What have you done with an early Intel recently?

[eyoungren]

Restored the 2TB RAID ICY Dock, reconnected to the E:2009 Mini and reshared to the network.



Now, just need to figure out what I'm going to do with this drive. I don't trust it - yet, but it should be able to handle something that won't hurt losing.

 

[alex_free]

With the help of @alex_free's wonderful DCDIB utility, I burned a CD-R on my 2011 13" MBP for usage on my Dreamcast.

With a bootable CD-R successfully created, I placed the disc in my Dreamcast and proceeded to have some fun.

Wow, the Atari VCS/2600 - 128 colours all available for simultaneous display (on the NTSC machines) - what an impressive feat of engineering for 1977 but then what would you expect from the legendary Jay Miner, who later fathered the Amiga?

(Shame the emulator is rather naff seeing as the programmer hasn't updated the Dreamcast version since 2004.)

Wow, 2004 was 18 years ago.

Glad your having fun with the most exploitable console ever

 

[eyoungren]

Huh…

So it seems that my 4TB HD has decided to resurrect itself - with custom icon and data intact.

All the data on it is currently on my NAS so I don't need it, but still. Right now, I have zero trust in this drive. A restart and it could be gone again. It's been two weeks or so! And I paid almost $100 for the replacement!

Frickin' bizzare!

EDIT: Oh yeah, ZERO trust in this drive!

 

[TheShortTimer]

EDIT: Oh yeah, ZERO trust in this drive!

Yikes, how old is that drive again?

 

[eyoungren]

Yikes, how old is that drive again?

I probably brought it home some time in 2015 I think. It was in my Quicksilver for a while, then my Quad from 2017 to 2020. It's a WD RE (Server) drive.

The other two drives in the Mac are older, so go figure. Also, note that the power on hours on my drives are always going to be high. My Macs run 24/7.

 

[TheShortTimer]

I probably brought it home some time in 2015 I think. It was in my Quicksilver for a while, then my Quad from 2017 to 2020. It's a WD RE (Server) drive.

The other two drives in the Mac are older, so go figure.

The inconsistencies of hard drives is quite perplexing isn't it?

I have a 90s unit that is seemingly indestructible whereas other drives have died on me in no time at all. A few months back, I purchased a (brand new) 4TB drive that was dead on arrival.

Also, note that the power on hours on my drives are always going to be high. My Macs run 24/7.

Much of my gear is always on too. It would be impractical and in some cases, simply impossible to turn them off.

 

[alex_free]

The inconsistencies of hard drives is quite perplexing isn't it?

I have a 90s unit that is seemingly indestructible whereas other drives have died on me in no time at all. A few months back, I purchased a (brand new) 4TB drive that was dead on arrival.



Much of my gear is always on too. It would be impractical and in some cases, simply impossible to turn them off.

The OG iBook G3 clamshell 3.2GB HDD from January 2000 is still kicking and screaming as I'm a bit scared of replacing it with a 7200RPM brand new IDE I bought months ago. Maybe they just don't make em like they used to?

 

[lepidotós]

They don't have to be good anymore, because they don't have to be competitive -- SSDs are a thing now. It's also the same reason floppy disks started to suck ca. 2003, phonographs started to suck sometime in the '90s, and x86/amd64 hasn't been good since like 2012.​

 

[alex_free]

They don't have to be good anymore, because they don't have to be competitive -- SSDs are a thing now. It's also the same reason floppy disks started to suck ca. 2003, phonographs started to suck sometime in the '90s, and x86/amd64 hasn't been good since like 2012.​

They are still competitive for price per GB and backwards compatibility wise. I can buy a new IDE drive and not have to worry about it not working compared to say some IDE2SATA adapter that may not fit or work. Even an IDE2CF adapter is not for everyone (including me) because they die way faster.

 

[TheShortTimer]

Maybe they just don't make em like they used to?

I think so. It appears that items are no longer built to last (or upgrade in the case of many Apple products) - because they reduce the opportunity for the manufacturer to sell you new hardware within a desired time frame. Although the irony is that they'd be more likely to gain in the long run because new and existing consumers would buy more of their products because of the reputation for longevity.

There are computers from the 80s and 90s in my possession which have outlived a number of my Macs and I think that speaks somewhat to a marked difference in build quality over the decades. Earlier, I was watching a repair and restoration video involving a 1982 computer and the engineer marvelled that none of the keyboard's symbols had worn in the slightest and contrasted that with his need to periodically replace the keys on his wife's laptop because the letters vanish.

