I finally got around during the past couple of days of idleness over the holidays to reassembling the IIfx (in Mac II case) mentioned in the above posts.
Some observations:
I plan to keep it as a System 6 machine, not least as I only have 8MB of RAM, and do not want to go looking for more of the unique chips the machine requires, but also because I have faster and more appropriate hardware for running later system software and applications. I rather like simplicity, System 6.0.8 is also arguably the most stable of all the classic Macintosh system versions, and in some ways a IIfx is just meant to run it.
Nubus cards and Hard Drive:
I have not yet sorted out networking, but I have three Nubus ethernet cards to choose between somewhere in the hoard, one of them being a 10/100 card. I don't know if it would work in System 6, but in the likely event that it will not, I have the others to try; one of them has an AAUI port so that should be the right vintage for the machine.
My Radius Thunder IV (alas, no DSP board) does work in it, however, and is apparently fully functional under RadiusWare, with QuickColor acceleration reported as active and Dynamic Desktop being available for duty.
The hard drive is a 250MB Quadra-era drive with automatic/ built-in termination. This is plenty big for System 6, and should be nice and fast for this configuration. As Charlieman reported in another post, such a drive works just fine in the machine without need for the über-rare original IIfx scsi termination filter. Excellent.
Now, what to do with it beyond preservation, restoration and setting up?
Apart from its obvious place in the collection per se, I think it will become a ClarisCAD workstation. I have occasionally tried to use that software on later hardware (e.g., a Wallstreet), but it is horridly unstable on later systems and hardware, so hopefully it will work a treat on the IIfx and under System 6. In fact, somewhere in the ClarisCAD manuals I seem to recall having read warnings to the effect that ClarisCAD is ideally to be used with System 6, and that even System 7 is best avoided.
So, gentlemen, that's what you might call a package deal.
Some observations:
- Dirt, Cleaning and Noise:
The psu was duly hosed out, dried off and the fan subsequently oiled. The logic board was also washed and dried, along with the case and other washable components. It really was in quite a mess, top to toe, with cigarette tar, dirt and grime in every nook and cranny, but as was observed, the machine cleaned up amazingly well.
Now that it has been cleaned, reassembled and booted, I can report that the machine is now a good deal quieter than it was when the psu was caked in grime. However, the fan still wants to move a lot of air, and so there is a definite woosh. I would not want to use the machine for writing, when I like things quiet, but at least the vacuum cleaner effect is no more. I could, of course, replace or slow the fan, but life is short and I have a range of PowerBooks that I have lately learned to prefer for writing.
Software:
I have installed System 6.0.8 and some basic applications. It is no stretch to say that a 40MHz 68030 (with 68882 maths co-processor, 32MB cache, and all the other
I plan to keep it as a System 6 machine, not least as I only have 8MB of RAM, and do not want to go looking for more of the unique chips the machine requires, but also because I have faster and more appropriate hardware for running later system software and applications. I rather like simplicity, System 6.0.8 is also arguably the most stable of all the classic Macintosh system versions, and in some ways a IIfx is just meant to run it.
Nubus cards and Hard Drive:
I have not yet sorted out networking, but I have three Nubus ethernet cards to choose between somewhere in the hoard, one of them being a 10/100 card. I don't know if it would work in System 6, but in the likely event that it will not, I have the others to try; one of them has an AAUI port so that should be the right vintage for the machine.
My Radius Thunder IV (alas, no DSP board) does work in it, however, and is apparently fully functional under RadiusWare, with QuickColor acceleration reported as active and Dynamic Desktop being available for duty.
The hard drive is a 250MB Quadra-era drive with automatic/ built-in termination. This is plenty big for System 6, and should be nice and fast for this configuration. As Charlieman reported in another post, such a drive works just fine in the machine without need for the über-rare original IIfx scsi termination filter. Excellent.
Now, what to do with it beyond preservation, restoration and setting up?
Apart from its obvious place in the collection per se, I think it will become a ClarisCAD workstation. I have occasionally tried to use that software on later hardware (e.g., a Wallstreet), but it is horridly unstable on later systems and hardware, so hopefully it will work a treat on the IIfx and under System 6. In fact, somewhere in the ClarisCAD manuals I seem to recall having read warnings to the effect that ClarisCAD is ideally to be used with System 6, and that even System 7 is best avoided.
So, gentlemen, that's what you might call a package deal.