New to Mac and need some help

kwng · #1 January 19th, 2006, 05:52 PM

Hi. I am new to Mac (totally new). I have got myself a Powerbook 520c from
car boot sale. It comes with 3.5" diskette drive and a few ports at the back which I am not familiar with. It has mouse (looks like ps2 mouse) but cannot fit into any of the ports and it comes with a cable that has a ps2 looked a like connector at both end. That's all. It boots up fine and it says system 7.1.
It does not a lot software. I only noticed Clariswork and a simple text editor
and some scheduling software. It does not have an internal or external CD drive.

I have a lot questions and currently I could not do much with the powerbook.
I only hope it will be able to connect to the internet for browsing but so far I was kind of disappointed. Some of the things I am keen to know is

1). Do I need to upgrade the OS to browse? If so, I do not know how and I do not have any Mac OS with me. Please advise on purchase or download.
I have Windows-based PC which can access internet and has diskette drive and DVD RW drives. I guessed the new Mac OS will not support this powerbook but how do I access the old ones.

2). This related to the first question. If I do not need to upgrade, how can I setup and access internet. Please advise on hardware and software. I do note
that it has MacWeb but I do not know how to setup the hardware. I am currently accessing internet through a cable modem (USB connection) through one of my PC. I had a ethernet hub which hooked up 2 more PCs (client). Do powerbook 520c support USB connection? I also need advice on how to setup the network connection (PPP? or ethernet?). In windows, the modem came with a software in CD which automatically setup everything.
If I do need to upgrade my OS then, I'll have to ask more questions later.

3). I need some advice on installing software from diskette and formatting it.
For windows, a diskette need to be formatted to FAT before they can be read from or write to. Do Mac has their own format? If so, how do format the 1.44mb diskette? Can Mac communicate with windows like Linux? I mean a cable connection to Windows and exchange files. Again about installation of software, in windows, setup is used and the files are placed at desktop and the rests are thrown into a directory and some into system32 directory, etc.
How about Mac? Is Mac like the older version of windows where one can copy the related files into a particular directory and then one can runs it already or does it uses setup like windows.

4). Is there any way, I can access Mac software in internet, download it to a windows formatted HD before transferring it to a diskette and finally to the powerbook for installation?

Thank you for your patience and sorry about the long thread.

symphonix · #2 January 19th, 2006, 06:59 PM

First, here's the original specs for the PowerBook 520c which is a useful starting point:

http://apple-history.com/?page=galle...date&order=ASC

And here is lowendmac.com's specs page for this model, which outlines what you can and can't acheive with it. Very useful.

http://www.lowendmac.com/pb/520c.shtml

Yes, it does support Ethernet so you should be able to connect through an ethernet hub, and you shouldn't need to load up any drivers for the cable modem if you connect in this manner. No, it does not support USB as it predates USB by about two years.

It sounds like the ideal OS to run on this would be Mac OS 7.5.5 up to 7.6.1, which I believe you can download the updates for from http://www.info.apple.com/support/ol...twarelist.html

The diskette format is HFS+ I believe. I don't really know any tricks to get stuff onto the diskettes from PCs though, but I'm sure if you read some stuff here and at lowendmac.com you should find an answer soon.

mosx86 · #3 January 19th, 2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwng

Hi. I am new to Mac (totally new). I have got myself a Powerbook 520c from
car boot sale. It comes with 3.5" diskette drive and a few ports at the back which I am not familiar with. It has mouse (looks like ps2 mouse) but cannot fit into any of the ports and it comes with a cable that has a ps2 looked a like connector at both end. That's all. It boots up fine and it says system 7.1.
It does not a lot software. I only noticed Clariswork and a simple text editor
and some scheduling software. It does not have an internal or external CD drive.

I have a lot questions and currently I could not do much with the powerbook.
I only hope it will be able to connect to the internet for browsing but so far I was kind of disappointed. Some of the things I am keen to know is

1). Do I need to upgrade the OS to browse? If so, I do not know how and I do not have any Mac OS with me. Please advise on purchase or download.
I have Windows-based PC which can access internet and has diskette drive and DVD RW drives. I guessed the new Mac OS will not support this powerbook but how do I access the old ones.

2). This related to the first question. If I do not need to upgrade, how can I setup and access internet. Please advise on hardware and software. I do note
that it has MacWeb but I do not know how to setup the hardware. I am currently accessing internet through a cable modem (USB connection) through one of my PC. I had a ethernet hub which hooked up 2 more PCs (client). Do powerbook 520c support USB connection? I also need advice on how to setup the network connection (PPP? or ethernet?). In windows, the modem came with a software in CD which automatically setup everything.
If I do need to upgrade my OS then, I'll have to ask more questions later.

