Once again, Agreed. But here's the rub: From the first 128k through the last Plus, they experienced a continual evolution. I have what I consider the closest example of an original factory 128k that rolled off the assembly line and I have one of the last stock Mac Plus and there are substantial differences in individual parts and several circuit board revisions, besides the obvious case modifications. Not to mention from the time you bought your 128k to putting it away in the closet when you bought your first PowerBook, you might have upgraded it to a SE/30 as follows: upgraded your original RAM to 512k via logic board modifications. Replaced the ROMS and disk drive. Replaced your CRT with an anti-glare CRT. Added a MacSnap SCSI cable. Replaced the logic board and case rear (OEM Plus upgrade). Installed the 16MHz Brainstorm CPU and clock. Added a MicroMac Performer 68030 accelerator card. Installed an external monitor adapter to add a larger monitor. Added an internal fan after having your Plus in the shop numerous times because your old 128k analogue board is under powered for the current load, during which time almost all of parts were replaced with SE specified replacement parts. Now that the case can support the hardware, an internal HD was added. So just what is original on this Mac? This is hardly a FrankenMac, at least nobody at the time would have said so -- these were all practical upgrades which made the original 128k more useful (and arguably saved it from a landfill in 1989). In 1985 before they killed the Lisa/MacXL, there were plans for a 68020 Lisa version that would have basically made it a Mac II, the MacXL already a more advanced SE with more expansion. With that perspective, the 128k through SE were themselves under powered and stunted versions of the original Lisa's "proven" technology. All the seemingly extraordinary efforts I described above were only designed to get the 128k back to those the standard MacXL died with and it took 5 years for Apple to even get close with their offerings! Now that there are very few "original" stock 128ks & 512ks left, I would become physically ill if anyone altered them permanently. BUT, where is the trade off? Do you maintain them so they can be used, or do you preserve them as museum pieces. If you use them, do you maintain them in their original factory condition? If so, do you continually repair them as their inferior parts break down, or do you improve Apple's inferior design to meet higher operational standards as Apple ultimately did (i.e. remove the upper heat sink that made it hotter, add a logic board resistor the absence of which caused the 128k to crash, upgrade almost all of the analogue board components that were prone to failure, etc.)? And even then, where do you draw the line? Ultimately, some must be preserved untouched for posterity. However, I want to use mine, which means it must be improved upon to at least Mac Plus/SE parts' standards. The sad reality about repair is that, while all of the parts to keep a 128k running at peak efficiency are readily available and probably will be for years to come (something that may not be true for newer Macs with their custom ICs), it is far cheaper to buy an old Plus to scavenge its parts. For my part in preservation, I am keeping all of the original replaced parts from the 128k. That's why I would never propose any modification that could not be undone on these old Macs. Making a custom wiring harness so a newer logic board can be used in another case is definitely reversible with no negative effects (AFAIK -- I still have to test it). If I HAD to get rid of one of my old Compacts for which I could not find a good home and I had a choice of keeping my Classic case for its System 6 & 7 compatibility or transplanting its logic board into my 128k case through a non-destructive modification, I would do the latter in a heart-beat.
These machines must all eventually become "special" as it is with all antiques. In the end, I would much rather see an old Mac used as a doorstop rather than in a landfill somewhere and the only way to keep 'em around is to make them useful. But let's keep it in perspective -- "special" is a relative term that dictates certain desirable standards. Even though I would expect the Plus to become somewhat scare and rare, it will never be "special" in the way the 128k and to a lesser extent, 512k are. Or the Color Classic or the Mac TV for that matter (ugly though it is). On the other hand, the rarest of all Macs is the Centris 660AV by virtue of its 64 day intro-to-discontinuation window and I don't see it commanding top dollar on ebay anytime soon. By way of example, in 1964, Ford released the Mustang and a redesigned Thunderbird. My Grandma had a '64 Thunderbird and my Mom had a '64 Mustang. I NEVER thought of the '64 thunderbird as collectable, though people do. Everybody knows that '64 Mustang is. Keeping it in the same family, all older Mustangs up to about 1969 are considered highly collectible, but the '64 and '65 are far more sought after than the '66 through '69 and always will be. Few people will even touch a Mustang II by comparison. If you've got a '64, a '66 and a '68 sitting in your yard and you've only got enough common parts between them to get one running, which one do you think it will be? On the other hand, the '64 is more fragile than the others. So if you need a workhorse to get around, you might restore one of the others, but you can bet the '64 will get the most protected spot in the garage waiting for the day it can be restored, while the others may have to sit outside in the weather. Grandma Annie needs a new kidney now -- who is Aunt Mary to refuse when the odds are better for her to get one later? > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Agreed, there are plenty of Plus's to go around [snip] But keep in mind that the plus parts >will be > the only parts available to keep an entire generation of machines up and > running and are on their way to becoming special. > > As for most of the machines beyond the Plus, I feel they're only using > proven technology and are just under powered versions of the same machines > we see out there today > > I, Myself, believe > these Plus and earlier machines snould be left in a condition where they can > be restored to there original state, using only good or repaired original > parts. -- Compact Macs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/>. Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> Compact Macs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/compact.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:compact.macs@mail.maclaunch.com> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/compact.macs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
