Aftermac's Personal Computer Cache

Or, how to turn one working computer and two non-working computers into two working computers and one REALLY non-working computer. I have decided to sacrifice my previously existing Quadra 605 for parts. I wasn't going to do this, but after I gave it some thought, I remembered that I also have a Macintosh LC with a dead power supply. So, I'll take the motherboard from my other Q605 and put it in my friends to bring it back to life, and move the power supply over to the LC. My goal is to have as many *different* working models as possible, so any doubles are candidates for being parted out. The LC has never booted in the time I've owned it - and after moving the power supply from the sacrificial Q605, it still hasn't. There is no hard drive and I was too lazy to grab a boot floppy. At this point, I was satisfied to see a blinking "?" when I turned the system on. Mission accomplished, I have another working computer! I haven't moved the mother board from th

I just scored the first Mac I ever used! My best friends Quadra 605, that he received for Christmas 1993. Neither he or I have seen or used the computer in over 10 years. Long story short, I now own my childhood home and his dad still lives two doors down. I knew my friend didn't take the computer with him when he moved out and I don't really ever talk to his dad, but today he saw me outside and asked me a computer question, so I just happened to ask if he still had the old Mac. He said there was some old thing in the basement and that I was welcome to have it. I went over to take a look and sure enough, it was the 605! So, I hauled it home and the first thing I did was open the case to see if the battery had leaked... and, unfortunately it has. I have pulled the motherboard out to try and clean it up. It doesn't look as bad as some that I've seen, so maybe there is some hope for it. The metal shield on the inside of the top cover also has some significant rust damage f

Broken. Eventually, I was going to pull out a computer that legitimately didn't work. I knew they were there. At least this one is my "spare" Classic II. Still, I can't help but feel bad for it. If I had to make a guess, I would say this Mac is the victim of bad capacitors on the motherboard. Since, this is a spare computer I really don't have anything to lose by washing the motherboard to remove the conductive fluid from the leaking capacitors. As of this writing, I have removed and (my wife) washed and rinsed the motherboard. I am going to let it dry for a while - possibly a couple weeks, to make sure there is no water left to short out the components and cause more damage. I'm not really confident that washing the board will allow the computer to boot, but again I have nothing to lose. Either way, the capacitors need to be replaced. I'm not sure if I'll do this or part out the computer for spare parts for my other Mac's or just put it on the she

Well, this one is a bit embarrassing... I had this computer sitting on the shelf with a tag that read: "Power, Chime No Video, No Boot" An unfortunate misdiagnosis on my part. I pulled the SE off the shelf as part of this project, since it is one of my non-working machines that I am most interested in getting running. So, I plug it in, hook up the keyboard and mouse, and fire it up. Sure enough as my trusty note said, the fan spun up, the computer chimed, but the screen stayed blank. I give it a light tap on the side... Still nothing. Then I notice the HD light start flashing. That doesn't sound like "No boot" to me. I give the brightness knob a turn. At first there is no change in the screen, but as I keep turning the screen brightens up to reveal a Macintosh System 6 desktop. Hmm. Well, then. How could I have made a mistake like this?? I must have been hastily testing it and not really thinking about what I was doing. Regardless, I am thrilled relieved that i

Just a quick video of my collection and the cramped quarters in which it resides. I have another 6 computers that are not in the video, but you get the point. :)

Might as well start with what's out in the open. This Classic II has been sitting on my workbench with its guts exposed for so long, that I don't even remember what I was doing with it when I opened it up in the first place! I'm not even sure if it works... First things first lets give it a visual inspection to see if everything is hooked up. Hmm... the motherboard is partially pulled out, but it looks like all the connections are hooked up... HD, floppy, power supply, battery is installed... A keyboard, mouse, and power cord are already hooked up, so lets see if it works... Lo and behold, it fires right up! Looks like it has a ton of extensions loaded. After the parade of icons finishes and the desktop loads, I opened "About This Macintosh". This particular Classic II has System 7.1 loaded, with 4 MB RAM, and a 40 MB HD - that is practically full! The screen is exceptionally sharp and clear. There is software for sharing DOS files, Microsoft Word 4.0, FileMaker P

That is the question not just for this blog, but for the project that will be its primary subject. I have a sizable collection of vintage computers, consisting of 70+ machines from a handful of different manufacturers. My primary interest is Apple. I've been a Mac user since 1993, when my best friend received a Macintosh Quadra 605 for Christmas. One year later, for Christmas, I received my first computer, a used Macintosh IIsi that my mom bought from a co-worker. It had 9 MB RAM, 40 MB HD, and a 20 MHz Motorola 68030 CPU. I purchased my second computer in 1997, a Mac PowerBook Duo 270c. A laptop. The Duo and IIsi were my main computers until my first new computer purchase - The iMac, in 1998. After that it is all kind of a blur... How did I come to acquire 70+ computers? Honestly, I'm not quite sure. It just kind of happened. I'm not even sure where they all came from. The collection is relegated to a corner of my basement, where it resides out of sight, sitting on crude s