Snippet: A Computer of a Certain Age ☇

Linus Edwards shares the tale of getting an old Mac on the Internet and reflects on some of the challenges:

After I upgraded to an iBook in 1999, my Performa was relegated to our basement, where it sat for a dark and lonely fourteen years. However, a few weeks ago when I was back home visiting, I stumbled upon it and became curious. Would this old thing still start up? If it did work, could one use it for anything useful? Could you get it on the internet? I packed it into a box and took it back home with me to find some answers.

I have a soft spot for old Macs, especially the pre-PowerPC models, even the early-to-mid-’90s ones that were arguably what started Apple’s downward spiral. Mine have ended up in storage, waiting to be “rediscovered” one day, although there’s little concern that most would have no trouble starting up.