly!
With the recent sale of an Apple 1 computer at a Christie’s auction for $213,600 (after taxes), and the (former) Mac Museum of Franklin Park NJ selling on eBay for $10,000, there’s been some interest from the antiques marketplace in ancient Apples. Are old Macs becoming valuable investments yet?
Antique Week contacted me last month while researching this question. Short answer: not yet. Few models are currently worth more than about $500, with rare items excepted. Prices are rising slowly over time.
I do think they will be valuable investments some day. For right now, enjoy them for their historic and personal value. See Kathy McKimmie’s Collectors Looking for Early Apples for the full scoop.
The 68k Macintosh era spanned over a decade and four generations of Motorola processors. The first VMM Workhorse, the Mac Plus, used an 8MHz 68000 CPU as found in the original 128k Mac. At the other end of the spectrum is the Motorola 68040 CPU and the Macintosh Quadra line. These speedy machines (for their day) remain useful today as bridge machines between the very old and the less old among early Macinti.
VMM Workhorse – Quadra 840av, Mac OS 8.1
The Quadra series of Macs replaced the 68020/030 based Mac II line and was named after the fourth-generation 68040 processor. The Quadra 840av was the ultimate 68k Macintosh: 40MHz processor, fastest NuBus architecture, 16 bit stereo sound with video input/output, and the ARTA multimedia chip (Apple Real Time Architecture – another fine technology doomed before its time). Outfitted in a sporty minitower case, this machine was faster for many tasks than the first generation PowerPC machines introduced a year later.
Quadras are equipped with both LocalTalk (RS-422 serial) and Ethernet ports. They also contain Floppy Drives (1.44MB SuperDrives) and internal/external SCSI ports. These technologies allow for the bridging of formats and generations. An external SCSI Zip Drive completes the package.
At the VMM an 840av runs Mac OS 8.1 and Apple’s free LocalTalk Bridge software, which links Ethernet and Localtalk networks. Personal Filesharing is enabled on the Quadra, which is compatible with the AppleShare in System 6.0.8 on the Mac Plus. Files copied from floppies on the Plus can be transferred (via PhoneNet) to the Quadra, and from there up the chain.
Mac OS 8 uses AppleShare IP, which is forward compatible with shared volumes from Macs running Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X (up through 10.4.11). The primary server for the Mac Museum is a G4 Cube running Tiger, and my Quadra can copy files to/from the Cube over Ethernet. How’s that for multi-generational file sharing?
Quadras are also capable of running most 32-bit 68k programs, so software used on the Mac II, SE and early Performas usually runs fine on the ‘040 processor. For help with file conversions the VMM 840av contains copies of Photoshop v4, Illustrator v5, Digital Performer v5, MS Excel v4, MS Word v5.1a (really, who needs more?) and Retrospect 4.
I’ve used a PowerBook 540c for the same tasks as the Quadra where space was more constrained (read: my last apartment). The PowerBook 190 and 500 lines are portable Quadras (‘040 based systems), so their capabilities are similar.
The Vintage Mac Museum contains several dozen models of Macs, but most only get used occasionally. A few carefully chosen machines are all that are really needed to bridge the generations and provide access to the vast majority of Macintosh software and files. With the arrival of a few large file transfer jobs at Oakbog (one contained 111 floppy disks worth of archives) I thought I’d devote a few posts to the workhorse machines in the collection.
VMM Workhorse – Mac Plus, System 6.0.8
The Mac Plus was Apple’s longest-selling 68k Macintosh, and is a very versatile machine when dealing with old Mac disks and software. It’s 800k floppy drive can read and write both 400k and 800k disks, allowing the machine to boot up in the original Mac OS all the way though System 7 via floppy disk.
The Apple 800k drives made by Sony are tanks, much more reliable than 400k drives and able to read many old disks that 1.44MB SuperDrives cannot. Apple ran these mechanisms slightly off-speed when formatting disks, so you need an original Apple drive to read Mac Single Sided and Double Sided floppy disks.
Equally useful on the Plus is the external SCSI port, which is connected to a whopping 30MB external hard drive (in an original Apple drive enclosure, of course). With System 6.0.8 installed and 4MB (!) of RAM, things run pretty zippy (in a relative sense) for an old machine. Most programs written for pre-System 7 versions of the Mac OS will run on System 6, which is particularly handy for non-32-bit compatible software like the original MacWrite or early versions of Microsoft Word.
System 6 is able to utilize AppleTalk to communicate with other Macs on the network. At the VMM a small LocalTalk network using PhoneNet connectors and telephone cabling (remember those?) runs between the Plus and a Quadra 840av (Mac OS 8.1) with File Sharing enabled. The Plus can access the Quadra via AppleShare in the Chooser, and via this link files from floppy disk can be relayed up the chain.