Here's a great documentary on the topic of planned (and forced) obsolescence and it includes the revelation that Epson had programmed the firmware of their printers to restrict their lifespans so that they discontinue working after an internal counter has reached a particular mark - even if the printer is in full working order. I've shared it before but in case you haven't seen already it's a must-watch.

On the subject of not making them like they used to, I think that you'd appreciate this news piece.

 

[lepidotós]

@alex_free True, but in terms of commodity, the only hard drives anyone's buying are SATA3 3.5" or maaaybe 2.5" for weird cases drives. So it's fine if they cheap out because there's no unanimous commodity alternative to, say, 2.5" IDE for a lot of people besides the super-enthusiasts.​

 

[eyoungren]

The inconsistencies of hard drives is quite perplexing isn't it?

I have a 90s unit that is seemingly indestructible whereas other drives have died on me in no time at all. A few months back, I purchased a (brand new) 4TB drive that was dead on arrival.

Yeah, it's strange some times. Most of the 1TB drives I have were made around 2010-2011 and are still going. I don't have much older than that, but only because I was using a TiBook exclusively from 2003 to 2013. That Mac saw multiple drive failures, mainly those cheap Hitachi drives Apple was using during that period.

Much of my gear is always on too. It would be impractical and in some cases, simply impossible to turn them off.

I hear you. My wife used to criticize that mentality, but has largely adopted it in the last several years when laptops became part of her daily routine.

If I shut my Mac Pro off, most of my routine backups will never happen.

 

[eyoungren]

OK…

New USB Stick arrived, working perfect. I do have to test multiple connections yet, but I had zero problems reconnecting my Magic Mouse. Mini just saw the device.

Installed new 6TB drive in the Mac Pro. Not even 2000 hours on it! See below.



Pro tip: When installing a new HD/SSD into a Mac Pro bay, use the new drive. Don't reinstall the old one twice and expect it to be seen or to be what it's not.

Trust me, I'm saving you guys a lot of headache!

Now to work on a new RAID enclosure!

 

[eyoungren]

Well, USB BT stick was tested, working just fine with loudspeaker and Magic Mouse.

Now, I have my drives in the RAID and disk reattached to L:09 Mini. Dropbox in the process of resynching.

 

[eyoungren]

<finger wagging, faux outrage> BAD DRIVE!!!

 

[eyoungren]

Servers, drives, shortcuts and windows oh my!

 

[dandeco]

Got another addition to my growing collection of older Macs from my workplace...

This time, it's one of the early MacBook Pro models, the initial Intel Core Duo one from 2006! (The first line of Intel Mac laptops, no less!) This one has the 2.16 GHz Core Duo processor and the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256 MB VRAM, but had already been maxed out to 2 GB of system RAM and a 120 GB hard drive. But the internal SuperDrive is bad, as discs cannot even go in it, so I have to use an older external DVD burner to wipe the hard drive and install Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '11 on it. (This is probably why it ended up at our warehouse, as the previous owner was getting rid of it to be recycled or whatever.) I can probably replace the bad optical drive with a good working one, and I also need to get a new battery for it; the old one is so "dead" that unplugging the MagSafe cord will shut it down (I did this by accident) and the internal clock will set itself to a date from 2000! (Better than being set back to 1969 as is the case with PowerPC Macs!)

Comparing my 15" PowerBook G4 from 2005 with the 15" Core Duo MacBook Pro. Aside from some slight differences in the case, and the latter having a MagSafe power connection, ExpressCard3/4 slot and a built-in iSight webcam along with dropping the S-Video out, built-in modem and FireWire 800 port, they're still pretty much the same type of laptop, only with an Intel Core Duo system in place of the PowerPC G4 chip. Heck, since the early Core Duo Macs are 32-bit only and can't run any Mac OS versions higher than 10.6 Snow Leopard, I treat them the same way I do with the PowerPC Macs in my collection, as they are fun to keep around for certain tasks and applications.

 

[TheShortTimer]

Servers, drives, shortcuts and windows oh my!

View attachment 1987832

Who are the women featured in your wallpaper? The one on the right hand side looks like Lucille Ball and the lady in the background could be Hedy Lamarr. Am I right at all?

 

[eyoungren]

Who are the women featured in your wallpaper? The one on the right hand side looks like Lucille Ball and the lady in the background could be Hedy Lamarr. Am I right at all?

Audrey Meadows on the left in the red dress. Most known for The Honeymooners. That's from a 1950s Cosmo cover.

