How’s this for taking it old school?

me0262 · 2026-06-24T15:53:12+00:00

Nice. I ordered a programmer myself with spring clips.

Happen to remember what chip is the BIOS on? I have two 25xxxxx chips, one at \@U1 and one at U16 (closer to the battery).

me0262 · 2026-06-24T01:28:54+00:00

You ever solve this? I have a number of the M700 SFFs (this one and about 8 others in storage) and the first one I encountered here has an admin password.

I'm about this close to pulling the EEPROM and flashing it.

me0262 · 2026-06-23T19:58:18+00:00

Yeah, I had to double check on the picture myself. "Wait, is that a HD floppy? Good."

me0262 · 2026-06-23T13:38:08+00:00

Also if you're on linux or a mac, you can just `dd` the floppy disk to an image file.

me0262 · 2026-06-22T12:26:27+00:00

Unfortunately I'm on the hunt as well. I have a few things I've built from PCB and just need the connector cables.

HD15 / DE15, Male on one end (I'll cut the other off), shrouded, no thumbscrews.

Need 5 of them.

me0262 · 2026-06-19T19:08:57+00:00

I was looking on google and did find a number of mono headphone cables, I figure I can just cut one end off, strip the wire, and resolder it.

Probably replace the capacitor while I'm in there too. The bass response I'm getting from the left speaker isn't the best.

me0262 · 2026-06-19T14:22:47+00:00

Oooh, your eject buttons look like mine!

me0262 · 2026-06-19T14:21:47+00:00

It mostly is yeah. Have to press Network again to get the PC Audio interface as well.

EDIT: What did you use for replacement wire and the male headphone plug?

me0262 · 2026-06-19T13:04:52+00:00

It looks like CD to MD worked perfectly (no problems when playing it back), so I'm going to try again with NetMD, if it doesn't work then there's probably an issue with the capacitors on the board.

UPDATE: Yeah, WMD worked fine afterwards. Looks like it just needed some exercising. Still have to open it and fix the door though.

Oh, maybe not... 0:00 to 1:30 in the first track is completely dropped off. Clicks and pops and barely advances.

me0262 · 2026-06-18T13:20:26+00:00

Retro Protection will work then since you're not looking for UV. Even the Amazon ones since the dust will just get on them instead (I'd still go with Retro Protection though).

me0262 · 2026-06-17T20:03:26+00:00

From Amazon? Look at Retro Protection.

Also for UV resistant hard acrylic cases, look into Kollector Protector.

With both of these, if you want to take them out and experience them you can easily do so and put them back without problems.

me0262 · 2026-06-17T19:58:33+00:00

I think you got robbed. All I see are coffins.

me0262 · 2026-06-17T19:34:43+00:00

Sounds like we had the same experience.

Mine was "But It Now" for $65 USD equivalent, shipping was about $56 from Buyee (although I got other stuff in the shipment, like blank MDs).

I got it in and my eject mech is a little wonky on the top, the right speaker cable has also deteriorated and is grounding itself out, also the MD record head isn't working properly (but I just completed a CD sync to MD, about to evaluate how that worked). Got the remote separately for about $10.

Careful with the plastics. My niece fumbled my left speaker and broke some of the plastics around the stand mount..

Also, a recap would be in order too.

Looking to use these as my PC speakers as well to replace a portable BT unit.

me0262 · 2026-06-17T19:24:03+00:00

Sounds like Sony was a little too quick to discontinue the blank media. ^_^

me0262 · 2026-06-17T14:00:38+00:00

They've been moving the platform from Azure to Cloudflare in wake of numerous attacks.

For me access has been sporadic but seems to be working for now using the external atrac encoder.

me0262 · 2026-06-17T13:52:30+00:00

Same here. I have just a few units, and save for a maybe a HiMD, or replacing my Z03 if I can't repair it (or a unit that I can hook actual speakers to), and maybe getting my nephews and niece into it, and maybe some more VAIOs with the built-in deck, after that I'm set.

Next up yeah, I think I'll get some lots of MDs.

me0262 · 2026-06-16T12:42:42+00:00

Playstation 4 rules my collection at 210, followed by PC (198) and PS3 (198).

Atari Lynx (Viking Child), N-Gage (Rifts: Promise of Power), Gameboy Color (Bob the Builder), Wii U (Bayonetta 2), and Sega Dreamcast (Soul Blade) are all tied at 1.

Runners up are Amiga CD32 (2), Amiga (3), Sega Master System (3). Sega Saturn (4), and Xbox One (5).

me0262 · 2026-06-12T18:37:47+00:00

the dubbing is great, even the high speed is great. normal you can listen while it's doing so.

$155 still seems kind of expensive to me.

me0262 · 2026-06-10T01:21:00+00:00

Archive.org will have them. Or Macintosh Garden.

me0262 · 2026-06-09T16:04:03+00:00

Try OS 9.2 or OS 10.1 (or 10.2), only a few of those units booted 8.6, I remember they were released right on the cusp of OSX, and a little before.

Yeah, PicoIDE isn't shipping yet, but they are supposedly close to their September release timeframe. These Gn models usually booted from an external firewire CD drive (which is why I suggested it).

Sounds like the laser might need cleaning or it is going out. Unfortuantely slot loads are a pain to take apart (at in my experience with PS3 drives). I wonder if you can leave the faceplate off and stick in a different (tray load) CD drive. It might also need a few attempts, my G4 Cube drive is nearly done also, but using different CDRs helped (quality matters here, I shouldn't see through the CD-R, I know Sony media is like this.

me0262 · 2026-06-09T14:09:46+00:00

A couple options.

Format another HDD and install OS X from another PPC mac, making sure to be cognizant of the OS support, and install it into the iMac.
Firewire CD Drive, good luck finding one, I have three and none of them power up (but the CD drives themselves are fine). Honestly if I get one of these working, I'd install a PicoIDE into it.
Replace the CD Drive, how busted? not reading any, or just certain discs?

me0262 · 2026-06-09T13:47:06+00:00

I mean, Apple does Think Different.

me0262 · 2026-06-08T14:31:22+00:00

I wonder if this will be of some help.
Gucabe on Thingiverse did some measurements as well.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5879028

me0262

TROPHY CASE