Fixing Up Apple's Last Compact Mac
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- The first Mac came with a small built-in screen. The last so-called compact Mac rolled off the assembly line a decade later in 1994, but strangely, was never sold in the US. I finally got my hands on one -- but can I get it working?
(And for anyone wondering: The accepted definition of a "compact" Mac is an all-in-one model with screen of 9-10" in size. The iMac, therefore, doesn't count.)
Sources:
"Compact and Colorful," MacUser, April 1993.
Performa 600 photo: blog.aventure-...
Color Classic II photo: Jonathan Zufi, iconicbook.com
LC 550 photo: www.recycledgo...
"A Long-Discontinued Mac Still Thrills Collectors to the Core," The New York Times, August 24, 2000.
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$80?!!? You lucky, lucky man. Honestly, though, I'm happy it found a home with someone that will take care of it. Great video, and I'm really happy this didn't turn into another walkman saga.
Actually such a cheap price for such a rare retro PC
The shipping was probably somewhat pricy from Japan, especially with the repack, but surely much less than you'd find on eBay.
That said, there's so much artificial pricing on eBay these days in general.
The Japanese auction pages says it cannot be powered on and without HDD and I think it was sold as nonoperational state, that explains its low price. Lucky you got a working machine!
We had the Colour Classic II up here in Canada, and I remember how much I coveted it when I saw it in our school's computer lab. Most of the machines had monochrome displays, so its compact Trinitron really stood out. Glad you managed to find such a deal on this one!
When you said that people were passing up the Classic to buy multimedia Macs, that described me exactly. Back in 1993, I looked at the Classic, and was impressed by the Sony Trinitron display, but decided to go for a model that had a built in CDROM, a Mac IIvi. That was my first Mac.
Performas had the same stigma as LC series units or the late Apple //e, and later, the eMac - that they were weak education units
It always brings joy to my heart to see how much care you take on handling these old machines. Thank you for doing what you do!
Greetings from Austria
Thomas
Wow, awesome find! I’m absolutely thrilled for you man! Thanks for sharing the journey with us.
Great video. I would recommend using a larger nozzle on the hot air to remove caps.
Completely agree with your statements on the Color Classic. I had to use one when I did my internship at a magazine in the late 90's and it was a horrible experience. Apart from the "cuteness" of the case, there wasn't much to love about it. If it had been a CC2, I would probably have fonder memories of that form factor.
Wow. Just wow. What a great find and price. Get it recapped ASAP! AND, when a machine is yellowing evenly and fully retromodded / restored internally i love to see it bear its age well, a sleeper, if you will, but if the sticker mark is a deal breaker for you, you do you. I'm here regardless of your choice. Love your content.
Agreed. Personally I'd never retrobright anything unless it's absolutely hideous, nothing wrong with a bit of yellowing on decades old hardware.
That's a fantastic find. I finally found a new in box Cinema display for my G4 cube and now I can focus on updating that machine. I was never a Mac guy growing up so it's fun to see all the different computers. It's like I'm discovering them for the first time.
thats so cool! i'm the same way :) i never really cared for apple growing up but now im like wow!!
I’ve had a shipping horror story once when I bought a DEC pdp-11/23 and the seller packed it so badly (literally in the cheapest box with no packaging) that it arrived all smashed up and the chassis was literally bent. Not a little bit but a lot
I love finding bargains on Sendico and that was for sure a Sendico box unless other proxy places use that red tape, those guys always do an amazing job of packing things well. I've had great success with them over the years.
Looks like Buyee
I have never been a Mac guy, so I really enjoy these videos. You showcase an entire class of computers I didn't know about.
I've always been a Mac guy and also really enjoy these videos. :) I bought a used Color Classic in '94 or '95. Later on my sister used it primarily. I later got it back, but over the years and through various moves, I lost sight of it. I hope it's doing well somewhere.
@@fryke I really like his 90s tech videos
It is great I ❤ these videos
I love old Macs they have such a nostalgia factor to me and a lot of others
I've used Buyee a lot for Japanese imports into the UK, and I've literally only ever had one machine turn up damaged (although one I ordered was refunded under their warranty as it arrived at their warehouse trashed). They've all been laptops though, not this - but their protective shipping process is definitely impressive.
Yup, Buyee generally really packs them well if you request. Often the item will be in the box it was shipped to Buyee in japan domestically and you can see the local seller only did an adequate job that was just good enough to ship the few days it took locally, but clearly would have never survived international shipping for any distance. So I've learned to always have them repack. Sometimes the level of layers they pack the item in amazes me, especially for the size of the item even when relatively small.
In the past I've had items via eBay from Japan, and they did a piss poor job for a heavier items, with a corner cracked because there just wasn't enough packing..
