Vintage computers

[scifan57]

Figuring out how to play Oregon Trail in Mac OS 9.2.2 on my iBook G3.

 

[scifan57]

Updating my iMac G3 to Mac OS Tiger 10.4.11.

 

[scifan57]

I just ipdated the AirPort Admin Utility and the AirPort Setup Assistant on my iBook G3 Clamshell and it can now handle modern encryption and connect to my AirPort Express. This also updated the firmware on the AirPort card to version 9.5.2.

 

[scifan57]

I used to have a really old computer. It was a Macintosh Classic 2.

Here's a picture I found online.

Those are considered collectors items today. There is, however, a problem which all of them will have by now; capacitor failure. The type of capacitor used on these old Macs would leak electrolyte over time and will damage the logic board it not fixed. The fix consists of replacing every capacitor on the logic board with new ones that won't leak.

 

[LannyC]

The fix consists of replacing every capacitor on the logic board with new ones that won't leak.

Or, you could rip out all those pesky electronics and fill it with water and fish...

 

[scifan57]

Last night I decided to update Java on my iBook G3. I found and downloaded the latest version available for my computer but when I went to install it I was told that all earlier updates had to be installed first. This led to an hour of finding and installing all the intermediate updates. Finally, after almost an hour and a half Java was finally fully updated.

 

[scifan57]

Although there are quite a few updates for old Macs still available from the Apple website, computers as old as mine can’t download them directly as the browsers available for them don’t meet modern security standards. I have to download the updates to my MacBook Pro, burn them to a CD and use that CD to install the updates on the iBook G3.

 

[twerppoet]

The fact that your Macbook Pro has a CD burner showes it’s not all that new either. Or is it an external CD/DVD.

 

[scifan57]

The fact that your Macbook Pro has a CD burner showes it’s not all that new either. Or is it an external CD/DVD.

It's the last MacBook pro with a built in optical drive. It was discontinued 2 years ago. The AppleCare+ on it expired this past August.

 

[twerppoet]

That recent? I thought they stopped selling them earlier. Shows how little attention I’ve been paying to laptops the last few years.

 

[scifan57]

That recent? I thought they stopped selling them earlier. Shows how little attention I’ve been paying to laptops the last few years.

It was discontinued on October 27, 2016.
Apple quietly kills non-Retina MacBook Pro it sold for four years

 

[scifan57]

Earlier today I took my iBook G3 Clamshell to the local library where it had no trouble connecting to the library WiFi hotspot. The biggest problem I’ve found is that the computer won’t connect to a lot of sites because it can’t handle the modern security some sites use. This even applies to the Apple website itself. If I could put Mac OS Tiger 10.4.11 on this computer I could use TenFourFox as my browser and it could connect to these sites. TenFourFox is a fork of the Mozilla FireFox browser that’s optimized for PowerPC G3, G4, and G5 Macs and is still currently kept up to date with new features and security updates.

 

[scifan57]

My iBook G3 Clamshell turned 21 today and still works perfectly.

 

[twerppoet]

My iBook G3 Clamshell turned 21 today and still works perfectly.

View attachment 89542 View attachment 89543

I had the tangerine one. Named it Agent Orange. Many good years of use.

 

[scifan57]

Here are some shots of my IBM Thinkpad T42, the last model sold by IBM before their PC business was sold to Lenovo.
It has connectors not seen on modern computers such as a Parallel port and an S Video port along with VGA, Modem and Ethernet ports.