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jmacz journey
Posted by: jmacz on 2026-05-08 13:32:33
Faster compiles and IDE performance (I find running CodeWarrior on a 1280x1024 display on any of my 040s still exhibits lag in the editor window). Cross compiles are a bit nicer too. So yeah, need at least one PowerPC based machine. I could of course do development on a modern system with retro68 but I'm choosing to stay in System 7.6.1 🙂
Posted by: feeef on 2026-05-08 13:37:12
A Power Mac 8500 with a 500Mhz G3, enough RAM and a fast enough drive is a killer video capture and editing machine under System 7! It can easily digitize SD videos at full size and full frame rate. I would keep!
Posted by: 3lectr1cPPC on 2026-05-08 19:26:23
The Duo 280c (and minidock) because I want it 😉

(kidding)
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-05-08 20:30:54
I have been trying to reduce my collection and sold a few of them recently. But having issues reducing further. For the following 11 machines, if you could only keep 5 of them, which would you let go?
  1. Macintosh SE - full memory, has a working miniscribe hard disk
  2. Macintosh SE/30 - full memory, 47MHz 030 Booster and color LCD kit from ZZJ, internal magneto optical drive, Bolle's combo card for ethernet
  3. Macintosh IIci - full memory, has a daystar 50MHz 030 accelerator, ethernet card, many supermac video cards to choose from
  4. Macintosh IIfx - full memory, ZZJ's NuCF compact flash drive, 8 * 24 GC, ethernet, another 8 * 24
  5. Macintosh Quadra 700 - full memory, running at 50MHz with Bolle's quad doubler
  6. Macintosh Quadra 800 - full memory, overclocked to 40MHz
  7. PowerBook 540c - full memory, overclocked to 40MHz, has a full 68040 processor (ie. FPU), working batteries
  8. PowerBook Duo 280c - full memory, has a full 68040 processor (ie. FPU), working batteries
  9. Power Macintosh 8500 - 1GB of memory, 500MHz Newertech processor card upgrade
  10. Macintosh Quadra 950 - full memory, having issues with the SCSI subsystem right now though.. needs to be fixed
  11. Macintosh 512K - stock
I don't think I can cut anything...

I vote to keep the 540c, Duo 280, IIfx, PM8500, SE/30
Posted by: Callan on 2026-05-08 22:16:27
Scary how our two collections look pretty much the same minus the se and duo (and an 8*24 which i realllly want to get from you l, but I've been good) Have you given yourself any criteria for thinning the herd? That usually helps me decide. Do I use it? Can I find another one as nice if I regret the sale,? How much work did I put into in restoring it? Will I need it to help test certain things?
Posted by: feeef on 2026-05-09 00:22:29
I vote to keep the 540c, Duo 280, IIfx, PM8500, SE/30
I would say the same!

If there could be 6, I would keep the SE because a 68000 can read some very early software that no later CPU can read.
if there could be 7, I would keep the Quadra 700 because 68040 @50Mhz! And I love its small tower form factor.

Such a great collection you have anyway. They are all amazing machines!
Posted by: jmacz on 2026-05-09 00:27:39
Scary how our two collections look pretty much the same minus the se and duo (and an 8*24 which i realllly want to get from you l, but I've been good) Have you given yourself any criteria for thinning the herd? That usually helps me decide. Do I use it? Can I find another one as nice if I regret the sale,? How much work did I put into in restoring it? Will I need it to help test certain things?

Haha that’s cool! Do I use it is probably what I ask the most. Effort restoring not so much. I enjoy the restoration so always wanting to add more to fix it and sell it off again. I collect, then get frustrated with how much room it’s all taking, then sell. Then repeat. 😂

If there could be 6, I would keep the SE because a 68000 can read some very early software that no later CPU can read.
if there could be 7, I would keep the Quadra 700 because 68040 @50Mhz! And I love its small tower form factor.

Such a great collection you have anyway. They are all amazing machines!

Thanks! I keep starting at keep five and working my way to keep 16. Haha. But I got down to 11 again! It’s a start!
Posted by: volvo242gt on 2026-05-09 02:57:21
Maybe combine the 700 and 800, by taking a dead IIcx and a Q650 board. Have the Q700 form factor with three Nubus slots, 72 pin SIMMs, then, instead of a 40 MHz overclock, the 50MHz Quad Doubler, but maybe running at 66.
Posted by: nathall on 2026-05-09 03:54:21
My “keep” list would be: SE/30, IIfx, Quadra 700, 8500, Quadra 950/512k

Reasons: stock SE rather boring, IIci is ugly, 8500 has same form factor as 800, pre-PPC PowerBooks not terribly useful or fun, the 950 and 512k I could give or take depending on the day. I’d probably lean towards the 950.

Probably because I’ve owned several 512ks and no 950s.
Posted by: jmacz on 2026-05-09 09:37:46
Interesting reading all of your thoughts. Lots to chew on.
Posted by: akator70 on 2026-05-09 09:38:13
I have been trying to reduce my collection and sold a few of them recently. But having issues reducing further. For the following 11 machines, if you could only keep 5 of them, which would you let go?
  1. Macintosh SE - full memory, has a working miniscribe hard disk
  2. Macintosh SE/30 - full memory, 47MHz 030 Booster and color LCD kit from ZZJ, internal magneto optical drive, Bolle's combo card for ethernet
  3. Macintosh IIci - full memory, has a daystar 50MHz 030 accelerator, ethernet card, many supermac video cards to choose from
  4. Macintosh IIfx - full memory, ZZJ's NuCF compact flash drive, 8 * 24 GC, ethernet, another 8 * 24
  5. Macintosh Quadra 700 - full memory, running at 50MHz with Bolle's quad doubler
  6. Macintosh Quadra 800 - full memory, overclocked to 40MHz
  7. PowerBook 540c - full memory, overclocked to 40MHz, has a full 68040 processor (ie. FPU), working batteries
  8. PowerBook Duo 280c - full memory, has a full 68040 processor (ie. FPU), working batteries
  9. Power Macintosh 8500 - 1GB of memory, 500MHz Newertech processor card upgrade
  10. Macintosh Quadra 950 - full memory, having issues with the SCSI subsystem right now though.. needs to be fixed
  11. Macintosh 512K - stock
I don't think I can cut anything...