Thank you. Brings back fond memories of my own experiences with Macs such as the Quadras and Performas. Also, some years ago at a church bazaar, I picked up both a Macintosh SE, and a StyleWriter printer for a bargain price. Mac booted up right away. The older
Macs may be slow compared to the ones today, but the quality of these older machines is amazing.
Fantastic contribution! Thank you for sharing it! I have been working on my CC Mystic this last week and doing some housekeeping on it, so this video was very timely. It's helpful to know about the BlueSCSI -- I'm still rocking a spinning drive in mine. Also, congrats on winning the bid for this machine
Your videos are cinematic, your work is meticulous, and you clearly really love these computers. 10/10👌🏻
Colin, a quick tip to removing SMD caps, if you wiggle them side to side till the legs break off, you can use Wick to remove the broken leg & clean the pad. NO need for Hot air. I was taught this from a good friend that repairs small electronics with SMD components. Hope it helps !
I'm so happy for you that this project went incredibly smoothly as I know how much trouble you have had in the past with other machines.
I'm early so ill make this fast. Lol Im not a technology junkie or electronics guru, but I really love your videos for your nice voice and because I get to see alot of interesting old tech I didn't know existed. Thank you for your work sir! 💜
I am beyond green with envy! My fully restored CC is sitting next to me and has a permanent space on my desk, with a lot of sentimental value. I have kept it completely stock (VRAM, FPU, 10MB RAM), aside from a SCSI2SD board. I am always on the hunt for a II/275 for more of a toy… I need to start digging through yahoo auctions it seems!
I also bought a CC from Japan and the description mentioned it wasn't sure if it had been upgraded to a LC550 logic board or not - turns out it was! Mine got the case cracked during shipping, but the damage was still minor and concentrated onto the top screw sockets and along one vertical edge in the front. After a full recap of both boards, I got a few days of working state, but moving the machine must have caused something to no longer energize the CRT properly. I'm still hopeful I can bring it back to stability but I keep putting it off. I've run mine without a battery just fine, they're not required.
I only just noticed your gigantic Hokusai wall. That's so rad!
it's always those caps and the fact that they popped under heat it's good that you got those out
Wow that Foxconn sticker is cool. Wild to think how long they’ve been making Apple products and components.
Ha. I'm one of those who bought the Performa 600CD instead of the Color Classic (II). :-) And I had no regrets, either. I later upgraded it to a Quadra 650 mobo, and maxed the RAM. That computer lasted (with my kids) until the early 2000s, before it was retired.
Great video,,, Interesting, I worked ‘with’ and ‘for’ Apple for nearly 20 years, 80’s onwards, from Apple I, II. I have a bunch of stuff in my garage, Quadra 950, LC’s, 10’ Apple Monitor, Apple Cd’s, cables power (New supplies and components, network and graphic cards for various modles), I even have the Apple 16/600 lazer printer and a bunch of other stuff including prototypes.. Never occurred to me to check component degradation (thank you for that). Great to see there is still a community out there. I am Apple L1/L2 qualified technician (1980 to 2000) from the good old days of the Apple and Mac, (who remembers the LC and the Apple Luggable?) repaired hundreds of 128K Mac up to the SE30’s,Vx and Vi, II, IIx, etc. Happy to help anyone if they have problems or questions. I still have the original software and TIL (technical information library. (On a Newton and disk) ‘somewhere’!!. Happy to try and help if you have problems or questions, just ask. The Performa was really crap as suggested in the video, but at the time it was an excellent office machine. It was sometimes fitted with a Sony 160MB HD, that would get stuck, you just had to give it a little push and off it went and you could recover the data and change the HD.
They used those in some of the computer labs in the High Schools where I did repairs. Problems were complicated by the combo and software compatibility made them go all PC a couple of years later.
Another awesome video. I love the “old tech” that you cover. My first Mac was a 512k that had an “upgrade” of an 800k disk drive. I spent the same amount to purchase an external 800k disk drive.
Even more difficult to find than old hardware, is old software. I think it would be awesome for you to do a series of old software. MacPaint, Write, Draw… SuperPaint, ResEdit, NetTrek, NetBunny… not to mention Microsoft Word and Excel, etc. And the games. I bought my 512k from Macromind Software when they had a warehouse sale. I was hoping to get the latest C64 games for a great price. I was lucky enough to convince my dad to shell out $200 for the Mac. That was around 1990. The Mac I bought, was the one they used to develop and test their software.
My fascination (read: obsession) with computers started with the Apple IIe, my first true computer, and your videos bring back those good old days. Thanks for another great video.
What a deal. My first MAC was an SE and I've collected quit a few of that Form Factor over the years. I still use my Color Classic for recipes.
Thank you for telling us about this Mac and showing us this mac.
