What Happened To Marathon Computer?

im pretty sure that they went out of business

... that they were bought out & absorbed into Griffin Technology. Soon after the acquisition, Griffin eliminated the rackmounting products. Stink.

Sounds like a potential business opportunity... as if I don't already have enough on my plate!

are they the company that offered a rackmount kit for the iMac where you removed the motherboard and stuck it in the kit? I think it was a 1U rackmount.

Or am I thinking of another company?

-digital

The very same. It's a shame; that kit, if it were less expensive anyway, would be the way to resurrect iMacs with analog board & crt issues. Sigh.

The kit of cables and adapters, sans the rack case, possibly replaced with an ATX case, would be a great thing. Rack mount cases are generally expensive. Even cheap ones are well over $100. An iRack cable kit and a cheapo case could sell for $50-75. That's just barely worth it. A cable/adapter only kit for $20-30 would be well worth it.

I believe that's them.

I had posted on the LEM Swap List, looking for a Marathon kit to rack mount a G4 (they called it a G-Rac), and had several people write back asking what that looked like. And dang if I can find any photos online of the G-Rac. But the questions made me realize that Marathon's gear is pretty unique, and rare. And that's probably a natural evolutionary step; with Apple now producing the Xserve and Xserve RAID -- and the mini -- the need for an aftermarket solution for rack mounting a computer is passe.

Passe for some, but old Macs never die (in my shop anyway); they just get repurposed. I did find some info & photos of another Marathon kit, which allowed a G5 to fit in a rack. How, you ask, does one fit a G5, with its 21.1 inch stature in a 19 inch rack? Well, it's a difficult process, involving, of all things (gasp!) a hacksaw.

Here's a writeup on an early iRack; the case & power supply to rack mount an iMac. (sigh)

I had posted on the LEM Swap List, looking for a Marathon kit to rack mount a G4 (they called it a G-Rac), and had several people write back asking what that looked like. And dang if I can find any photos online of the G-Rac. But the questions made me realize that Marathon's gear is pretty unique, and rare. And that's probably a natural evolutionary step; with Apple now producing the Xserve and Xserve RAID -- and the mini -- the need for an aftermarket solution for rack mounting a computer is passe.

Passe for some, but old Macs never die (in my shop anyway); they just get repurposed. I did find some info & photos of another Marathon kit, which allowed a G5 to fit in a rack. How, you ask, does one fit a G5, with its 21.1 inch stature in a 19 inch rack? Well, it's a difficult process, involving, of all things (gasp!) a hacksaw.

Here's a writeup on an early iRack; the case & power supply to rack mount an iMac. (sigh)

Oh, and the http://www.marathoncomputer.net link is only a main page; any of the links on that page gets a 404 error. Doesn't look to be active anymore.

Word. Sounds like a worthwhile cottage industry.

I have a G-Rac I'm not using, if you're still interested...

I began using Marathon iRacks before the Xserve and have three iRacks for the Rev A-D iMacs and one iRack DV. A couple of them are still in use and the others are fine but I don't happen to need them at this time.

Just posted a couple of photos of the Marathon rack I have with a blue & white G3 fitted, and the whole works placed in the server rack at work. The G3 has Appleshare IP & Audion running, pulling double duty as an ftp server and a Muzak-type audio generator (music on hold and background noise for the lobby).

I'm terribly sad that Marathon has been gobbled up and the rackmount product line eliminated. Too, too bad.
http://www.applefritter.com/node/20999
http://www.applefritter.com/node/21000

Then we must start our own Mac rackmount thingie company!
/me thinks a linux running rackmount LC 575 will full 040 might be neat if someone had a spare lobo.

If it's rack mounted I'd say a 580 or even better a 630. The main advantage of the 575 was the Trinitron screen. With a 580/630 you can use ATA drives and the 630 has a CS along with the LC PDS.

I know, I have a LC 575 and Performa 580CD. I just meant if someone had a spare lobo that was salvaged from one with a damaged case/display.
Honestly there would be many Macs that would be better suited than 5xx and 6xx but it was just an example.
Em, and by CS you mean Comm Slot right? Because my LC 575 and P580CD both have Comm Slots so there is no advantage of the 630 there.

