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chasg · Dec 23, 2001, 02:58 PM

Hi All,

I've just come into a Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (it was suffering from the infamous "buzz" problem, but I fixed that with a little internal tinkering. This is a nice little machine, and it was free :-)

I was wondering if there are any other TAM owners hanging around here at Macnn? I'm having a few software problems that I'd love to talk about.

Cheers!

Chas

dr. zoidberg · Dec 23, 2001, 05:17 PM

congrats! unfortunately i�ve never seen one in person. how about delighting us with some pictures of that p�ppy?

now wait... you say it was free?!? where did you get it from?

chasg · Dec 23, 2001, 10:40 PM

Hey doc,

yeah, I'd never seen one of these myself before either. I was setting up a couple of PB G4s for a client (airport and all that) when she mentioned her "old mac", and how it made such a horrible buzzing noise she had to just put it up in the attic and replace it (with a PB G4).

She then mentioned that she was going to sell it, or even give it away. Well!, that was my cue to offer to take it off her hands :-)

She pulls it out of the attic, and it was then I realised just what machine she was talking about! Coolness. (I did tell her what it probably was worth, she just wanted to get rid of it once and for all. Ok!)

So, I did take it off her hands, and the "horrible noise" was certainly horrible (some online research showed me that these suckers are plagued with an infamous "buzz").

A little time with a soldering iron inside the sub-woofer (yep, they come with a complete Bose sound system, with a great sub-woofer) and then inside the Mac itself has solved the buzz, and I've now got this really awesome home entertainment system (I'll probably never use it as a computer, my powerbook and G4 are way faster and more useful for that).

It's so cool, looks awesome and it's a great TV, CD player and FM radio (all controlled by the remote!), and I've routed the sound from my G4 , PB and VCR through it. DVDs now sound really awesome! (I don't have a sound system otherwise, and DVDs through my G4's tiny speaker have been painful <heh> ).

The picture I hope will show up here is, I think, a promo (found it on a website). I'll see if I can get a photo of my actual machine in here sometime (Mine looks just as cool, but my desk doesn't :-)

Chas

ps. thanks for the opportunity to show off

driven · Dec 24, 2001, 12:28 AM

What a cool machine! Congrats! (This is the first time that I've gotten to see one too!)

I wonder if the cube will be as well regarded in the future.

dr. zoidberg · Dec 24, 2001, 07:32 AM

yes, it must be one of the most elegant pieces of comp ever. if i was offered one for free, i�d also take it in a second

MikeM32 · Dec 24, 2001, 06:39 PM

I love the way they look as-well. It's probably one of the most "un-known" Macs ever produced, and one of the most unique designs. I'm a little curious what they cost when they were first released, and how much one is really worth these days.

You know, if you could upgrade one with a G3 or G4 card from sonnet or XLR8 you could probably turn it into a fairly decent working system.

Mike

Dec 24, 2001, 07:00 PM

Originally posted by MikeM32:
I love the way they look as-well. It's probably one of the most "un-known" Macs ever produced, and one of the most unique designs. I'm a little curious what they cost when they were first released, and how much one is really worth these days.

You know, if you could upgrade one with a G3 or G4 card from sonnet or XLR8 you could probably turn it into a fairly decent working system.

Mike

You can put a G3 upgrade in, take a look at Sonnet. They used to offer a 500MHz upgrade, but I think 400MHz is all they do now. The biggest problem in extenting the life of the 20th is that it is limited to 128MB RAM. That's why I never bothered upgrading the CPU, since it works fine as a web browser with its 250MHz 603ev. It works even faster if you keep it at OS7.6, which is what it was designed to run. Moving past 8 causes some problems with the AV equipment. It will still work, but I've noticed that the minimum volume setting on the TV is quite loud. If there is one thing I would recommend, it would be to throw out the 2GB HD and get a new one. The drives today are so much faster and the original one tended to have some annoying vibration that would carry thru to your desk. I replaced mine with the cheapest HD I could get at the time, which was a 5GB IBM travelstar and it really made the 20th a much nicer experience.

malson · Dec 24, 2001, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by MikeM32:
I love the way they look as-well. It's probably one of the most "un-known" Macs ever produced, and one of the most unique designs. I'm a little curious what they cost when they were first released, and how much one is really worth these days.