Perfect timing, this vid coming out on Feelin' Good Friday!🎉
I remember a thousand years ago constantly playing Scarab of Ra on one of these units at my best friends place. Black and white though! Ahh. The good old days!
I early adopted a 128K Mac back in 1984, when they first came out. I loved that thing. It was so unique at the time.
I absolutely adore these videos, the time, care and attention to preserve old electronics is fantastic to watch. Great video.
Retrobrighting in Minnesota is insane outside of summer.
This story had a fairytale ending. Bravo and congrats on the score.
I'm glad you are working without a heartache so far. After I learned about colour classic 2 I wanted one. I had the color classic 1 mackintosh apple
So educational, if you enjoy old things. Trying to remember the mid-1990's, think I upgraded a 68030 from 16 MHz to 33 MHz with an aftermarket DayStar, but the memory is wonky (mine, not the RAM). Along with the 32-bit patch of course.
I seriously considered the original Color Classic as an upgrade from the original Classic. But ultimately went with the LCIII. Which was replaced by the LCIII (2), the LC475, the LC every-other-number that was the same price but better all in the space of about 12 months...
The Color Classic was pretty... but that's about all.
Nice find! Thank you for sharing this with us. Have you considered posting a series of “How To” videos as a playlist? You could probably reuse content you’ve already made .
I don't have the nerve to de/re-solder old caps like this, so I'll continue lively vicariously through these videos!
Another wonderful and educational video. Nice job, Colin. It's your videos over the years that have gotten me interested in retro Macs!
Nothing better than waking up to a new TDNC video on a Saturday morning. ❤️
Like Mr Carlson does, you can twist the caps off with pliers. Then desolder the legs. Works fine and less destructive.
Really glad such a find went to you since you've done it justice and shared the video with the world, but... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous!
That's such an awesome find! Congrats!
Hi, there is a way to remove those surface caps, without using heat, you should consider. Use something to press firmly down on the top of the cap then twist. this will break the joint but not damage the pads.
I had an SE-30, and a 512K about 25 years ago(?) Gave them to a friend. They still worked.
I remember working on this model back in the day working at Apple. Thanks god they were no Elna caps on the TV/PS board.
damn, and here i was thinking i was lucky for ordering an Apple LED Cinema Display from Canada to South America and having it arriving without damage. or travelling with it on a commercial airline again without damage.
nice find Colin, the color classic is truly an iconic machine and to have the more rare Performa version is really a hit.
That's a hell of a score!
I would have never thought that you could soak a motherboard, nice!
Do your hands shake when you try to hold them still? You are one of several people I have noticed recently whose hands seem to sort of vibrate when they are not in motion. It’s like you’re buzzing with energy! Cheers!
I have a Mac Color Classic and swapped the motherboard with an LC 550. Luckily, I just needed to install a new hard drive, double the storage than its original, and clean out the floppy drive from the dust it collected.
This was a very nice and relaxing video. Thank you.
Oh damn my dad has one of these in his cellar, working perfectly still!
Wow! Yeah, I remember these!
My brother is a graphic designer who started his career in the 1990s on a pretty awful LC series machine and dreamed of having a Colour Classic II. I ended up buying one for him as a rather belated upgrade a few years ago. It's quite amazing that such a tiny screen was considered suitable for something like Photoshop back then, especially when I was using a 24" monitor on a Sun workstation. Ironically, I spent most of my time in a couple of terminal windows and used the VI editor - so not making much use of that extra screen real estate or capabilities of the 24 bit "Leo" graphics card.
ill always just remember this computer being in the movie Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue! 🤣
🎶tap tap tap tap to the super highway! computers tap tap tap into each other!🎶🎶
I love your collection I have over 100 including this one
Another one saved! I just recently resurrected a Color Classic logic board. If anyone is interested in getting their's restored, reach out to us.
Great computer and very good job. Nice film🙂
That's cool as hell I didn't even know that model existed.
The Mac Color Classic plays Sim City 2000? That machine is worth owning just for that!
Hey man, huge fan of your videos. Is there any way you can pass along the exact songs you used as ambient in this video? They just helped me relaxed so well after a hard day at work. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Ahhh the packaging and tape, that proxy service is familiar ^^
I have a habit of spraying electrolyte everywhere too. Simpatico with you Mac.
Is it possible in the coming years to do a video in the line of "Every Mac model ever, explained in 30 minutes"?
2: 15, also made by Foxconn , I see that Apple stick for a long time with a same supplier
Sonneschein batteries tend to be alright, I haven't seen any that have exploded. Tadirans also generally don't, though it has been known to happen to those if the machine had been stored in a humid environment.