3). I need some advice on installing software from diskette and formatting it.
For windows, a diskette need to be formatted to FAT before they can be read from or write to. Do Mac has their own format? If so, how do format the 1.44mb diskette? Can Mac communicate with windows like Linux? I mean a cable connection to Windows and exchange files. Again about installation of software, in windows, setup is used and the files are placed at desktop and the rests are thrown into a directory and some into system32 directory, etc.
How about Mac? Is Mac like the older version of windows where one can copy the related files into a particular directory and then one can runs it already or does it uses setup like windows.

4). Is there any way, I can access Mac software in internet, download it to a windows formatted HD before transferring it to a diskette and finally to the powerbook for installation?

Thank you for your patience and sorry about the long thread.

Wow, that's a pretty old system. Hope you don't judge the modern Mac experience based on a system from the early 1990s.

1. I don't believe that Mac OS 7.1 came with Open Transport pre-installed. You'll have to install it yourself. I believe that Open Transport 1.2 will run on 7.1, but you'll probably have to install earlier versions first. You can find older Apple software downloads here: Older Software Downloads.

Note... Some files may span several floppy disks. Your Mac will be able to read PC formatted floppies, but you should double check to see what type of floppies it can read. Older Apple Hardware Specs.

2. You won't be supporting USB on that OS. If the Mac has an ethernet port on it, you'll be able to connect via the hub you spoke of. Once Open Transport is installed configure it to connect via the TCP/IP control panel. Set it to connect via ethernet and then you can either manually configure the IP settings or have it DHCP (if your network supports that).

3. Mac OS 7.1 uses the HFS file system, but it can read PC formatted floppies (at least as I recall). Generally, Mac applications are self contained. You simply drag them to where you want them to reside on the hard disk and then double click on them to open them. A good place to look for applications is Version Tracker. Just make sure you search for Mac OS 8/9 applications (should work with system 7, but no guarantees!)

4. I don't recall if there are any software solutions to allow your Mac OS 7.1 machine to communicate with a windows network. There may be, but I simply don't remember it. If you can get your PC to communicate via AppleTalk, you should be able to get the two machines to talk.

As far as a web browser is concerned, you may be able to find an early version of Netscape to work, or possibly Mosiac? If you need telnet or ssh, I suggest NiftyTelnet.

ElDiabloConCaca · #4 January 19th, 2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by symphonix

The diskette format is HFS+ I believe.

HFS+ was introduced with Mac OS 8.1 -- HFS is the correct format for OS 8.0 and below.

nixgeek · #5 January 19th, 2006, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwng

Hi. I am new to Mac (totally new). I have got myself a Powerbook 520c from
car boot sale. It comes with 3.5" diskette drive and a few ports at the back which I am not familiar with. It has mouse (looks like ps2 mouse) but cannot fit into any of the ports and it comes with a cable that has a ps2 looked a like connector at both end. That's all. It boots up fine and it says system 7.1.
It does not a lot software. I only noticed Clariswork and a simple text editor
and some scheduling software. It does not have an internal or external CD drive.

I have a lot questions and currently I could not do much with the powerbook.
I only hope it will be able to connect to the internet for browsing but so far I was kind of disappointed.

How I wish I owned a classic PowerBook like that.

(I DO own a Macintosh Quadra 650 which is acting as a web server for my family's homepage. Check the link to the Old Apple Webserver Directory for a list of other older Macs being used as servers.)

The port on the back for the mouse is not a PS/2 connector but an ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) connector.

As for software, I would check out sites like Jag's House. You can also head to 68Kforum.com, Low End Mac, and even this particular site for help and information on your vintage Mac.

Quote:

Some of the things I am keen to know is

1). Do I need to upgrade the OS to browse? If so, I do not know how and I do not have any Mac OS with me. Please advise on purchase or download.
I have Windows-based PC which can access internet and has diskette drive and DVD RW drives. I guessed the new Mac OS will not support this powerbook but how do I access the old ones.

Well, the advantage of newer operating systems and hardware are that you can run the latest and greatest software available on the internet. Of course, with this oldie you won't have that but all is not lost. If you want to upgrade from System 7.1 to say, System 7.5.3, you can since Apple has made System 7.5.3 available for free from their website. Of course, it requires a Mac with an internet connection and a floppy drive in order to download the disk images and make actual floppy disks of them to be used on the PB 520c. Apple also has updaters that will update your PB 520c to 7.5.5 once you've installed 7.5.3. You can also purchase Mac OS 8.1 (which is a more up to date than 7.5.x) from any of the vendors listed on Low End Mac.

As for browsing software, there is a browser called iCab that supports most new web technologies. The version for these older 68K Macs is 2.9.8. I use it on my Quadra 650 and it works decently. You can also purchase Nisus Writer Classic 6.0.1 and use that as an office productivity suite for your classic Mac. They have a free demo that you can test before you buy. Scroll to the bottom for information on Nisus Writer for 68K Macs like yours.