If I'm not terribly mistaken, I believe that original retail price was $8000. Now, that might sound bad, but you got some pretty incredible service to go with it. Apple sent an actual person to your house, place of business, whatever, to set the machine up. It came in 3 (4?) numbered boxes. Anyway, the tech would set up the machine and then sit down with you a teach you how to use all of the different features. All of the documentation, users guides, etc. were bound in leather and there are also leather accents on the keyboard. The Bose sound system was customed designed for the TAM. The speaker hiss problem was fixed about 3 months after the initial release. No tech this time, just a box with a new sound base from Airborne Express. All in all, a pretty cool machine. I had a chance to pick one up about a year ago for $450. I wish that I had...

Dec 24, 2001, 07:39 PM

(JoeG4)

Hey mike.. will you turn on your IM's bro?

Anyhow, was going to put in my three cents, good god those things make me drool, but this is what I know:

Originally released in 97 or so, they cost 10,000 dolars new.

When you bought one, they'd send over some people, with the machine, who would set it up, and even teach you how to use it.

The Twentieth Anniversery mac was removed from apple's product line in late 1998, selling at $1,800.00

They're worth about $900 depending where you see them. Currently an auction on ebay is going (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1311836791) where it's about $1200 (at closing I estimate) with a G3 card.

If I had the money, I'd get one, and with my luck, I know a few people who might end up wanting to give away one.. but I don't need it as a first machine, because I already have something pretty nice:

G4 dual 800
22" cinema LCD
isub, and pro speakers (I'm really pissed at Apple because OS X doesn't support the setup correctly)

Seeya later

MikeM32 · Dec 24, 2001, 07:56 PM

I love the way they look as-well. It's probably one of the most "un-known" Macs ever produced, and one of the most unique designs. I'm a little curious what they cost when they were first released, and how much one is really worth these days.

You know, if you could upgrade one with a G3 or G4 card from sonnet or XLR8 you could probably turn it into a fairly decent working system.

Mike

Marook · Dec 24, 2001, 08:02 PM

Hi All.

Well, let me add to this, since I got one when it was released, and it's still on my desk, in original confic, just with the 128Mb RAM.

The T.A.M. is, as the name tells, an anniversary Mac made to Apple's 20.th. anniversary. It was released in '97, and the pre-marketing mentioned that there was a limit of 10.000 units. The high price (con't remember in dollors) of DKK 80.000, made it sell less than Apple hoped, and only 7.000 units was ever produced.

I still have the original boxes. It was a box with 4 internal boxes: 1 for the CPU, 1 for the Sub/PSU, 1 for the keyboard & 1 for the accesories & extras. I will see if I can take some pictures when I get home from chrismas.

It came with a TV/Radio tuner card, a GeoPort modem, and had expansion options for 1 PCI card and 1 CommSlot2 card.

It is also the only computer ever released in history (as far as I know) to come with a build-in 3-year on-site support contract. Any problems, call Apple and they would send some out to fix it. A same I have never neded this service!

The main factor with the T.A.M. today, is that Apple dropped 'support' for it when they released Mac OS 8.1 This broke a lot of the special features in it (or, introduced bugs in the software).
Mac OS 9.1 works on it, and the TV & Radio works, but some things like making presets in the Radiotuner crashes the radio app. GeoPort has not been supported since 8.0.

I hope this has made some help... ask if there is more Q's.

Thain Esh Kelch · Dec 25, 2001, 10:34 PM

Originally posted by Marook:
Hi All.
The high price (con't remember in dollors) of DKK 80.000, made it sell less than Apple hoped, and only 7.000 units was ever produced.

Actually...No... They made 10.712..

Anyway... It was/is a cool machine... Got one myself..

sMACk · Dec 26, 2001, 01:33 AM

It just ocurred to me that the new iMac could look very similar to this!

olePigeon · Dec 26, 2001, 04:39 AM

I have a 20th Anniversary Macintosh with everything, even the plastic static covers. Heh. Barely touched, I got it from the former VP of sales at Apple. When he shipped it, the Subwoofer/Base (I didn't spell bass wrong) got a little dinged so he had it replaced for free. Has a brand new Sub on it now. Even has the instore poster used to advertise the unit and a few upgrades (Cache, RAM, 10/100 ethernet, etc.).

I've been meaning ot put it on eBay because I need rent money. Was hoping to get a little cash for Christmas, but that didn't happen. (Although I did get $150 gfit card to Costco plus a 1 year membership. Hehe.)

If anyone is interested in owning a TAM, I'm selling mine for $1000. I saw a similar unit sell for $1700 on eBay.

seanyepez · Dec 26, 2001, 05:09 AM

Though they were very cool for their time and are definitely very good conversation pieces, they are just too slow for everyday use.

drewman · Dec 26, 2001, 05:31 AM

Mine is sitting in the corner being my iTunes jukebox with a 30GB hard drive and a Farallon Wireless Ethernet PCI Card for internet radio.

