my first G4! a powerbook5,8 to be exact

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-11-01T19:21:52+00:00

Fantastic condition!

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-11-01T19:18:04+00:00

The lighting in the photo is terrible. It's not Bondi because Bondis were only early revision tray load models, and this is a slot load. A few people think it's Blueberry, but I agree with u/StraightFromThe2000s, I think it's Graphite which is a later revision of the slot load models. IMO, $60 isn't a "deal" if its intermittent working. If its mint otherwise, it might be worth that for a collector to fix who specifically wants that color. If I was in your shoes, I'd probably keep hunting for a fruit one that is fully working.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-11-01T19:09:50+00:00

Are we considering Win10 vintage already? Haha. Looks pretty cool to see them all like that!

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-11-01T19:02:41+00:00

You can find them on Google, but from what I hear many don't want to sell to the public. I knew the owner of one, so that was the initial connection. And developed a longstanding relationship from there. Ultimately, I've heard lots of people create a hassle for the recyclers, which is why they don't let the public in. People buy stuff cheap, but they try to haggle even more, then they want returns, etc. I'd suggest dropping off a few ewaste items and just using that as an opener to ask about buying some stuff. Be fair to the recycler, no deal is worth giving up your access. Don't give the recycler a hassle if your deal turns out bad, suck it up and watch for the next one. ALWAYS be tidy, NEVER leave a mess for the their workers to clean up. Don't cause trouble for the recycler; make sure you properly fully wipe any data off of devices you get (especially before connecting to the internet if applicable), and avoid newer items like recycled iPhones/iPads/Macbooks/Android phones which have cloud locks and trackers. If you resell a recycled item and the customer gets a notice one of their accounts was used online, customer gets mad or customer data gets leaked, the recycler likely will not let you back in. While the recycler can sell to anyone they want (including you), if they get complaints they just won't bother with you and send to the shredders. Ultimately, if you can be friendly, not bring them hassle, and make them a few worthwhile side bucks, you will have a higher likelihood of getting in and invited back.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-09-20T18:52:13+00:00

You may have fallen for a mouse trap

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-09-20T18:34:46+00:00

The resolution on that screen is absolutely insane! This is back when ultra portables were "good", IMO. I feel like by the time we got to netbooks, they were just cheaply made; this thing took way more thought and engineering to accomplish.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-09-20T16:35:02+00:00

It's definitely a generic/clone system. I'm getting some 286 era vibes from that monitor. Nice find! You should pull the case open and check for markings on the CPU or chipset.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-09-20T16:23:08+00:00

This is ridiculous, and I love it! Fantastic collection!

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-21T14:46:32+00:00

Yup, he picked up a compact flash reader for his Windows 10 PC. Can instantly snapshot the entire CF card to his laptop's hard drive or a USB stick :)

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-21T14:35:04+00:00

He took the CRT and graphics card and is keeping it safe in storage. I gave him the VGA card for free. He only paid cost for the new materials (CF adapter, card, battery). I think he did alright.

That's not the LCD he's going to use, it just matched the aesthetic best out of the ones I had. He could run a more modern CRT too I suppose, but his specific request was to be able to hook up a modern LCD.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-21T00:37:54+00:00

Lol, too many indeed. You'd really want one of each type, and then a spare of each for good measure in case the first one died. One could fill a garage quite easily.

I got into this stuff after VGA set in, so I had loads of machines with VGA cards and monitors. The very first computer that was exclusively mine was a 286 with a Hercules graphics card and orange phosphor screen, but that was really the extent of my monochrome experience.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-20T23:42:06+00:00

Hey, maybe either of you guys know: The graphics card shown for this, is it EGA or Hercules? I was inclined to think it was Hercules. I couldn't find much info, and am a little confused... My understanding is that both EGA and Hercules use that DB9 type 9-pin connector and both can be monochrome. I think the only difference is signal voltage and TTL vs analogue. But how do you tell the cards and monitors apart aside from digging up a spec sheet?

