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robivy64

macrumors member
Original poster
May 29, 2004
46
0
Fort Worth, TX
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Just picked one of these up, although I don't know what I will do with it!

I am a hardware collector, and have always wanted one of these, just for the novelty if anything.

Anyone else have one?
 
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mixel

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2006
1,730
976
Leeds, UK
I'd never realised it has a trackball in the middle of the controller. That's kind of genius. Or insane. I want to try one out now! I'd want to see what happens if someone replaced the analogue stick location on a PS3/360 pad with a balls instead. I wonder if we'd get more or less accuracy, or if it would just kill thumbs.

Pippin was a funny looking machine. I'd love one. Closest thing I have is a Commodore CD32.
 

mkjj

macrumors 6502a
Jun 2, 2003
807
21
Liverpool
Woah! What does the dpad feel like? It looks seriously strange. The controllers coloured buttons are very 360ish too. Shame it didn't take off. :(

Pad feels good, fits in the hand very comfortable, easy to use (for me anyway)

I got the last version ROM chip (1.3) and some case plastics and a chassis from KatzMedia who looked after the European end of things but never got to launch it. I have a wireless controller and a floppy disk dock as well (not shown)

Games are very expensive, I have only bought a few over the years.
 

Lil Chillbil

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2012
1,323
99
California
Woah! What does the dpad feel like? It looks seriously strange. The controllers coloured buttons are very 360ish too. Shame it didn't take off. :(

Actually these machines have a cult following years after main stream cut-off and total market failure
I know this because before I was Lil Chillbil on here I was Lil Chillbil on classic game room forum before it was shut down and I knew basically everything there was to know about the pippin and general retro gaming.
 

NZed

macrumors 65816
Jan 24, 2011
1,139
1
Canada, Eh?
Actually these machines have a cult following years after main stream cut-off and total market failure
I know this because before I was Lil Chillbil on here I was Lil Chillbil on classic game room forum before it was shut down and I knew basically everything there was to know about the pippin and general retro gaming.

Ok ok calm down, we believe you since the first sentence. No need for explanation or background. :eek:
 

robivy64

macrumors member
Original poster
May 29, 2004
46
0
Fort Worth, TX
Well, been playing with the Pippin for a little while now, and I must say...

It's complete *****.

Kinda what I expected honestly. I dig it for the novelty!

Before I bought it, the seller said "Are you sure you want this white turd?"
 

Macman45

macrumors G5
Jul 29, 2011
13,197
135
Somewhere Back In The Long Ago
Well, been playing with the Pippin for a little while now, and I must say...

It's complete *****.

Kinda what I expected honestly. I dig it for the novelty!

Before I bought it, the seller said "Are you sure you want this white turd?"

:D You have to be a true collector, but it looks to be in great condition...I'd forgotten them too....I'd keep it boxed up and safe, it was never going to be a stunner in performance...It wasn't when it came out..A little like Apple's Newton but still a great find..I doubt many are still in such good fettle after all these years!
 

robivy64

macrumors member
Original poster
May 29, 2004
46
0
Fort Worth, TX
The hardware is really cool. It's a quality built machine. It's really a shame that it never took off.

Been playing Shockwave and Racing Days. What's funny is seeing the extensions being loaded on the screen, then fades to black and starts the game.

Shockwave is decent, including the cheesy acting clips!

Racing Days had potential, but the controls are a fookin' mess.
 
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lowbelly

macrumors member
Sep 18, 2007
83
0
How did you come by it? I never see them on craigslist, or at garage sales... just the Japanese version on eBay for $600.
 

tdiaz

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2006
477
73
I've got a disc that boots into MacOS 7.6 and has OpenTransport, Netscape and some other stuff on it for the PiPPiN, requires the max RAM, I believe I have 13MB total in the unit, with the EtherDock.
 

tdiaz

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2006
477
73
Did the authentication system for mastering discs to boot without a dongle ever get reverse engineered, I know I've read about how it worked, but can a new disc be made today, on legacy hardware I'd have to figure, at least..
 

Lil Chillbil

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2012
1,323
99
California
I didn't think that this thread would last this long, Last summer is starting to sound like a long time ago. Oh the joys of sitting hunched over your powerbook gawking at the new retina macbook pros and listening to bob dylan all summer long :cool:
 

macalec

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2012
252
2
I have one. A developer unit. I have not been able to play around with it because I don't have any of the disks. Have you by chance found a source that provides the games??


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Just picked one of these up, although I don't know what I will do with it!

I am a hardware collector, and have always wanted one of these, just for the novelty if anything.

Anyone else have one?
 

tdiaz

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2006
477
73
A "developer" unit, in what way?

My understanding was they were the same unit, though they would have a ribbon cable with centronics 50 hanging out the back, and you'd get a Rainbow ADB dongle with an adapter to ruggedized ADB that would allow the PiPPiN to boot anything, and boot from a hard drive as well.

I've got a few of those dongles, and I want to say one of each actual PiPPiN title, as well as some bootable CDs I had mastered/authenticated that boot into 7.5.3 and 7.6 to Finder. Those will boot w/o a dongle, but the system needs the rarer, larger RAM card.
 
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