Over at her Birthday Party, AZ writes
1995: E. and I crash computer at my office trying to install "Web browser." I get the dreaded "dead Mac" symbol. Woe is us!
In the interests of accuracy, the issue that crashed the beast was updating the TCP/IP drivers on the box so that the early web browser (NCSA Mosaic v. mumble if I recall correctly) could work with the even more antiquated OS on that thing. If memory serves, the issue was that there was a SCSI (?!?) or serial interface to Ethernet involved. And was it 95 or 94?
It was a nightmare. The hardware was older than even Mike's or the stuff we keep stashed in our basement just in case. We're talking an SE/30 I recall. Or maybe a daughtercarded SE... IU was very generous with the editorial staff at the IUAA that year...
Oh the agony.
Posted by esinclai at March 31, 2003 07:09 PM |
To kibitz: serial to ethernet.
Although I've heard of SCSI to Ethernet, that would be wildly exotic even for you.
Posted by: mike on April 1, 2003 01:17 AMAnd it had to have been an SE/30. The SE/30 and the Mac II are the oldest boxen (is thst legit?) that supported the TCP/IP stuff, becasue you ahd to fiddle-faddle some extnsion to enable, um, some 32-bit something or other. Oh Lordy.
My Mac II is, I suddenly realize, why I learned the Joy of Old Tech. Did you know that theoretically I could have put, um, I think it was A/UX on that beastie?
Posted by: mike on April 1, 2003 01:20 AMWell, I'm pretty sure it was the Focus box:
http://www.macdrivermuseum.com/network.shtml
that we were futzing with. The timeframe and supported systems seema bout correct.
I have a Mac IIx still sitting around somewhere (Motorola 68020 power!) and an old IIcx (030). The IIx needs a new power supply, but I have a spare as well. I can box it up any old time for you if you wish....
Yes, it would have been A/UX. Of course, we could now be running various FreeBSDs on them, cranking out tiny quantities of RC-72 keys....
Posted by: Eric Sinclair on April 1, 2003 06:47 AMThanks for reminding me of this horrid event in excruciating detail. :)
Posted by: Anne on April 1, 2003 09:26 AMpass on the exciting opportunity to extend my ever-accumulating collection of Old Tech. But thanks.
Ah, the IIcx - I remember visiting you in '91 or '92 and playing SimEarth ALL NIGHT. Why? It was the first time I'd seen color well-integrated into an OS - Windows was not yet in wide release, and I'd been on Win 2.0 and DR-DOS only here.
Posted by: mike on April 2, 2003 12:50 AMmore on enet/scsi adaptors:
http://www.jagshouse.com/PlusToiMac.html
Posted by: mike on April 2, 2003 12:53 AMOk boys that's enough. Move along. Get back to work.
Posted by: brian on April 5, 2003 04:30 PM