The MacPlus512 Computer

I plan on keeping a journal of my MacPlus512 here. The name is derived from the unit itself...an old 512K that was upgraded to a Plus.

Some background on this machine: I got this from my friend Paul in November 2004. It was sitting in his basement and he had no use for it. He gave it to me free of charge and I went home, putting it on my workbench thinking I'd use it for MacDraw. I'm a woodworker in my spare time so I use a lot of blueprints.

I fire it up and find that the floppy drive doesn't work that well and the screen isn't too good either. Well, Paul had an old 512Ke that had a somewhat nasty looking case but good internals. Figuring I could swap some good parts out of here I took it as well (which also helped him since the rest of his family wanted those Macs gone).

I used it once last year when I had to help with a video for my former school district (it was a prop). It was a flash back to the 80s video. (Being that I've not only lived in the 80s but also had this old Mac and a 1988 Acura they picked me to do it--I even wore layered polo shirts).

Since then it has sat on my workbench. Last week I decided I was finally going to do something about it. It will no longer be a blueprint generator (I've got an SE for that purpose now) but instead will be a completely unique computing experience.

Here's what I've got planned:

1. Replace the broken components and max the RAM out to 4MB.

2. Add an external hard drive. I'm thinking 2GB. Plus a CD-ROM drive. Probably no external floppy, but I may add one later...it just doesn't go with this Mac's image for some reason.

3. A StyleWriter or StyleWriter II. I have a 1200 but I don't think it works on the Plus. Need one of those printers but I'm sure I can find one on eBay or somewhere for about a buck.

4. Case painting. I can't decide between white (would look bad with the keyboard though), platinum (the same color as the SE, this one right now is really yellowed beige), or blue. The blue would make it look really cool.

5. System 7.1 with some extras. Before Dark, a desktop program, for setting a nice dithered picture of my friends and I (we're like family...known each other for years) on the desktop instead of the boring patterns. Kaboom, a sound program, to play some awesome clips with events (like "Wake up, wake up" for startup and "I don't need to need you" for empty trash...all are taken from American and European trance music). After Dark for its slide show screen saver, again with dithered photos.

6. Word 5.1, Excel 4.0, Photoshop 1.0, MacDraw II, MacWrite Pro, HyperCard 2.4, Print Shop, and Kaboom Factory (sound editing) will be my top programs here. I'm probably going to put some AIFFs on the drive so I can listen to stuff when I work sort of like we do with our MP3s today.

Never mind the age of this Mac, this is going to be pretty unique and somewhat modern. Still thinking of a way to use the internet though.