Category Archives: apple

Any and all things to do with Apple Computers, iPods, et al…

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Wish List: Apple Edition

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There is a certain aesthetic about old Macintosh computers that I love. Each subsequent model is an improvement upon its predecessor. With each successive model the influence on design and use is observable. Machines from the 1980’s still function as they did out of the box. Try to find a bland beige-box PC from the era and compare.

This last week my collection of Apple computers crossed a baker’s dozen. Christmas is coming up and this year I’m wishing to expand my collection. Instead of shiny new things I want old, dingy, and used. eBay ahoy!

1. The Macintosh

Macintosh

This is the one that started the desktop revolution in 1984. The whole Macintosh operating system fit on a 400k disk along with its applications. In comparison the average single MP3 music file today is about 5mb or 5,120k. Despite this storage limitation the Mac was the first computer to have an easy to use animated interface and brought desktop computing to the masses. As the years went on the Macintosh was upgraded periodically. These computers are lovingly referred to as “Toaster Macs” for their all-in-one appliance Gestalt.

They come in a variety of flavors, some of which I already own. In order of lust these are the ones I’m seeking to add to my racks-o-Macs.

  • Macintosh 128
  • Macintosh SE/30 (the Corvette of Toaster Macs)
  • Macintosh Classic II
  • Macintosh 512
  • Macintosh Plus

Watch for: extreme case/keyboard/mouse yellowing
Price: $75-300+

2. The Apple IIc

IIc

I remember in sixth grade when one of my classmate’s family donated the Apple IIc. It was functionally no different than the regular Apple II we had. It ran all the same MECC (Oregon Trail, Odell Lake, Number Muncher) software. It ran that stupid tracking/testing program that monitored our required reading that led to many missed recesses. Nevertheless people fought each other to get on it. Why? Because the thing look crisp, white, and like it was from the future. Of all the Apple II models that came out over the years the IIc and its variants are the most aesthetically pleasing.

Beware of: must include monitor
Gold: $40-80

3. Macintosh Color Classic

Color Classic

I have never actually seen one of these machines in person. I’ve only heard collectors rant and rave about how much they love this machine. The beautiful color screen has the ability to display some of the earliest Quicktime movies. If I had one of these machines I would string an ethernet connection to it and put it through its paces. It is the spiritual predecessor to the iMac and I would love to have one in my collection.

Note: case yellowing, screen functions
Dough: $100-150

4. iBook G3

iBook

The 12″ iBook G3 was perhaps the worst laptop in terms of quality control they ever released. I owned two of these beasts secondhand. Both received free logic board replacements courtesy of an official recall during the course of their useful lives. In both cases my 600 MHz processor was upgraded to 700 and later 800 MHz. Overheating on the motherboard eventually caused one of the chips to raise out of its socket and fail. While I was studying abroad in Germany my later iBook began exhibiting the same problems that had caused the first one to tank completely. For four months I put up with random freezes, crashes, and errors. As my only means of contacting people back home I was desperate to keep the machine running. With only a toothpick, a small screwdriver, a lighter, some tape, and my bare hands I kept that white monster going. Two days before I was scheduled to return home the computer finally took a fatal dive and never came back on.

Despite all that hardship I’ve developed a deep-seated love for this model of laptop. It’s simple design truly embodies what a laptop should be. Simple, small, portable, capable, and road-ready. Apple fixed most of their overheating issues with the G4 iBook. But I still have a sentimental attachment for the G3 model.

Achtung: dead pixels, cracked/scratched outer casing
Shekels: $200-400

5. Newton MessagePad 2000/2100

MessagePad 2100

Before dropping the cold hard cash for an iPhone 3G I seriously considered purchasing a Newton MessagePad 2000/2100 to play with. This device was, in typical Apple fashion, way before its time in 1996-98. The Newton featured a touchscreen, handwriting recognition, expandability options, and the ability to tether an internet connection for web and e-mail applications. In fact it still has a large cult following with developers still writing applications.

Observe: included keyboard, memory cards, adapters, screen cover
Monies: $75-250

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Pixar’s Darkest Film Yet

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If you would like to read an average gushing review of Pixar’s latest offering, may I suggest a quick scour of the google.  You won’t find it here. You will find spoilers below. You have been warned.

wall_e.jpg

I saw Wall-E last night and was thoroughly impressed. The facade of a light-hearted love story geared towards children takes brutal stab at our culture at the same time. The malevolence of big-box corporations, the distraction of always-on mass communications, the proliferation of consumer culture, the exploitation of the environment, the growth of the ever expanding waistline, and the inevitable negative impacts on humanity are directly addressed. Even the Bush administration wasn’t safe with the penetrating “stay the course” line snuck into the dialogue. Wall-E’s message is pay attention to the world around you or else it will slip from your comprehension. It isn’t too late to change. I’ve never considered myself a huge fan of Pixar’s films, but I’ll make an exception for this one.

…I suppose the Macintosh start-up sound Wall-E makes when recharging can also be credited to my liking the film.

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Hello RMC Listeners

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If you clicked on the RetroMacCast link in episode 47 then I bid you welcome. Yes, that is my humble Apple IIgs featured. If you have any questions about it you can contact me via e-mail address kenfager(at)gmail.com. Regular RMC listeners may remember a previous photo that was featured on their show.

