[jasonyates]

Back in the mid '90s the Power Mac 8500 exemplified everything that I thought a computer should be. I was in 8th grade at the time, and $5000 was a little over my head. Since then I have had two, and even now I still really like working on them. The once-covetted 604e processor now seems quite slow, and the analog video inputs, standard SCSI, ADB ports, etc. are all fairly obsolete. The case design is considered pretty dificult by most people. Generally, the thing is just old and slow and hard to work on. I don't know though, I just like the fact that I have the system that I lusted after so much back then. I could buy a new Mac now, but it wouldn't be the same. Plus I think you should have to work for a hardware upgrade; These fold-down cases are too easy. If you have spent a day testing different DIMMs, cache cards, and CPU cards in different combinations in an 8500 then you know what I'm talking about. (Or maybe not...)

Anyways, it seems like everyone is moving on, which I guess if you actually use your computer for productivity it is a necessary evil. I am just curious how many people are still out there working on old Macs and seeing what they can do with them just for the hell of it. I know I am. My 8500 is about as far as it can come while still sticking with the 604e(s). My SE/30 is also probably the best in the world (muhahaha). My next project is a Quadra 840av, but the PCI Power Macs just represent the peak of Mac computing for me.

-Jason

[sideus]

I use a Classic II and chat on IRC with it from time to time.

[bradoesch]

It's always good to hear from other people who enjoy Classic Macs like I do.
17 and counting...

[Cipher13]

My Classic Macs:

PowerBook 100
PowerBook 100
PowerBook 190cs
PowerBook 190cs
Mac Classic II
Mac Classic II
PowerMac 5500/250
PowerMac 5500/250
Workgroup Server 7350/180

I can get my hands on unlimited LC's too, pretty much.

What I want:

Mac Color Classic
PowerMac 9600/350 (Mach5)
Apple Network Server 700

[booboo]

Originally posted by jasonyates:
Back in the mid '90s the Power Mac 8500 exemplified everything that I thought a computer should be...

-Jason

The 8500 was a great machine. I mean the 8600 - the last pre G3 Mac - was the same, just with a better (though less pretty) case.

I was using this 8500 over Xmas with a G3/400 running Jag. I think the addition of a Radeon PCI would have made this pretty decent. As it was, it was useable. (My) Limited RAM was the biggest constraint on the 8500's performance, that and tedium of installing extra RAM in the 8500...

It's interesting, too, that Mac OS X 10.1 runs fine on the 8500/604 and that Jag only needs a little coaxing on a G3 upgraded 8500.

Apple, at some point had decided to support this model's architecture I'm sure.

Since the 7500/8500 the only real mobo developments have been AGP support and faster bus speeds, IMHO. Obviously, its been nice to move towards standard PC RAM and ATA drives too...

I've just sold my 8500 on eBay for a song, but hopefully someone will enjoy it.

As far as testing RAM is concerned - pick up an old 7500 and save yourself a lot of misery :-)

I also sold a lovely 840av which is a terrific machine. Great video. Give it lots of RAM (is 64 MB a lot!?!) and a new drive, and it's a speed demon. I think only at 132/604 did the PowerMac's overtake it in terms of speed, when running 68K app's (and the Finder!)

The 840av is a lot of fun, but it is an old machine, and what is so amazing about the 8500 is, in contrast, how contemporary it is...

[rubydog]

I just love my 8500. I bumped it to G3/266. Memory is about the only pain to get at. I'm happy with the software I have. Not the newest versions, but they do me fine. A USB card, 9.1, gobs of memory and it's happy trails!

[dfiler]

Ahhh... emailing from my porcelain throne.

Of course I needed an arm for the SE/30 to pivot out over my toilet.

[ebolla]

i have an old 8500 that i bought last summer in order to learn more about hardware setups
and it has been a learning experience
getting to take the motherboard out to add ram and a G3 500 card was fun
i've made several other improvements and have used my 8500 to install osx.2 and yellowdog linux
i've settled down on the upgrades and i currently run OS9 and Logic Audio 4 as i call her my ultimate os9 audio machine

[Raymate]

Yes just retired my 8500 on Friday for a dual 1.25 (OS 9Boot)

Been using my 8500/120 almost every day and it has never failed, over the years it has been loaded up, first was a 233 604e upgrade, then a G3/400 card, then a USB card. Added a Formac ProFormance 3 video card. Over 400meg of RAM, my last upgrade was a 2940UW card with a 9 Gig 10rpm drive as my boot disk. But over the last year or so i have found the bus speed just will not cut it now.

But this beast was stable running 9.1 it would only crash every couple of months and that was down to IE.

Still now find it hard to let it go, being an Apple engineer i see many for sale as old machine and only fetch 30-50 (pounds) this is scary as now my 8500 is worth more if I break it up and sell the parts new it all cost around 6000 (pounds) I even had a spare 8500 just in case but it was never needed.

And yes i can strip it down and put it back together in a few mins (plenty of practice changing RAM over and over) i know what you mean Jason. The good old days...

In my little Apple Museum i now have 2x8500(AV) 1x7500 1x9600 1xduo(with dock) 1xLC475 1xcolor classic 2xLCII 1xiBook(dual USB) 3x7200 1xG4(1.25GHz - OS9 Boot - of course)

[ks5z]

ah, mine's still running strong although a bit slow with osx but i've upgraded it to a g3/300 and an ati rage128 video card...

I still recall getting my 8500/120 when it was the big boy on the block being as 604 chips were new, and this baby kicked the crap out of any pc or mac available...

i'll never part with it, especially since apple donated it to me for winning a design competition...