It's running 9.1 with iTunes 2.03 with just 64MB of RAM.

It works very well for this and I have over 17GB of MP3s on it right now.

Ironically, I am not using the built-in Bose soundsystem (although it sounds great and I got the subwoofer replacement that fixed the buzz). It's sound is routed through it's big brother - a Lifestyle 30 soundsystem.

Now, all I need to do is hack the system to capture IR commands from it's IR sensor and reroute them with an Applescript controlling iTunes...

drewman

[ 12-26-2001: Message edited by: drewman ]

MM-o4 · Dec 26, 2001, 07:44 AM

I never knew that it existed! That is a really cool computer! I would buy one just for pure history sake. Nothing looked like that in 97?
If Apple don't take a few things form this into the new imacs they would be VERY silly!
SH]T thats COOL

MM-o4

SYN · Dec 26, 2001, 08:47 AM

I remember walking in a FNAC store in Paris and just being flabbergasted by a TAM... Didn't have a Mac back then, and this machine probably is what has impressed me the most in my life...

Would it be possible to put BeOS on that baby??

Dec 26, 2001, 11:44 AM

I had a Christmas party over the weekend, and the most questions were asked not about my Cube w/ 15" LCD, my iPod, or Dual USB iBook....

Everyone was asking about my TAM (setup with iTunes and playing WhiteCap visualizer and playing Christmas MP3's) It has been upgraded to 400mhz G3 (Sonnet upgrade) and 128 meg RAM. I have a Direct TV satellite hooked into it for watching TV.

It works great for surfing the web, watching TV, listening to MP3's, word processing, and a daily calendar. It can never be upgraded to OS X due to it's limited monitor display. Plus, with a max of 128 MB of RAM, OS X wouldn't be much fun.

It's a great little machine, that I probably will never give up. It can aways be used as a mp3 jukebox / alarm clock down the road.

However, whenever I see my kids playing on it...I shudder.

olePigeon · Dec 26, 2001, 08:33 PM

My TAM has a 2nd ATI video capture card and supports 1024x768 @ 24bit color on a 2nd monitor. You can always try that. I found out that with a 2nd monitor card stuck in it, the TAM (by default) uses the external monitor instead of the LCD. I thought that was interesting. I never thought about installing OS X on it, though. Hehe.

olePigeon · Dec 26, 2001, 08:35 PM

Forgot to mention that I use my ColorClassic as my MP3 station, I keep my TAM boxed up.

chasg · Dec 28, 2001, 11:44 PM

Hey SYN,

I read somewhere that the TAM will run BeOS (as it's not a G3, just a 603). Kinda futile though, ain't it? What are people doing with BeOS these days? (sure wish I had BeBox beside my TAM though <heh> )

Chas

Originally posted by SYN:
I remember walking in a FNAC store in Paris and just being flabbergasted by a TAM... Didn't have a Mac back then, and this machine probably is what has impressed me the most in my life...

Would it be possible to put BeOS on that baby??

BigMark · Dec 30, 2001, 06:55 PM

I used to see quite a few of these for sale in 2nd hand computer stores around HK. Some people used to advertise them for ridiculous amounts (this being HK of course) so unfortunately I could never pick one up.

Certainly the best looking Apple-designed computer made so far. (think about it)

cdhostage · Dec 30, 2001, 07:14 PM

I'd love it if Apple would release a small release of computers with modern components in the shape of the TAM.

Maybe the new iMac will have the TAM;s shape. With a larger monnitor and brushed-metal colors, of course.

cjrivera · Dec 31, 2001, 01:49 AM

There is a website you can visit to learn more about this great little machine (and a lot of interesting ways to upgrade it...)

TAM site

I've got a picture of mine on the Powermac picture thread.

cjrivera · Dec 31, 2001, 02:06 AM

There is a website you can visit to learn more about this great little machine (and a lot of interesting ways to upgrade it...)

TAM site

I've got a picture of mine on the Powermac picture thread.

Dec 31, 2001, 11:44 PM

Originally posted by SYN:
I remember walking in a FNAC store in Paris and just being flabbergasted by a TAM... Didn't have a Mac back then, and this machine probably is what has impressed me the most in my life...

Would it be possible to put BeOS on that baby??

BeOS runs great on it. it is the ultimate BeOS machine