The blue(ish) woman is Barbara Stanwyck from the movie Ball of Fire. Generally most known for The Big Valley. I'm using her here as sort of a Photoshopped Cortana (from Halo).

On the right is Amanda Blake, as Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke.

 

[TheShortTimer]

Audrey Meadows on the left in the red dress. Most known for The Honeymooners. That's from a 1950s Cosmo cover.

Ah ok, I've never caught the airings on UK TV but I've heard of it via the references in Back to the Future.

Thanks for source, I've found the cover.

The blue(ish) woman is Barbara Stanwyck from the movie Ball of Fire. Generally most known for The Big Valley. I'm using her here as sort of a Photoshopped Cortana (from Halo).

Stanwyck I know best from Double Indemnity and in later years, The Thorn Birds. I'll need to check out Ball of Fire.

That's certainly a creative usage.

On the right is Amanda Blake, as Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke.

Again, Gunsmoke aired in the UK but I never saw it - hence my unfamiliarity. I did however watch contemporaneous live action material such as The Phil Silvers Show, I Love Lucy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Blondie, Bonanza and The Twilight Zone.

I appreciate the information.

 

[rampancy]

Got another addition to my growing collection of older Macs from my workplace...

What a wonderful find! The A1150 MacBook Pro is another favourite Mac of mine, and you've got the dankest of the dank configurations of it.

Despite my mortal fear of pushing the GPU on my own unit further towards a potential death, it's such a beautiful machine to use. If you can find one, I really recommend replacing the hard drive with an inexpensive SSD. I have one in mine (ADATA 256 GB SU800 Ultimate) and it just screams.

 

[theMarble]

What a wonderful find! The A1150 MacBook Pro is another favourite Mac of mine, and you've got the dankest of the dank configurations of it.

Despite my mortal fear of pushing the GPU on my own unit further towards a potential death, it's such a beautiful machine to use. If you can find one, I really recommend replacing the hard drive with an inexpensive SSD. I have one in mine (ADATA 256 GB SU800 Ultimate) and it just screams.

The A1211 (15") and A1212 (17") is in my opinion the best of the original-gen MacBook Pro. You get the advantages of having a 2006 MacBook Pro but with the ability to have: ~4GB of RAM and Mavericks. I've got a 17" version with a 240GB Kingston A400 (low-end cheaper SSD) on Mavericks and it flies.

 

[eyoungren]

Achieved my four display stack with the two Mac Minis using Share Mouse.

I can now control the E:09 Mini with the mouse/keyboard of the L:09 Mini without resorting to Screen Sharing.

E:09 Mini is connected to the loudspeaker and the L:09 Mini sends it's audio through the E:09 Mini to the loudspeaker (as well as controlling the E:09) volume. That's courtesy of Air Server.

 

[avz]

Started using Apple Music in iTunes on my Late 2008 aluminum unibody MacBook and it works great. The only annoying thing is that with my dual boot setup(Mojave and Sierra) I am unable to share downloaded Apple Music library in both Mojave and Sierra even when both share the same iTunes music folder location. So essentially for the offline playback I have to re-download the track I already downloaded in Mojave again in Sierra and as they share the same folder they appear side by side and newly downloaded track has "1" at the end for the distinction(for example Homebound.m4p and Homebound 1.m4p). I guess it is normal that streaming music service does not give you the same flexibility to move music around in the same way as the purchased music.

 

[joevt]

Started using Apple Music in iTunes on my Late 2008 aluminum unibody MacBook and it works great. The only annoying thing is that with my dual boot setup(Mojave and Sierra) I am unable to share downloaded Apple Music library in both Mojave and Sierra even when both share the same iTunes music folder location. So essentially for the offline playback I have to re-download the track I already downloaded in Mojave again in Sierra and as they share the same folder they appear side by side and newly downloaded track has "1" at the end for the distinction(for example Homebound.m4p and Homebound 1.m4p). I guess it is normal that streaming music service does not give you the same flexibility to move music around in the same way as the purchased music.

The music library files should be in different folders for different versions of macOS (hold option when starting the app to change). The library folder may have Previous Library files that can be used with old macOS versions.

The media folder can be the same (change in Preferences...) for different macOS versions.

I think I have iTunes/Music working on my MacPro3,1 for all versions of macOS from 10.4 to 12.3. But I have no experience with streaming music downloads though. What happens if you just try to rescan ("Add to Library") the music folder containing the .m4p files? Music.app has an option to only show duplicates if you need to clean up duplicates. I would have to reboot to check iTunes.