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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Hardware Hacking > what to do w/ old powerbook?

what to do w/ old powerbook?
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blackbird_1.0
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Jul 8, 2003, 03:01 AM
 
i have an old powerbook 650 from the early 90s, black and white screen, running System 7.1...

I was wondering is there anything useful I could do w/ this old thing, its still mainly used for word processing, because I now have an iBook.

i would have posted this in the powerbook forum, but i never got an answer the first time...

is there some distro of linux or sumthin i cud put on here or sumthin or some project?

any ideas...thanks
Apple II GS | Powerbook 165 | iMac Rev. A 96mb RAM| iBook G3 500mhz, 128mb RAM | Power Macintosh G5 1.6ghz, 2.25gb RAM | Black MacBook 2ghz, 2gb RAM | iPhone Rev. A 8gb HD
     
k_munic
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Jul 8, 2003, 03:05 AM
 
found at ebay an ethernet pcmcia card for my "old" 1400, and now it's connected to my "network" as a display for messages and to display my recipe collection in my kitchen...-

maybe, this "display/terminal" idea makes any sense to you....
     
blackbird_1.0  (op)
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Jul 8, 2003, 05:47 AM
 
yeah it does

but where can i get software that'll run on 7.1?


is there a version of linux i could run on my 650?
Apple II GS | Powerbook 165 | iMac Rev. A 96mb RAM| iBook G3 500mhz, 128mb RAM | Power Macintosh G5 1.6ghz, 2.25gb RAM | Black MacBook 2ghz, 2gb RAM | iPhone Rev. A 8gb HD
     
Powaqqatsi
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Jul 8, 2003, 06:00 AM
 
Originally posted by blackbird_1.0:
yeah it does

but where can i get software that'll run on 7.1?


is there a version of linux i could run on my 650?
Yeah maybe some uberbasic m68k linux (http://www.linux-m68k.org/) (you'll need a 68020 to run this). But please enlighten me: what's a PowerBook 650 ? I know about the 550c, and that's a Japan-only model.

The PowerBook 540c (the US/Europe brother of the 550c with 68LC040 CPU) is supported by mac68k Linux. Except for it's Ethernet port which is not supported. Which is a bummer if you wanted to network it.
     
blackbird_1.0  (op)
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Jul 8, 2003, 08:02 AM
 
a 650 was a powerbook available w/ a color screen or black/white (mine wasnt color) it came w/ sys 7., appleworks etc.
later on i'll post some more info

theres a program fro osx that u can dload thatll tell u bout every mac omdel made
Apple II GS | Powerbook 165 | iMac Rev. A 96mb RAM| iBook G3 500mhz, 128mb RAM | Power Macintosh G5 1.6ghz, 2.25gb RAM | Black MacBook 2ghz, 2gb RAM | iPhone Rev. A 8gb HD
     
CIA
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Jul 8, 2003, 03:24 PM
 
Not to doubt you, but was this a international powerbook? I can't find any references to it anywhere... Sure it's a 650? Post a pic?
     
Dex13
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Jul 8, 2003, 04:44 PM
 
Originally posted by blackbird_1.0:
a 650 was a powerbook available w/ a color screen or black/white (mine wasnt color) it came w/ sys 7., appleworks etc.
later on i'll post some more info

theres a program fro osx that u can dload thatll tell u bout every mac omdel made
It's not on mactracker.

http://www.mactracker.ca/
     
catzilla1228
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Jul 9, 2003, 03:02 AM
 
I do believe he means a PB 165, the PB 165c was the 1st color PB.
     
blackbird_1.0  (op)
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Jul 9, 2003, 09:36 AM
 
yeah 165, sorry...
Apple II GS | Powerbook 165 | iMac Rev. A 96mb RAM| iBook G3 500mhz, 128mb RAM | Power Macintosh G5 1.6ghz, 2.25gb RAM | Black MacBook 2ghz, 2gb RAM | iPhone Rev. A 8gb HD
     
Dace
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Jul 10, 2003, 09:42 PM
 
Ever heard of the Lego Macintosh? Some guy took apart his ancient powerbook and put it in a new encasement...in this case it was made out of Lego.


Data Bytes Computers - Montreal, QC
Ventes & Services / Sales & Services
     
blackbird_1.0  (op)
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Jul 11, 2003, 08:18 AM
 
yeah, i've heard of that, i just wanted to do something a little less tedious,
Apple II GS | Powerbook 165 | iMac Rev. A 96mb RAM| iBook G3 500mhz, 128mb RAM | Power Macintosh G5 1.6ghz, 2.25gb RAM | Black MacBook 2ghz, 2gb RAM | iPhone Rev. A 8gb HD
     
sooner
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Jul 20, 2003, 07:10 PM
 
i know the powerbook might meen too much to you, but this is what i did with an old laptop i got off ebay for under $20 for this purpose. since all my friends had either powerbooks or laptops my freshman year at OU, i bought this old toshiba t3100e (or something like that) to bring with me when we all took our computers to a cafet on campus and ate. but, they'd bring their video camera w/them and film me walking with them. when someone would walk past me closely i would drop the laptop. the thing was so heavy it made a huge sound on impact, and after doing this several times it go to the point the keys, screen, and odd parts flew off on impact. while it wasn't a very constructive project for a laptop, it was, never the least, entertaining! the looks on peoples faces when they thought i was out $2000 for my computer!
     
   
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