Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Classic Macs and Mac OS > Uses for old Macs...

Uses for old Macs...
Thread Tools
bradoesch
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 8, 2001, 02:12 AM
 
I have a Classic II that lives in my kitchen. It's used to take phone messages, etc., that are easier to type in than write on paper and risk losing it. (I leave ClarisWork running the whole time).
Does anyone else have a "vintage" Mac that is serving a useful purpose?
Oh, as well, I have a screen saver that runs on the computer, is it really that necessary? Will the screen actually "burn" in if it's on all day?

------------------
Why 1984, won't be
like "1984"
     
Gregg
Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Milwaukee
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 8, 2001, 03:12 PM
 
Yeah, your screen saver is probably necessary. I don't know much about that model, but the monitor technology is the key. New monitors are fine without a screen saver. I have a vintage 7 year old MacTV, in the shop right now, that I will use mostly for Claris Works stuff. And of course, I'll watch TV on it occasionally. I'll be using a laptop for the internet.
Ya gotta applaud those bunnies for sacrificing their hearing just so some guy in Yonkers can have better TV reception.
     
giantmike
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Green Bay, WI USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 8, 2001, 05:27 PM
 
If that is all it's used for, then a screen saver is a great way to save a little energy (the guns don't have to light all of the phosphosers), and uses the system resources nicely.

I have many old Macs, that do their jobs as word processors, fillers (when other people are using the faster computers), and Dart win/loss records

------------------
The Mac Information Depot. Why go anywhere else?
Giantmike's Website - Version 5.0
     
sascha
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
May 10, 2001, 05:08 AM
 
.. and if everything else fails, there is always:

> http://www.cs.tut.fi/~ace/macquarium.html

<grin>

/sascha
     
etphonehome
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Eagan, MN, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 10, 2001, 05:17 PM
 
I use my old SE/30 with an external CD-ROM as a CD player. I connected my stereo system to the CD-ROM drive, and it puts out good sound. It's nice to have a computer that acts as a CD player, because the onscreen programming controls are a lot more convenient to use than any programming features on a regular CD player.

------------------
"If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?"
<font color = blue>"Thank god for adequacy.</font> <font color = green>It gives people who </font><font color = red>suck </font><font color = green>something to strive for."</font>

[email protected]
     
cube-dude
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: New York City
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 10, 2001, 06:55 PM
 
Check out the June 2001 Macworld magazine for the first in a series devoted to "Old Mac, New Tricks".

------------------
[email protected]
450 128 20 9.0.4 17 Radeon
------------------


MP 2 x 2.8 and etc.
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 11, 2001, 01:20 PM
 
I found macworld's suggestions to be lame--macaddict is much better at suggesting uses/transmogrifications to your mac. And usually using free/shareware too!

That said, I wanna put an additional hard drive in an LCIII and make it a jukebox... ???
     
jarends
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Chicago
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 11, 2001, 03:33 PM
 
An LCIII can't play music. Too slow.

Just to give you an idea...my old 6100 w/ 24 megs of ram couldn't play mp3s without skipping.

An LCIII just won't cut it..
     
runningdog
Forum Regular
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 11, 2001, 04:15 PM
 
An LCIII can play music. Just not mp3s. It can play AIFFs, WAVs, SNDs or even straight from a CD (if you have external player of course).
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 11, 2001, 04:20 PM
 
yes, it used to play cd's fine on a 2x player.

but no mp3s, huh? hmmm, well what else to do with it... it only has a 80mb hard drive... os 7.5.5... 20 mb ram. No ethernet, no modem. I tried giving it to my niece to play tetris on, but she's not into maintenance and I think messed it up.

Auntie Sysadmin to the rescue...
     
macvillage.net
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 11, 2001, 09:46 PM
 
My Performa 6220 now serves as a word processor, backup for my G3, and an excelent way to beta test software against older hardware (and software).

------------------
Robert Accettura
Owner/Webmaster of
     
bradoesch  (op)
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 13, 2001, 02:49 PM
 
Forgot to mention that when my Performa 580CD gets going it, I'm gonna let my sister use it. It's going on my home network, which will let it share files and access the Internet.

------------------
Why 1984, won't be
like "1984"
     
xandro
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: upper california
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 13, 2001, 09:46 PM
 
n/a

[This message has been edited by xandro (edited 05-13-2001).]
     
ddiokno
Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: The Valley of the Sun
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 13, 2001, 10:20 PM
 
Hey,
Like I always tell my friends who want to upgrade to the latest and greatest, or are worried that their machines are going to become obsolete, if it still does what you bought it for more power to ya... IE, most people bought their older machines for word processing, maybe some games, databasing and spreadsheets... they still do that (albeit at a slower pace than the current offerings), but that being the case, barring hardware failure, they could continue doign their job forever:-)...
That being said, I like to find whatever older macs I can and put them in classrooms (or clean them up and let students take them home). They make awesome word processors (clarisworks is a great little program because of its small footprint and ram requirement). I have a friend who uses an SE/30 as a fax machine (has it hooked up to an old black and white scanner). i know of friends still surfing with mac 575's... so there are still quite a few great uses!
What a great topic! :-)
dave
     
bradoesch  (op)
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 14, 2001, 08:15 AM
 
I agree with you that this is a great topic! Pure genius!

------------------
Why 1984, won't be
like "1984"
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:16 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,