It’s fun to work with the Plus, a 9″ black & white Mac with that distinctive sounding keyboard. I have Talking Moose installed, which still makes me laugh, as well as old games like MacYahtzee and Tetris. Takes me back to my college days. A Kensington System Saver fan sits atop the handle, reminding us that it isn’t only current Macs which tend to overheat due to lack of adequate ventilation…
The design shares the same monitor and power supply as the 128k and 512k Macs, so it isn’t hard to find spare parts. The biggest challenge is nursing along the old hard drives with System 6 installed. Note: if you’re putting your own system together, these disks require formatting with the Apple HD SC Setup Utility, not the newer Drive Setup application.
A few weeks ago I was talking with a couple Geniuses at my local Apple Store, and the subject of Vintage Macs came up. Apple has been around long enough that it’s not uncommon for some store employees not to have been born when I started using the Mac, but these guys were pretty knowledgeable. After some discussion about SE/30s and Mac LCs, one of them mentioned an old animation called Pencil Test.
This brought back memories, few people know of this video. It was released 1988 during the development of the Mac II, the first color Macintosh. The animation is a cute story about how the Pencil Tool from MacPaint sneaks out of its owner’s Mac, then tries various ways to get back inside. The video was rendered entirely on Mac II computers, to show off the processing power of the system. You couldn’t play the video on the Mac (QuickTime hadn’t even come out yet), but it was created (slowly) on a Mac.
The spot is charming, and even though not widely known it has a familiar feel, with anthropomorphized objects vying for our affection. Sharp eyed viewers might recognize Coach John Lasseter listed in the credits, key member of another fledging venture called Pixar. See any vestiges of Luxo Jr or Tin Toy in this piece?
Some wonderful sound design really makes the piece, always dear to my heart. Also thanked in the credits is Evan Brooks and DigiDesign, a then-small company making a computer editing sytem called Sound Tools. Digidesign is currently a part of Avid and is the developer of Pro Tools, the largest audio workstation in music, film and TV production.
Funny how such a small Pencil Test could have so many repercussions!
Summer’s winding down, and with the change in season come migrations of various sorts. One this year involves a friend and fellow Mac consultant who is moving out of state. He is heading West, and a few of his old Macs have migrated to the Vintage Mac Museum.
The first is a Macintosh Portable, Apple’s initial attempt at freeing your Mac from your desk. At 16 pounds with included lead-acid battery, Portable is a questionable term at best for this puppy – it was known as the Mac Luggable in its day! The smaller, lighter PowerBook 100 series succeeded it and ushered in a long line of successful Mac laptops. Nevertheless the Portable is a seminal Classic Mac, and is actually a nice system to use when parked on a desk. This one will be a spare to the current model in the collection.
The second system is a PowerBook 2400c, about as small they came from Apple. Truly portable, this sub-notebook was a companion to the 1400 and 3400 but sold primarily in Japan; only limited quantities were available in the US and Europe. The system compares with the Duo 2300 but was more powerful, with a wider selection of ports. A desirable collector’s model and another welcome spare.
The shrink-wrapped boxed copy of HyperCard was an added bonus!
Rounding out the trio is a 20″ iMac G5, a first generation model with removable back panel. This was a superb design for upgrades, just loosen three screws and lift the back off for access to the RAM, hard disk and motherboard. Apple trumpeted this feature when it came out, then summarily changed everything with the second generation and only made the RAM accessible. Sigh…
This iMac is definitely Not Portable, and currently isn’t working at all; like most G5 iMacs it needs a new power supply, but the fix should be cheap. This is a model I don’t yet have in the collection, so it’s a nice addition. When repaired I plan to run a Lisa Emulator on the system – how fitting for the last all-in-one PowerPC Mac to run software from Apple’s first all-in-one computer, the Mac’s older sister!
A big thanks to Jeff Berg for his generous donations. Best of luck on your journey, my friend.
The PowerPC based PowerBook really hit its stride with the G3-based Wallstreet. Sporting a striking jet-black Batman’esque case, 14″ active matrix screen, 2 PC card slots and dual expansion bays with lots of options (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Floppy, Zip, SuperDisk and later CD-RW drives), the Wallstreet – Apple’s internal project name – was built like a tank and is a pleasure to use. SCSI, ADB and Serial Ports gives this laptop full compatibility with a wide range of peripherals and data storage formats. 
The Quadra series of Macs replaced the 68020/030 based Mac II line and was named after the fourth-generation 68040 processor. The 
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