I feel your struggle. As someone who has acquired, divested, repeated...
  1. List the "personal" machines with an emotional attachment. Perhaps the emotion is about aesthetics. It could be nostalgia or even something that you pined for in decades past that you couldn't get then but own now. This is the most important category because owning these objects can bring happiness, satisfaction, and you're far more likely to use these, further justifying ownership and the related caveats.
  2. List based on practicality and usefulness.
Any machines that are on both lists are definitely keepers.
Posted by: 3lectr1cPPC on 2026-05-09 11:01:09
My serious answer would be:

- SE/30
- IIfx
- Quadra 950 (if you can fix it, otherwise keep the 800)
- PowerBook 540c
- Power Macintosh 8500

Just looking at the list, the 5 above seem to be the most powerful/versatile. And you've gotta have at least one laptop around, and in the end the 280c and 540c are quite similar but the 540c is more capable and has a better keyboard 🙂
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-05-09 11:48:19
My serious answer would be:

- SE/30
- IIfx
- Quadra 950 (if you can fix it, otherwise keep the 800)
- PowerBook 540c
- Power Macintosh 8500

Just looking at the list, the 5 above seem to be the most powerful/versatile. And you've gotta have at least one laptop around, and in the end the 280c and 540c are quite similar but the 540c is more capable and has a better keyboard 🙂
Agree about the Duo. What about the Quadra 700 instead of the 950? The 950 is huge and they’re the same architecture. 800 is cool but the case is annoying and you’ve already got the 8500.
Posted by: jmacz on 2026-05-09 16:14:16
My serious answer would be:

- SE/30
- IIfx
- Quadra 950 (if you can fix it, otherwise keep the 800)
- PowerBook 540c
- Power Macintosh 8500

Just looking at the list, the 5 above seem to be the most powerful/versatile. And you've gotta have at least one laptop around, and in the end the 280c and 540c are quite similar but the 540c is more capable and has a better keyboard 🙂

Agree about the Duo. What about the Quadra 700 instead of the 950? The 950 is huge and they’re the same architecture. 800 is cool but the case is annoying and you’ve already got the 8500.

This is very close to where I have been landing..
  • SE/30
  • IIfx
  • Quadra 700
  • PowerBook 540c
  • Power Macintosh 8500
and then as I sit there staring at the machines to drop and then the emotional aspect like what @akator70 plus some subtle things start kicking in... and I add back in:
  • SE - the miniscribe noises are just so cool and yes, I could move it into one of those other machines but it's so out of place if it's not sitting within an SE...
  • Quadra 800 - with it overclocked, it's fast... faster than the 700 (since the quad doubler is partial acceleration), faster than a similar OC'd 950, it's similar to the 840av I just sold.
  • Duo 280c - but it's so small... and light...
  • IIci - can't justify it over any of the other systems, but purely emotional..
and that leaves the 950 and 512K as the odd ones out. Which then causes the ... well, it's already 9, what's 2 more? .. 🤣 I've got issues.
Posted by: Callan on 2026-05-09 16:23:45
As do I. It seems like you have your answer.
You can never have enough macs! 😁
Posted by: akator70 on 2026-05-09 16:37:52
This is very close to where I have been landing..
  • SE/30
  • IIfx
  • Quadra 700
  • PowerBook 540c
  • Power Macintosh 8500
and then as I sit there staring at the machines to drop and then the emotional aspect like what @akator70 plus some subtle things start kicking in... and I add back in:
  • SE - the miniscribe noises are just so cool and yes, I could move it into one of those other machines but it's so out of place if it's not sitting within an SE...
  • Quadra 800 - with it overclocked, it's fast... faster than the 700 (since the quad doubler is partial acceleration), faster than a similar OC'd 950, it's similar to the 840av I just sold.
  • Duo 280c - but it's so small... and light...
  • IIci - can't justify it over any of the other systems, but purely emotional..
and that leaves the 950 and 512K as the odd ones out. Which then causes the ... well, it's already 9, what's 2 more? .. 🤣 I've got issues.

I think your choices are solid and no, you don't have issues.
Posted by: 3lectr1cPPC on 2026-05-11 13:10:23
Agree about the Duo. What about the Quadra 700 instead of the 950? The 950 is huge and they’re the same architecture. 800 is cool but the case is annoying and you’ve already got the 8500.
The Q700 is just a lot more limited compared to the 950 in terms of expansion.
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-05-11 13:18:24
The Q700 is just a lot more limited compared to the 950 in terms of expansion.
It is, with only two Nubus slots - but it has fast graphics and ethernet built in. The 68MB limit is a bit less than other contemporary prosumer machines, but plenty enough.
Posted by: volvo242gt on 2026-05-11 13:27:24
IIcx with a Q650 or Q800 board swapped in. Q700 style with an extra Nubus slot, and 136MB memory ceiling.
Posted by: jmacz on 2026-05-11 17:56:05
Well, I guess I can get down to 9 if I can fix the 950.

Speaking of which, borrowed a stock 950 power supply from @techstep and immediately reproduced the issue so that rules out the power supply. Which means something is wrong on the logic board since the memory, drive, power supply, ROM, have all been swapped. Already reflowed solder joints for the power connector, memory slots, rom slot, internal SCSI connector (the primary one).
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