A 575 in a rack? Typically, the goal of mounting in a rack is to use as little vertical space as possible, so an all-in-one like the 575 wouldn't be ideal. Ideally you'd have multiple computers/drives/network stuff crammed into the rack and a single monitor, keyboard & mouse that's shared through a kvm switch. The idea behind the Marathon iRack was to a.) give a new lease on life to iMacs with dead monitors, and b.) create a way to put an iMac into a rack without taking up 10-12 rack units (use as little space as possible.) A 1U rackmountable device is great, cuz it uses the vertical space of only three mounting holes (1.75").

What you can't see in the second of my photos (http://www.applefritter.com/node/21000) is the other three servers (Windows) that are in the rack and share peripherals through the switch that's just below the G3. Above that is a shelf that supports the keyboard, mouse & standard monitor (one of these days I'll get a monitor that mounts to the rack and a keyboard that slides in & out on a drawer!) At the bottom of the photo you can see two of the Winders machines, and below that is a third Dell server that is a true rackmount monster. Takes up as much vertical space as the G3, but is about 24" deep! Slides all the way out on rails for servicing though, so that's pretty slick. Above the monitor is the network gear; two switches, a WatchGuard firewall device, the cable modem, and a wireless access node. The rack is plenty full. I'd hate to have to lift it!

For a lot of machines that don't have rackmount features, you can stick a shelf in the rack to support them. The two machines in the bottom of the photo are supported in that way, and it works fine. In fact, before I put the G3 in the Marathon rack, it just sat vertically on a shelf, and before that there was a 4400 sitting on the shelf.

I'd go for a 630 in a rack, but not a 575. And making a business out of it would be difficult, as the PC guys have things wrapped up pretty tight. You can buy used 1U Intel machines for little/nothing that would run circles around a 630 running Linux. Unfortunately, the demise of Marathon was a natural part of how the industry has evolved. Not that I like it, but I can't change it either.

So you are saying the 575 board in the picture linked to below is not at all ideal?
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/5379/10023242km1.jpg
It is sitting on a graphite Apple USB Keyboard btw.
Even with an ethernet comm slot card it is still really thin. (no card was in the picture as it is in use in another computer)

How come everybody fails to notice that all I said was that it would be _neat_?
Ok, look. I was kinda just joking around.
Anyway, if one wanted a more powerful machine, yes, they could just buy one. However, if you had a lobo and a few other parts hanging around from a machine with damaged display/case it might be fun to gut it and stick some bits in a rack or something.

Still havr that G-rack available?
If so, will it also fit a G4 MDD?

Thanx,
rd

Hi Guys,

Start drooling!

I have 3 Marathon iRACKS, looking like new, complete except for drives I removed, but each of them refused to light up a monitor. Fans, ethernet, built-in modems, speaker -- everything an early tray loading iMac would have.

I acquired them that way and still am not sure of the problem. I don't think it is a firmware issue that resulted from an attempted OS 10 install BEFORE the firmware update.

I'm torn between doing something with them, and selling them.
2 USB ports but no Firewire.

Offers, should I decide to sell?

Terry

Someone asked what the Marathon rack-mount cases look like. Here's a MacObserver article on their case as well as the rack-adaptors to mount a G3/G4 in a rack:

http://www.macobserver.com/news/99/june/990610/marathoncomputer.html

hey guys,
not sure if you are around but i have 2 sets of the g-rack for the g3/g4 as well as the full enclosure power rack that was mentioned earlier in this blog. The power rack is brand new and sealed in the original box.

let me know if there is any interest out here for these items. i have all the screws and the special screwdriver to get the ears off the g3/g4 for the g-rack and i also have 3 sets of the telescoping rack sliders that marathon computer made.

just let me know. i am located in wilmington, nc and am ready to sell these things.

thanks

If any one have the irack please PM me.
i need 2 iracks

Best Regards

I have a marathon computer Rack Case for sale

I would love to buy your G-Rack from you, I have a couple of Quickslivers to mount.
Best Regards
Ben

neb@exposure.net

i recently came across one of these guys, and have decided to sell it. unfortunately, i don't have any of the screws, but I've got the pair of rails, and they're in pretty decent condition. feel free to drop me a line via pm or at if you're interested.

Hello... I'm looking for the iRack DV if one is available.

Thanks...