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PowerBook 100 – Retro Challenge Step #1

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After tinkering for a few hours last night I have finally managed to build one complete PowerBook 100 out of two partially complete ones. The complete unit has a good screen (replaced the screen that was missing a column of pixels down the left hand side), 4MB of RAM, an 80MB 2.5″ SCSI hard drive with Mac OS 7.1, three batteries (none of which work), an external floppy drive (working well) and two functional fold-down feet (each unit had one foot broken, thankfully on opposite sides).

The PowerBook 100 is an impressive design – three screws (Phillips head – yay!) hold the whole unit together, the screen hinge seems bulletproof (neither showed wear or damage), the motherboard is easy to swap out and the RAM and CPU cards are easy to access. In terms of expansion, the PowerBook 100 is limited (I noticed what looks like and internal modem connector – that seems to be the extent of expansion) but it has an ADB port (unlike the PB150), a serial port and a SCSI port (as well as the special external floppy drive port).

It was a lot of fun rebuilding this – now I need to find some old software and starting putting it to use.

Signed Up!

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I am now signed up for the Retro Challenge 2007! I aim to do some Newton development (OS 2.0) and 68k development (maybe using a PowerBook 100). Should be fun. Keep an eye on this blog for updates!

(And I have started labeling posts to make it easier to find all Retro Challenge stuff).

June Already…

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I can’t believe it is June already. So much of the year has gone past and I feel like so little has been accomplished. Here are a few highlights of the year so far:

  • Cameron has started to recognize some numbers (in the 0-9 range);
  • We bought a 2005 Toyota Tarago (please, no comments about filling all of the seats);
  • Olivia has started to sit up unaided.

Here are a few highlights “planned” for the rest of the year:

  • Another trip to Cheynes Beach for a holiday;
  • Spend some decent chunks of time in Perth (spent a fair bit of time in Dampier with work);
  • Get back into a regular Bible Study (see previous point).

Projects

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This is a list of projects that I have planned:

  • Masters coding and development;
  • Get my Quadra 950 going properly with more RAM, MacOS7.6 and some big hard drives;
  • Get a PowerBook 100 going (to have a shot at the Retro Challenge 2007);
  • Get ethernet going on my Newton 2100;
  • Start doing some basic Newton (probably OS 2.0) development;
  • Build and configure my home office server (I picked up two 18.1 GB SCSI drives for this). It will be my G3 Server (beige, 300MHz, as much RAM as I can find). I will be using it for backups and storing photos.

As always, more time is required 🙁

Long time no update

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  • I now have a Flickr web page. People seem to be visiting but not commenting… It contains photos of birds I have taken using my Canon 350D.
  • Still collecting old Apple/Mac computers (collection getting huge). I recently had a lot of fun with an Apple IIc that I picked up from the Quokka. All of the equipment and disks worked perfectly (and they were dated 1984). I also picked up 2x 350 MHz B&W G3 machines, a QuickTake 100, a 24-port 10/100 BayStack Switch, a PowerMac 5500/225 (along with numerous other bits and pieces).
  • Building a HO scale model train set (mainly LIMA gear) with Cameron (although he tends to specialize in stress testing). I will post photos soon.
  • My birding life list has now passed 100!

Tawny Frogmouth

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Late last night I noticed a Tawny Frogmouth sitting on the line going to our house. I have never seen one of these in the suburbs (I haven’t really been looking) so it was a bit of a surprise. It was quite happy to sit there while I got a closer look and took some photos. Quite an unusual looking bird up close, the bristly feathers above the beak were clearly visible.

Kylie identified it as a Tawny Frogmouth (I initially thought it was an owl of some kind) and held the torch on it so I could focus the camera correctly.