So I have a colleague (great guy) at the school I work in who told me that it would be a great idea to get PCs to replace all the Macs we have because they're so much cheaper. After talking with him about it, he said that he had been a Mac person since the 80s, but then had to move to Windows a few years ago (I think around the first iMac era) and has been happy (he totes around a pretty cool tablet PC). He did say that he wanted to get his old Mac 512k running just for kicks.

Anyway, I forwarded him the "Macs cost half" article from yesterday, and here is his second response (his first was, "well, I know it cost me $49.99 for antivirus software, and that's a lot less than the difference for a new mac"):

"P.S. After looking around on the Mac site yesterday, I am feeling the old blood stir. Could I perhaps someday come back to the light? Also, I have the original Mac 512k in my living room. It seems to boot when you turn it on (at least it would if I still had the 400k floppy with the OS) but the screen is dark. I bet it just needs a new fuse. Do you know a place that fixes old macs?"

SO, where should I send him? (I'm in the Boston area). Cheers!

-Tofer

The actual article as opposed to the Yahoo News blurb:
[www.networkworld.com]

It probably needs a new battery, not fuse....

max Wrote:
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> It probably needs a new battery, not fuse....

Really? I wonder why the screen would be dark with no battery. I figure it's probably more like a bad CRT.

-Tofer

if it is the crt... (and he can do it without
causing himself a toasty death at the hands
of a wonderful energy storage device), the cost
of all low end macs through the SE/30 should
be about the same as a Sunday newspaper,
should he want to replace that tube.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2006 07:59AM by Jimmypoo.

The bad PRAM battery will cause the video not to display. This would certainly be one "possible" solution. That early model might even have a battery compartment access door. Otherwise you need a couple of special tools to get into the unit.

---

Bill
Flagler Beach, FL 32136

Carpe Vino!

Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.
— David Rains Wallace

They used the 4.5v square batteries: [eshop.macsales.com]

WHiiP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bad PRAM battery will cause the video not to
> display. This would certainly be one "possible"
> solution. That early model might even have a
> battery compartment access door. Otherwise you
> need a couple of special tools to get into the
> unit.
> Bill

The access door didn't appear till the MacPlus.
Not really special tools anymore, just a Torx (back in 1984, Torx were very hard to find), and a metal ruler.
4.5v Alkaline.

BGnR

Long shaft (> 9") T-15 Torx is needed to get at the recessed screws in the handle.

The metal ruler can be used as a case spreader, though it is not strictly needed. Once all the Torx screws have been removed, place a soft towel or other pad on the floor, place the FatMac screen face down on the pad, place your feet (sneakers are best) on either side of the front case, squeeze your feet together and lift the back clear. Piece o' cake.

Hmmm. Lessee if any of the old take apart instructions are about...yes, here:

[www.eserviceinfo.com]

about 2/3 down the page, Apple Macintosh 128K which points to:

[www.eserviceinfo.com]

The Mac512K uses the same body/chassis parts as the 128K original. The logic board is differs in the memory array and address/control logic.

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=DH
Donkey (Ye Olde Farte of ye Internette) Hotay is a Tilted Windmill® enterprise.