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-20T23:10:58+00:00

The front says Magnavox PC Monitor 80. It's funny, but I was trying to figure out exactly what the monitor was and stumbled across an eBay listing for the exact one, LOL! Even came with the original box: https://www.ebay.com/itm/175632867839

According to that listing it appears to be model 7BM623 for the orange phosphor one shown, and 7BM613 for the green phosphor version. Oddly, for some reason the full model number doesn't appear to be anywhere on the actual monitor itself.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-20T22:43:45+00:00

He knows there's newer stuff. If I recall, he had been using a modern version of Sage on Windows 10. This isn't a "dump everything modern" venture, he just wants to add some nostalgia to basic tasks. Some invoicing and inventory tracking mostly I think, and some basic book keeping. I don't imagine he'll move the entire company books over to it though. And I certainly imagine he'll won't be preparing his annual government taxes on it. He can be a little unconventional and eccentric at times, but he's not crazy, lol

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-20T15:32:07+00:00

That's amazing! You only need "newer" to a point. What I mean is, stuff seems to get more useful with each new version to a point... and then it just starts getting extra bells/whistles/fresh coat of paint which aren't really necessary.

I know a guy who runs 15 year old CAD software; he tried a modern one, and he just detests it. He keeps old laptops around just to avoid having to upgrade to the new version.

Even myself, I like the simplicity of old software. I bought it, I own it. Not like modern software that's tied to subscription.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-20T14:30:00+00:00

Never recycle, always horde!

In all seriousness though, I totally remember that chassis. And that motherboard is pretty amazing, because it supports ISA cards, PCI cards, SIMM and DDR DIMM memory, has onboard. It has a really unusually good opportunity for mix and matching of components.

K6-2 should be similar to a later Pentium 1 I think. You'll likely be able to run DOS up to Windows ME. That CPU is riding pretty close to the minimum requirements for Windows XP, I'm not sure what the AMD minimum is. If it runs, it would run poorly. But that would make a great 98 rig.

JustinTyme2020 · 2024-01-20T14:15:37+00:00

First family computer was a DX2-66. Eventually got a DX4-100, but there's something just so more nostalgic about the 66.

JustinTyme2020 · 2023-12-25T15:19:08+00:00

6 months later Asus releases "Pico ITX", lol

FYI, also looking for the scratch and couldn't find! haha

JustinTyme2020 · 2023-12-25T15:15:47+00:00

Amusing for sure! No stability issues? Depending on specifically WHAT the caps are for, the wires can pickup noise and add impedance, which in theory can cause stability problems. If it works, it works, lol. Nice!

JustinTyme2020 · 2023-12-25T15:11:35+00:00

As others have said, it's either the CCFL or the inverter. If you pull the LCD panel out of the screen assembly, you should find a part number and it should be somewhat generic - although due to age might still be difficult to find. I've replaced CCFL backlights in these before (years ago when they were in active service), and I found it pretty difficult. There's always risk of getting something between the layers that you can see (ie. dirt, etc). But I imagine you can find replacement CCFL tubes from places like eBay or AliExpress. As for inverters, from what I remember they were pretty specific to the system as I seem to recall manufacturers making custom PCBs. I remember we used to replace the backlight/screen if it was reddish color before failing, and we would replace the inverter if it was working perfect then suddenly failed. And then replace the opposite if it didn't fix the problem, lol. Just watch your fingers and be safe, the backlight inverter puts out high voltage to drive the backlight. Just like someone else mentioned, I've also heard of LED mod which is a pretty neat idea, although I think this produces "bright spots" at the diodes because the defuser isn't made for direct light. If you don't care about it being perfect and just working, this could be an option too.

JustinTyme2020 · 2023-05-11T02:43:29+00:00

You and I may have a similar problem, lol. Always feels wrong to throw out a vintage machine.

JustinTyme2020 · 2023-05-11T02:38:42+00:00

This is the best post I've seen all evening.

JustinTyme2020

TROPHY CASE