The internet is full of oddities and wonders, from the educational to the appalling – and sometimes both educational and appalling at the same time. Little wonder then that television is feeling the pinch – the internet has sites at least as entertaining, but with interactivity to ensure that the consumer (that’d be all of us) doesn’t become a dribbling moron in the process. That’s the theory, anyway.
Mac users are particularly well catered for. Whether your system of choice is modern (Mac OS X 10.6 or newer), old (early versions of Mac OS X), archaic (Mac OS 7, 8 and 9) or antediluvian (anything earlier), you can find plenty of support and entertainment. Even Apple is in on the act, providing limited support (in the discussion groups and archives) for its dinosaurs as well as for the latest and greatest.
I like old computers. In fact, in many ways, I prefer the old kit. My modern Macs are useful – but I’m more attached to my SE/30, my LCIII and my Quadra 650 than I am to the Mac Pro. If I had to preserve one computer from a hypothetical flood, it’d probably be the SE/30. If I could preserve two then it would be the SE/30 and my Synology NAS.
There are many sites on the internet that cater to this fetish for tech-porn. GUIdebook is one excellent example, Toasty Tech’s GUI Interface Gallery is another. Old-Computers is excellent, and very well known, but I prefer Binary Dinosaurs. By far the greatest, in my opinion, is the wonderful MacMania Museum.
Despite the name, the MacMania Museum is only about 50% Mac. The rest includes arcana such as the under-appreciated Vectrex through to the inexplicably over loved Atari ST (sorry, I just don’t like them!). It’s a fascinating treasure trove of once state-of-the-art technology (and also technology that was merely a cynical cash in at the time of its release – IIvi, anyone?) A gambol down nostalgia lane.
If I have one criticism, and I do – I’m the most critical person alive, it is that the museum is purely virtual. I would love to get my hands on some of this kit, to fondle it, and relive the experience of playing with it. As it is, we will all have to satisfy ourselves with just looking at the pictures (very good photography, by the way), and reading the fascinating and well researched text on each of the exhibits.
The curator, Neil, is a very talented man and his restorations are an example of what can be achieved with old equipment. Read on, and drool, at this, one of the very best sites on this subject on the entire internet. Very educational, and not appalling at all!