Hello!
I recently got an old Centris 610 and LC 475 mac system(s)

I was wondering if I could use OS 8.6 on the Centris. I am a new mac user/wannabe tech and I know nothing about compatibility or anything.

Also, what can these old machines be used for??? (bsides paper weights or elevation platforms for my iMac! heheehhhe

Any info would be swell!

Thanx ><>

[reader50]

Welcome to the Mac platform!
Here are the Apple specification pages for your two machines. Centris 619 LC 475


Apple says the maximum OS version you can use is Mac OS 8.0 on both, but Apple doesn't always update the older specs. You can probably run OS 8.1


After that, the Mac OS jumps to 8.5 and requires a PowerPC processor for 8.5 and later. So you can't run 8.6 on either machine, unless you could find some PowerPC upgrade card. Probably not worth the cost.


Uses for old machines vary from file servers to internet surf boxes and other odds and ends. This is a frequent topic in this Older Systems & Clones forum. Check out a few other threads. There are quite a few ideas, not counting those Macquarium things.

[This message has been edited by reader50 (edited 08-15-2000).]

There are all kinds of uses for old machines, but if you know some kid who'd be able to do his or her homework on it (typing, spreadsheets, presentations) then find them a copy of Clarisworks 4 or 5 and some system disks and turn them loose. They can get a cheapo Imagewriter printer off the web and off they go!!!!

As for OS, 8.1 runs on a Centris and a 475 (depending upon how much RAM you have) but it isn't fun to watch. I loaded it on my Quadra 650 (a much faster chip) last week and it crawled. Due to the lack of memory in the Centris and 475 machines, I'd download (with a more recent machine) floppy images for System 7.5.3 from Apple, and the updates to take it to 7.5.5. That's about all the system that a 36M max (475) and a 72M max (610) should be asked to put up with. 7.6.1 runs well on a Centris, but not so well in small RAM.

Be sure, too, to allocate as much RAM as possible to the applications that you're going to be using. RAM partitions make a big difference on those old machines. Good luck.