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How to: Get your 1984 Mac running Snow Leopard

by Mike Schramm Mar 8th 2010 at 9:00AM

Because of that, his instructions get a little technical (he actually replaced the innards rather than just trying to fit a Mac mini in there or something similarly easy). So this isn't a very good project for a first-timer for sure. But if you've got a little DIY experience, or just want to see what it looks like to take apart an old Mac and refill it with modern PC parts (he went Hackintosh on the OS), you should definitely check out his writeup. I wouldn't use the computer as a workstation any more -- because, come on now, who can really do any serious computing on a 9-inch screen? -- but as a music server or just a conversation piece, it's great.

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Because of that, his instructions get a little technical (he actually replaced the innards rather than just trying to fit a Mac mini in...
 

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glad

People should give them old macs the respect they deserve my mac classic works i rarely start it up but it's gonna stay in my shed why because it's a piece of tech history. I'll be getting my hands on a colour `mac classic later this week and then my collection is complete gut it no but might try and get a inkjet printer to work with it thats all as it'll make a good wordprocessor.

Like I said you haver to respect them and these modders don't.

March 08 2010 at 7:13 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Todd

I did this a few years ago with a Mac SE, which I upgraded to run OS X: I dubbed it the Mac SE X.

Instead of a color screen, I replaced the original CRT with a same-size monochrome VGA CRT. For the heart of the computer, a Mac Mini did the trick nicely. I used a G4 Mini to maintain backward compatibility via Classic, so I'm able to run Photoshop 3 (contemporary to the Mac SE) on it. I enlarged the floppy slot enough to accommodate a CD/DVD, and ran some short USB extenders to get external ports. A Griffin iMate to connects the ADB keyboard and mouse to one of the USB ports.

March 08 2010 at 2:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Frank Ewell

But it won't run Tracon II anymore!!!

March 08 2010 at 12:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brian

So he "spared no expense" but put in a too-small, wrongly-shaped screen? Decent, but not great. Nice work on the ports, though.

March 08 2010 at 11:56 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
papasui

Let's call a spade a spade. This is a case mod.

March 08 2010 at 11:14 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
John Doe

peee-yew!
Thanks for farting, jordan, tabaks, sinecure and power.

Classy.

March 08 2010 at 11:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to John Doe's comment
John Doe

wowsers. tabaksey is a sensitive wittle child.

dish it out but can't take it, huh?

let's bottom-line this: dude undertakes a quirky project for fun and entertainment. you poop on it for no clear reason other than to be all Snotty McSnot.

and who's got issues?

March 08 2010 at 1:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
PowerHouse

Like putting a Ferrari engine in a 1984 Ford Taurus... there's no point.

March 08 2010 at 10:35 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jake Howe

My other computer is an iMac..

http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FFN/XJ6B/G43EJRBG/FFNXJ6BG43EJRBG.MEDIUM.jpg

March 08 2010 at 9:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
boriscleto

Don't hurt the old Mac? He gutted it. Why didn't he just buy an empty shell?

March 08 2010 at 9:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sinecure Industries

Somehow I think he might have a little bit too much time and money. Even so, a hobby is a hobby, right?

March 08 2010 at 9:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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