Quote:

2). This related to the first question. If I do not need to upgrade, how can I setup and access internet. Please advise on hardware and software. I do note
that it has MacWeb but I do not know how to setup the hardware. I am currently accessing internet through a cable modem (USB connection) through one of my PC. I had a ethernet hub which hooked up 2 more PCs (client). Do powerbook 520c support USB connection? I also need advice on how to setup the network connection (PPP? or ethernet?). In windows, the modem came with a software in CD which automatically setup everything.
If I do need to upgrade my OS then, I'll have to ask more questions later.

The PowerBook 520c came out WAY before USB was introduced, so no you can't get USB on that Mac. However, you do have a PCMCIA slot which might be able to use a wireless card that uses the Orinoco chipset (see this thread on Jag's House). You also have an Ethernet port that you can use to connect that Mac to your Ethernet hub.

I believe System 7.1 has the Control Panels to configure TCP/IP settings under MacTCP. Of course, it was a bit of a pain to set up because of the control panel's interface, but if you upgrade to 7.5.5 or 8.1 you can download Open Transport for your installed System version from Apple's website. Open Transport made it much easier to configure AppleTalk and TCP/IP.

Quote:

3). I need some advice on installing software from diskette and formatting it.
For windows, a diskette need to be formatted to FAT before they can be read from or write to. Do Mac has their own format? If so, how do format the 1.44mb diskette? Can Mac communicate with windows like Linux? I mean a cable connection to Windows and exchange files. Again about installation of software, in windows, setup is used and the files are placed at desktop and the rests are thrown into a directory and some into system32 directory, etc.
How about Mac? Is Mac like the older version of windows where one can copy the related files into a particular directory and then one can runs it already or does it uses setup like windows.

The Mac does have its own filesystem. The Mac OS originally had a filesystem called Macintosh File System (MFS). As time progressed, Apple came out with an improved version called the Hierarchical File System (HFS) which supported creating folders and folders withing folders in a hierarchy. With Mac OS 8.1, Apple improved the features of HFS with HFS+. HFS+ increased the supported maximum filesize and disk space, as well as making better use of small files by saving more data in smaller blocks.

Thankfully, software installation isn't the nightmare that it is on Windows. To install an application (on that's properly made for the Mac), all you have to do is drag it to whatever folder you want (preferably an Applications folder to keep things neat and tiday, but it's not necessary). To uninstall, drag it to the Trash and empty the Trash. It's that simple, and it's been like this from the very early days up until the latest version of Tiger.

However, there are applications that come with installers but they don't spread things around the system like they do in Windows. If they do install anything on the system, you'll either find it in the Extensions folder or Control Panels folder, both located in the System Folder. To uninstall, just re-run the installer and select "Custom Remove" or "Remove" from the drop down list of the installer. Most well-developed Mac apps will either have you do that or drag the app to the trash as I mentioned before.

Quote:

4). Is there any way, I can access Mac software in internet, download it to a windows formatted HD before transferring it to a diskette and finally to the powerbook for installation?

See the following link for information:

http://www.jagshouse.com/Macs_and_PCs.html

Quote:

Thank you for your patience and sorry about the long thread.

Anytime

nixgeek · #6 January 19th, 2006, 07:19 PM

Damn....y'all are too damned fast!

ElDiabloConCaca · #7 January 19th, 2006, 07:40 PM

Heh... or you write too damn much! Just kidding... VERY helpful information there, nix'.

kwng · #8 January 19th, 2006, 08:02 PM

Thank very much. You guys are so helpful That's what very helpful and thanks for the quick replies. I played around with it for 2 hours just now. I noticed the diskette drive can read dos formatted disketter and mac formatted diskette. In fact, I am getting more optimistic about using it more. I did noticed several things worries me. The main one is the hardware. One of the ports is indeed for the mouse and the mouse works! However, there is one scsi port (HDI-30) and an ethernet port (AAUI-15). The ps2 looked alike cables that came with it is actually a serial std port. I got big help from everymac.com website specifications for powerbook 520c. I wonder where I can get such cables to SCSI and ethernet port. I also wonder which printer in the market now has serial port that look like ps2. Well, I hope someone will enlightened me. I particularly need some advice on the ethernet cable (AAUI-15). I have some ethernet cables but they had totally different connector. Anyone knows what these ethernet cable are called or are they known as AAUI-15 also. I also apologised for some errors as I found out it has a Mac System Beta-7.5.

Anyway, i try to go through all your advices and all your recommended
internet link and see whether I can pick up some tips

. Got a lot to catch up. Anyway, I will try not to judge a Mac with the this old powerbook but I have used 486 and P1 notebook (windows based) before and I must admit
powerbook is quite advanced in comparisons (particularly the networking features).

Thank you.