If you are a regular reader, I highly recommend RetroMacCast. James and John do a fantastic job every week. Even though they are amateurs their production values would have any layman fooled. Check them out.

apple, education, gaming, geek, genius

Obfuscation Rules

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It took days of failed attempts, but I’m now reliving my childhood. I figured out how to write Apple II disk images to those big 5.25 floppies. Sure there are emulators out there. Sure it is a whole lot easier to just download the disk image and play on a new iMac. It just isn’t the same. There is something truly satisfying about hearing those big drives click away. Here is what it took.

  • Mac OS 10.5 on an Intel iMac to download the disk images and drop them in a shared folder to go to…
  • Mac OS 10.4.9 on a PPC iMac that has support for…
  • Mac OS 9.2.2 which can run Bernie II the Rescue, an Apple IIgs emulator that can manipulate the files, which can then be transfered via 3.5 floppy to…
  • Mac OS 7.0.1 on a Macintosh Classic which can write to ProDOS disks, which are compatible with…
  • Apple GSOS 6.0.1 which runs on an Apple IIgs.

What is the end product for all this hassle? Number Munchers, Odell Lake, Battleship, and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are just the beginning. Oregon Trail… I’ve got my eyes on you next.

apple, geek

Apple IIgs Resurrected

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A week or two ago I purchased two computers from someone through craigslist. One of the computers was the most powerful Apple II model ever built, the IIgs (ROM 3). This computer presented itself with some challenges to bring it back to life. Unlike the Apple II’s I grew up with, this model did not have a 5.25 floppy, but rather a 3.5. The drive also posed a problem in that it would not read standard 1.44mb 3.5 floppies, but 800k formatted disks.

In order to get software installed I had to first buy an external USB floppy drive. Anyone you know still use a floppy drive? Didn’t think so. Then I downloaded the software from various sites around the web, loaded it onto floppies, then transferred it all to my 1991 Macintosh Classic. Once all the necessary files were transferred I modified the floppies into 800k disks by taping the top left hole. This process tricks the drive into formatting a 800k disk when promted in Mac OS 7. Once those disks were written it was time to install GS/OS 6.0.1 on the IIgs. Because I only have one floppy drive on the IIgs I had to switch the install disk and target disk more than 50 times. It would load a small portion of the OS, then copy it to the disk, and then repeat the process over and over until done. If there was a second drive I would not have had to switch the disks.
IIgs

Even though the OS is nearly 20 years old the GS/OS is really impressive. It mimics Mac OS 7’s feel and style as best it can with the hardware resources available. It is hard to believe that the whole device runs from a 800k disk. Steve Wozniak’s brilliance still shines through on this machine.

On a side note, I have come to appreciate how fast network infrastructure has improved in the past five years alone. Phones, television, internet, and a variety of other network connected devices now share the internet as their backbone. Their integration into our lives often goes by unnoticed until they cease to function properly. Before the days of wireless internet, or even the proliferation of ethernet networks, data was transported by “sneakernet.” Someone physically had to transport media to its destination, insert the disc, and eject it.

apple, college, deutsch, education, geek, internet

Ü-tag + 6

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I was able to talk to my neighbor Stefan who runs the internet service for my floor. For only 7 Euro I get faster internet service than at Oshkosh. I’ve begun to upload photos on Flickr and will follow it with detailed accounts later. I just had to take some time to catch up with the rest of the world.

My address here is:

Ken Fager
Wehrda B
Ernst-Lemmer-Strasse 15
35041 Marburg, Zimmer-Nr. 01-16
Bis später dann, Tchüss!

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Some Fruit Company

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Forrest Gump went to his mailbox and opened a letter. In the narration voiced by Tom Hanks, Forrest states that Lt. Dan invested in “some fruit company” and that he didn’t have to worry about money anymore. Forrest says “Well that’s good. One less thing to worry about.” The setting was the mid 1980’s when this fruit company was at their apex. In the mid 1990’s they took a steady nose-dive.

About five years ago I pondered dropping $500 worth of money I had on Apple stock which was trading at about $20 per share. This was before the iPod/iTunes really hit its stride in the mainstream and OS X was the powerhouse it is now. Today they are trading at over just over $90 per share. About four years ago I plunked down cash for a widescreen G4 iMac which still works very well.

Apple now leads the market in digital music and video distribution. Numbers show that online music sales rose 65% while in-store sales dropped around 7% (a 10+ year trend). Apple controls the digital audio player market with an 85% share with the seamless iTunes/iPod interface. The transition to Intel chips in their entire computer line has made Windows a viable option for Mac owners. In fact Windows runs smoother on Apple machines, much to the embarrasment of Mr. Gates. Mac adoption rates have more than doubled in the past year as a result. Many users have been opting to stick with OS X and leave Windows behind.

Today Apple unveiled the oft rumored iPhone. It comes in 4gb and 8gb versions, runs OS X, iTunes, and is a cellphone with a myriad of connection technologies all run from a touchscreen. This is Apple’s Gleichanschaltung (coordination) at its finest. I have for nearly a decade now refused to purchase a cell-phone. I believe I may buckle for this one… eventually. I still hate cell phones.

I do not have any money right now to invest. But five years ago my $500 would have brought in $2,250 if I sold today. That would help me pay for the three tracks I just bought on the iTunes store.