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One guilty pleasure I found in lockdown is look for aged/nostalgic electronics I never could own and get them used. The G4 iMac is next in the list. I hope to p

by 627467 6y ago

One guilty pleasure I found in lockdown is look for aged/nostalgic electronics I never could own and get them used. The G4 iMac is next in the list. I hope to plug a pi into it and turn it into a nice working machine.

spacedcowboy 6y ago
Same, or at least, similar :) I now have an Atari XL that has been completely reworked[1], an Atari TT[2] (which came out when I was a college student, and I could never afford), and I’m planning on 3d-printing a mini-cube case for a NextStation cube[3] which will take a raspberry PI running windowmaker for that authentic feel. I also laser-cut and built a modular case for a kubernetes cluster of PI’s [4],[5] then wrote an app for the display that shows various statistics of each 0f the nodes [6, WIP]. The most-fun part has been the Atari XL - I have an 8-year old son who is never off the thing, despite owning a Nintendo switch. There’s something about the simplicity of the games (and presumably the novelty of the machine) that’s kept him using the XL for a few months now. It helps that there are literally thousands of XL games that fit on the 8GB CF card plugged in the back, mind :) 3d printer to be ordered this week :) [1] https://ataribits.weebly.com/1088xel.html https://ataribits.weebly.com/1088xel.html [2] https://www.atarimagazines.com/startv5n6/tterrific.html https://www.atarimagazines.com/startv5n6/tterrific.html [3] https://www.hackster.io/news/you-can-3d-print-this-gorgeous-replica-next-computer-case-for-your-raspberry-pi-b1e7c4acb5f https://www.hackster.io/news/you-can-3d-print-this-gorgeous-... [4] https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-front.jpg https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-front.jpg [5] https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-back.jpg https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-back.jpg [6] https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/kubernetes-video.mov https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/kubernetes-video.mov
- jasomill 6y ago
  Atari 800, ca. 1982, was my first computer. But unless you need to run modern applications, why not run NEXTSTEP on the mini-Cube? The Previous NeXT emulator[1] should run at full speed on most modern x86 CPUs[2], so if you're not married to the Pi, you could probably do this for not much more money. [1] https://sourceforge.net/projects/previous/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/previous/ Build "branch_softfloat" for the latest CPU emu code. [2] Or so I assume, because it runs at around double full speed on my seven-year-old 12-core Mac Pro trashcan, whose single-threaded performance isn't anything to write home about.
BuildTheRobots 6y ago
The G4 iMac was a lovely device, but from an engineering POV, I'd have to go with either a G4 tower or a G4 cube. My X had a cube and it was stunning - something you could leave on 24/7 in your bedroom and not hear it. Also a tonne of interesting engineering went into it. The G4 tower was (in my mind) the last of the machines that was actually a pleasure to work on the hardware. The motherboard being on the hinged door meant it opened out giving you access to install cards or upgrade the CPU. It's actually a pleasure to pop the side just for the sake of having a look. I've got an old G3 tower here that I can't bring myself to throw away. Very cute, rounded, colourful outsides but serious engineering on the inside. Everything since seems to have gone out of its way to make it difficult, unpleasant and in cases down right impossible to get into, upgrade or repair. G4 Tower: https://www.macstories.net/mac/the-power-mac-g4-line/ https://www.macstories.net/mac/the-power-mac-g4-line/

by 627467 6y ago

spacedcowboy 6y ago

Same, or at least, similar :) I now have an Atari XL that has been completely reworked[1], an Atari TT[2] (which came out when I was a college student, and I could never afford), and I’m planning on 3d-printing a mini-cube case for a NextStation cube[3] which will take a raspberry PI running windowmaker for that authentic feel. I also laser-cut and built a modular case for a kubernetes cluster of PI’s [4],[5] then wrote an app for the display that shows various statistics of each 0f the nodes [6, WIP]. The most-fun part has been the Atari XL - I have an 8-year old son who is never off the thing, despite owning a Nintendo switch. There’s something about the simplicity of the games (and presumably the novelty of the machine) that’s kept him using the XL for a few months now. It helps that there are literally thousands of XL games that fit on the 8GB CF card plugged in the back, mind :) 3d printer to be ordered this week :) [1] https://ataribits.weebly.com/1088xel.html https://ataribits.weebly.com/1088xel.html [2] https://www.atarimagazines.com/startv5n6/tterrific.html https://www.atarimagazines.com/startv5n6/tterrific.html [3] https://www.hackster.io/news/you-can-3d-print-this-gorgeous-replica-next-computer-case-for-your-raspberry-pi-b1e7c4acb5f https://www.hackster.io/news/you-can-3d-print-this-gorgeous-... [4] https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-front.jpg https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-front.jpg [5] https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-back.jpg https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/from-back.jpg [6] https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/kubernetes-video.mov https://0x0000ff.uk/imgs/pi-cluster/kubernetes-video.mov

jasomill 6y ago
Atari 800, ca. 1982, was my first computer. But unless you need to run modern applications, why not run NEXTSTEP on the mini-Cube? The Previous NeXT emulator[1] should run at full speed on most modern x86 CPUs[2], so if you're not married to the Pi, you could probably do this for not much more money. [1] https://sourceforge.net/projects/previous/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/previous/ Build "branch_softfloat" for the latest CPU emu code. [2] Or so I assume, because it runs at around double full speed on my seven-year-old 12-core Mac Pro trashcan, whose single-threaded performance isn't anything to write home about.

BuildTheRobots 6y ago

The G4 iMac was a lovely device, but from an engineering POV, I'd have to go with either a G4 tower or a G4 cube. My X had a cube and it was stunning - something you could leave on 24/7 in your bedroom and not hear it. Also a tonne of interesting engineering went into it. The G4 tower was (in my mind) the last of the machines that was actually a pleasure to work on the hardware. The motherboard being on the hinged door meant it opened out giving you access to install cards or upgrade the CPU. It's actually a pleasure to pop the side just for the sake of having a look. I've got an old G3 tower here that I can't bring myself to throw away. Very cute, rounded, colourful outsides but serious engineering on the inside. Everything since seems to have gone out of its way to make it difficult, unpleasant and in cases down right impossible to get into, upgrade or repair. G4 Tower: https://www.macstories.net/mac/the-power-mac-g4-line/ https://www.macstories.net/mac/the-power-mac-g4-line/