I believe the original development system for the Mac was in Pascal, but the very first may have been 68000 assembly language.
So the original 68k Macs were programmed using Pascal? How is that in comparison to something like C+? Is it easy to learn?
I would like to use the computer to run automated light shows and basically overall automated control. To put things into a larger perspective, I been thinking about using the Mac to automate props for a haunted house project I am working on.
Have you considered using a microcontroller system?
Sure, I have Basic Stamps already, but Stamps are not without their problems. For one they are very limited and have small amount of memory capacity. A Basic Stamp would allow control over one prop (or lights)...maybe two at best. But a computer could easily do the entire project. No uploading needed either. With a hard drive, memory capacity is virtually endless. Besides considering that I want to mess around with a Compact Macintosh, this would be a good practical use for it.
There are SCSI to ethernet adapters. I forgot to mention those. They're usually slower than a PDS ethernet card. I'm not sure one would be any less expensive than a PDS ethernet card. As far as I know there was no serial to ethernet adapter, but the LocalTalk to Ethernet bridges I mentioned in an earlier post are effectively the same thing. They connect to the serial port (when it is configured as a LocalTalk port) and translate LocalTalk packets to ethernet. Unfortunately, I don't think they translate TCP/IP, although I think there are some bridges that will.
Yeah, I would need more info on LocalTalk and how that would apply to attempting to hook the computer up to today's internet.
Oh, Ok, so this printer will then hook up directly to the Mac.
The specs for the LaserJet 4 says it has an RS-422 port
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpl02076&locale=en_US&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=25487&prodTypeId=18972
I'm not sure if that port is a mini-DIN8 or a DB9. It really is nice to get one with a JetDirect card. I think the HP LaserJet 2100 also supports the older Macs. Ah, yes, the 2100 has a LocalTalk port built in and one can add ethernet via the EIO slot.
Sooo, with this printer one could also get on the internet? LOL! Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
The HP 2100 has the advantage of being a much newer model than the 4, 4 Plus and 5, but it is probably not as well built as those ancient work horses.
Well, lets just say I wouldn't be going crazy with printing on the Mac, but if I do get it on-line, I might want to use it to go through and answer emails. Do some forum work (like I am doing now). Like I said, I seriously don't expect an older Mac to be able to do streaming audio and video work.
Oh! almost forgot...very important...what is the tell - tale description of an early Mac that the computer is working, but the hard drive is bad? Perhaps I might be better off finding one like this than one with a bad display.
The Mac boots nicely with a good "Bong" and the screen comes on, and it settles to a little icon of a floppy disk in the center of a gray screen with a flashing question mark in the middle of the disk icon. This comes up if there's no bootable disk connected. If there's a bootable floppy inserted then it will just boot from the floppy.
Ok, so in that case then the hard drive would be bad and it is asking for a bootable floppy.
It's not a processor swap. It involves adding an accelerator card. The 68040 accelerator isn't horribly rare, but can be pricey. However, the SE/30 needs an adapter to connect the 68040 accelerator and that adapter for the sE/30 is rather rare and pricey.
Ok, understood. Definitely NOT worth it. So then it would see that Mac OS 7.5.5 is the best I could do on an SE/30. The good thing is that OS DOES support the TCP/IP...so the internet is within my grasp with that machine.
Thanx,
Geo
