i have an older mac, got ???'s

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NickBurns

Mac Abuser
i recently came acros an 8500/120 power pc. Got it for 5 bucks. Can anyone tell me whats up with it??? Processor? Ram? Ect???

Thanks alot guys,
 
Thanks bro...

That was very helpful. This thing is pretty cool actually. I started it up and it went through extensions and booted quicker than i expected.

2 gig seagate, built in ethernet and scsi. It said this was a server computer???? And it said it was $4000 new!!!!!

I guess its ok for $5 bucks....LOL
 
LUCKY! I got an 8100 from someone here for $155! Though it had a blurry 17" CRT and LaserWriter printer with it. But still! $5??
 
Yea no monitor with this. just a keyboard and mouse with the tower.....

Seems to run pretty good so far......
Who might know if this thing is upgradable or not??? Ive got a WD 10 gig sitting here. I wonder if it will work????

Thanks again
 
Originally posted by NickBurns
Yea no monitor with this. just a keyboard and mouse with the tower.....

Seems to run pretty good so far......
Who might know if this thing is upgradable or not??? Ive got a WD 10 gig sitting here. I wonder if it will work????

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Sure, you can but a G3 or up to 800 MHz G4 in it :)
It only takes SCSI hard drives and 168 pin DIMM RAM chips, though, so it isn't a cheap machine to upgrade. But put a 128 MB RAM chip from OWC and a 300 MHz or faster PowerLogix G3 upgrade in it (they are overclockable with DIP switches), and you should have a great server, even able to run OS X :)

I recently got myself an 8600 with a 400 MHz G3 card for $150, btw :)
It's going to serve non-profit projects and anarchist stuff :p
 
as you can see in my signature i have the same computer and have upgraded it. i added USB and firewire and an ATI radeon 7000 video card and a g3 card and upgraded the ram to 512mb which is the highest you can go with the "supported" 64mb chips, 8 slots. my firewire and USB are in one card so that leaves one pci slot open. i have been toying with the idea of getting an IDE card for the third slot so i can add a larger drive to it. this is actually the second g3 card i have had it in, the first one died on me.
 
I forgot to add this: you can run X on it!!! check out XPostFacto for the install. the gui seems to be real sluggish with the 120mhz processor, but works much better with the g3 upgrade. the core of the OS works ok with the 120mhz though.
 
Thanks again for the info guys....

So i checked out that G3 400mhz PowerLogix Processor. It looked like it just goes in like a pci card.
I'm not too hip on the older stuff, i mean i can work on my G4 if i have to but.....Im not sure about the older stuff. I havent even opened the case to have a look see.

But from the looks of it it would be easy enough. And that ram is a little pricy for a machine that is kinda the "older toy".....

Thanks...
 
I just tried to boot from my Os 9.2.2 cd and it said no no. Is it cause its so old????

So im trying my Os 9 cd.......
and yep, it seems to be liking it .
 
when Im reformatting do you guys usually do a low level, and write all zero's????

Just wondering if i have to sit here while this dinasour writes zero's all day..........LOL
 
OS 9.2 is only for those machines that can run OS X. If you get that upgrade to a G3, you can run OS X and 9.2 :)
 
i have tried to install 9.1 and then update and also do a straight 9.2 install and have had no luck. the processor card slips in jsut like a pci card, but in a different slot. one hint of changing ram. it is a effin HO in this model. get the ram you want and do it all at once! you have to pull the motherboard out of the computer to change it. I upgraded the ram in mine in three steps, when i found it cheap, and i should have just bought it all at once.
 
Thanks for the heads up Jeffo...

Its now running 9.0.1 and seems to be ok. Ive only installed Nortons Utilities 7 and then i fell asleep.......hahaha

Thanks again,
 
its a great machine!
you have stereo audio and video in and out ports....
I've made some good (and very small 360*240 or so) movies in it.
great deal.
but you can't run 9.2.2
just 9.1
even though it's reeealy slow
 
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