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Welcome to Apple ][
🕑 Added 2024-11-03 06:12:36 +0000 UTC1986 was the last time that I touched an Apple ][. That was playing Infocom adventure games at my local library. I always thought that when they became obsolete, there would be endless numbers at second hand stores costing almost nothing. That never did happen in my experience .. I don't know about you.
To get a clear perspective on the early days of Macintosh, looking at the Apple ][ is imperative!
I am happy to say that with your support, I picked up a decent Apple ][e with 128K of RAM and 80-column card. All potentially problematic capacitors in the power supply have been replaced. It also included 3 working floppy drives and Big Mess O' Wires floppy emulator, a classic monochrome Monitor II, a third party fan/ plug expander, and finally an off-brand joystick.
Under the hood
It took a minute, but I got familiar with the the boot routine and the floppy emu. It came with an SD card containing the ubiquitous internet folder of all Apple ][ software. I added a few to the "Favourites" folder right away. I have to say that the emulators that I've been using on my G4 don't quite give the experience of the real thing.
The seller's final words were a warning to not connect the floppy cable backward to the card inside the ][e. If you have any other novice tips, please share!
Floppy Drive with Floppy Emulator on top
I look forward to incorporating this into my future videos, plus the floppy emu is easily re-purposed for my handful of Macintosh computers when needed. Great little device!
![Welcome to Apple ][](https://img5.fapscommunity.com/storage/8/hr/zb/9e6126-019e8bc3-0459-7be0-a2e8-c08fb8ca92de.jpg)
Comments
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lol Mac Pro (2037) is intolerant of vintage technology, unfortunately.
Ahmed Khalil
Congrats! I wonder if it's compatible with the Mac Pro (2037)
65scribe
Thanks Chris! I always found the IIgs really cool, even when it was in stores. The colour monitor is also great to have. The guy I bought this ][e from said he worked on the drives quite a bit and performed diagnostics..., but I don't actually have any Apple ][ disks, let alone needing THREE drives. I hope you take the time to get back into your machine.
65scribe
Great question! I fall on the collector view of things. I always take a negative view of inflated prices for vintage computers and the opportunists who come with it. Inflation has brought prices under control a bit, since a vintage computer is not an essential purchase (despite what we may think). MacEffects making a clear enclosure for the SE gives many the opportunity to have an enclosure similar to the famous one that Apple produced a handful of. I can't see the people who own the legitimate Apple-produced clear case SE's being too excited about it, but MacEffects do consciously make it different from the original and not just a copy. They are now trying to re-mold the inner bezel of the iMac G3 (slot load) as the originals deteriorate badly. It's a passionate effort, impressively crowd funded, invigorating the hobby instead of just depressingly stagnating, as we watch the numbers of good vintage Macs dwindle.
Chris Harding
This is great, congrats! I have a IIGS (the Woz" edition)...I know that doesn't mean anything but it's kinda cool anyway. My monitor is color. I also have a floppy emu for mine. The thing is kind of a mystery to me. It came with 3 disc drives but I think they all need work (the reason for the emu). Haven't played with it very much but maybe that should change today, we'll see. Enjoy it!
Chris Nielsen
As a collector and passionate restorer of these computers, what would be your take on the new MacEffects approach on preservation? They’re a company offering new panels to place the original components into. Avoiding brittleness, avoiding color spoiling, and looking cooler in my opinion. Loved this post, so glad to see another Macintosh join the 65scribe-hoard.