I swear we had a ton of these in Linwood, MN when I was a kid. Like 30+ before getting the iMAC rainbow bois
A little before the LC-575, first computer I used.
i totally recognize that packing tape. buyee!
I strongly recommend you buy a soldering iron with tweezers, so you avoid spreading heat across the board and its components.
300C is an okay temp on 858d. 375 can damage pads
We had 100s pf these in my elementary school in 2002. In 2003 they were replaced with refurbished iMac G3 color full.
So drool worthy. I badly wanted one of these when I was a teenager, but had to stick with my 486, because games.
Flux should be used for soldering components on PCBs, not just for desoldering.
Flux makes for more solid connections and better looking welds, hence better quality repairs.
It's striking in your video at 5:39 how the solder forms a ball that doesn't want to wet the metal parts to be joined, that's because of the lack of flux.
There's no such thing as too much flux for soldering, but you could often end up with too little!
Maybe have a look over to channel NorthridgeFix to get an idea how much flux is needed for electronic repairs.
I believe NorthridgeFix uses syringes of AMTECH VS-213-A-TF.
I had one of these and replaced the logic board with a 575 model, did a bit of circuit modification and added video RAM to get the 68030 16MHz to be a 68040 40 MHz, to increase the resolution to 640 x 480 and installed a 250 megabyte SCSI hard drive, and it was really fast in comparison. But a few months later... I gave it up, no matter what, it was too slow.
Great to Performa's getting some attention. Had an all in one Performa that was a workhorse for me for years. It was a later model than this beauty.
Good for you ! 👍🏻
Hmmm, makes me want to try and reboot my Power Macintosh 9600. It's been sitting for at least 20 years. I used it as a Avid Media Composer. It was maxed out with 12 -12MB ram chips. 144 total.... I think
The CC is ssslllllooowwww. I have a couple of them and I put in the 550 mobos. That makes it so Spock can walk around just fine in the After Dark screensaver. I did not do the video hack to get 640x480. Such nice little machines.
Beautiful 👍😍 I guess the CRT picture tube is a Sony Trinitron ?
Awesome video!
keep up the good Work man. thanks for the videos
I had so many of these vintage computers back in the late 90s and early 2000s.... I threw them all away 😭
they *do not need a working pram battery to operate. there are very few macs that do and this isn't one of them. And even some that *do* can be bypassed with another power cycle.
Performas had the same stigma as LC series units or the late Apple //e, and later, the eMac - that they were weak and slow education units.
You use flux (for nothing) for desoldering and not (enough) for soldering. Next time try to twist the cap to brake the legs and then you just need the soldering iron to remove them from the board pads. If you're scared to rip pads try first to easy mendable one but it won't happen.
i got lucky and someone had one in MO that sold a 275 to me. it needs retro bright as well.
i also got a classic II from yahoo, but ive decked it out with a mystic and pc601 upgrade with a 640x480 mod, thing is a beast. Im getting another cc with a weird micromac 040 upgrade so prob gonna have to recap that thing too.
Holy grail
I really do enjoy your videos, and I am always exited to see when you’ve got new ones available. What stands out here is the you mentioned retrobrighting? Have you changed your opinion on it.? As for brittle plastics has anybody tried slowly heating them to a point just before melting and then slowly cooling them down again? I know it seems risky and it would entail great effort but between you and guys like LGR and 8bit Guy a lot is being done towards preserving our electronic history. So if there is a way to undo effect of time on these plastics it would be great.
I have had to bend uPVC extrusions at my day job a bit different that the plastics used of computers but still pretty much in the same family of materials I would guess? They tend to turn soft at about 200c. To the point which it would be problematic to deal with but if brought right to the point could one not undo what time have done?
Have you considered doing the mystic or takky mod on your original color classic?
Hey! I hope you are in excellent health and have an awesome day!
You know they make aluminum polymer caps that not only look original, but have a solid electrolyte that won't leak? They're more expensive than standard electrolytics but they're worth it. They're often colored instead of black (the ones I bought, both Kyocera and Wurth, are red, but I've seen blue and purple), so they do stand out, but they otherwise look the same.
These, like most soft power Macs, don't often mind missing PRAM batteries because they get trickle power while they're plugged in. The hard power models, starting with the '040s, were the ones that needed a PRAM battery to boot because otherwise the clock chip wouldn't be able to initialize properly at power on.
What is the concentration of isopropyl alcohol used? I sometimes run into issues with boards reacting negatively.. but 70% is all I can find locally. Cheers
I've never once considered using aluminum foil to block heat in large areas. I usually use lots of kapton tape, which gets expensive very quickly. And I'd love to have a gallon of 99% IPA and be able to reuse it for soaking boards in.
Maybe try some foam core (your local hobby store knows what it is, wrapped in Aluminum foil.