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Plus-upgraded 512k
Posted by: Brett B. on 2013-04-09 16:16:03
Scored this one off the old craigslist today. I wasn't real sure what exactly I was getting, but it's something I don't already have, so I figured why not.

The guy said it was a Plus, and it is, but apparently used to be a 512k. No label on the front, has the Plus rear plastics and logic board.

Of course, the first thing I did was take it apart 😎 and it is VERY clean inside. Zero dust. Zero screen burn in, very little yellowing, working floppy drive. In fact it is probably the cleanest machine from that era that I've seen in quite a while.

Got a mouse with it but no keyboard, unfortunately. Can't complain for a $20 bill though!

F5445LQM0001W

Manufactured in: F => Fremont, California, USA

Year of production: 1985

Week of production: 44

Production number: 5LQ => 6484

Modell ID: M0001W => Macintosh 512k

Your Macintosh 512k was the 6484th Mac manufactured during the 44th week of 1985 in Fremont, California, USA.
Posted by: Macdrone on 2013-04-09 18:13:24
Very nice and a good price. Congrats.
Posted by: RickNel on 2013-04-10 00:07:27
has the Plus rear plastics and logic board.
.. so it must have been an upgrade kit?

To fit a Plus logic board into a 512k bucket, you only have to remove the tiny pillar between the two D9 serial ports. The SCSI ports sits there, and one of the Plus's DIN-9 serial ports is accesible neatly through the microphone-labelled hole on the right. The second serial port remains covered. For the moment, this is how I share my 512 with a Plus board until I can find a stock bucket for it.

Rick
Posted by: macman142 on 2013-04-10 00:39:30
Rick - are you after a 512k board OR a Plus rear case?
Posted by: Brett B. on 2013-04-10 08:46:44
It's a real Plus bucket, my guess was that it was an upgrade kit.

HMM, I have an extra SE hard drive bracket...perhaps I should do an internal SCSI drive hack in it }🙂

Posted by: Brett B. on 2013-04-15 20:18:21
I'm certainly having fun with this, I got a keyboard from the local electronics recycler and made a cable from a phone handset cable I got from the thrift store. I also "rebuilt" one of my old external SCSI drives, and used the 40MB drive from my SE/30. Nice and quiet, plenty of space.

I always regretted selling my old Plus, but I guess in a roundabout way, it worked out because this one is much nicer!
Posted by: CC_333 on 2013-04-15 21:40:13
Nice setup you've got there!

If you want to make it a full fledged Plus, I have a Mac Plus front panel that you could have.

c
Posted by: Brett B. on 2013-04-16 11:25:08
Thanks! I think I'm gonna leave the 512k front panel on it, it's kinda neat having a stealth mode machine.
Posted by: uniserver on 2013-04-16 11:37:29
perhaps I should do an internal SCSI drive hack in it

perhaps 🙂

Posted by: insaneboy on 2013-04-16 12:48:58
My first plus was an upgrade like that. Stopped working and I gave it away because I could not find another analog board for it(for a reasonable price) at the time. than I got a broken 512k with a plus front on it 😱) gave that to the guy I gave the plus to, he's going to bring it back to being a 512k 😎

of course now I have a nice regular plus that is in even better shape.

BTW, by first plus I mean that machine was the family computer in 1986, first mac I had ever used.
Posted by: onlyonemac on 2013-04-18 09:48:40
I'm not HackWhining, but just want to warn you that someone else (I think it was uniserver) borked their nice Plus by trying to do an internal SCSI hack.
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2013-04-18 11:07:13
borked their nice Plus by trying to do an internal SCSI hack.
There are still loads of Pluses out there in the wild. No need to worry.

Thanks! I think I'm gonna leave the 512k front panel on it
I have a machine with the same upgrade. Personally, I prefer the 512's front bezel because of the way the Apple logo is encased, and the fact that the serial number is underneath the front bezel (as opposed to being under the rear bucket).
Posted by: Brett B. on 2013-04-18 11:57:55
I'm not HackWhining, but just want to warn you that someone else (I think it was uniserver) borked their nice Plus by trying to do an internal SCSI hack.
I don't think I'm going to do it anyway. It's still a possibility; however, the external case I have for it is working out really well and it has just about the same "patina" as the rest of the setup.
Posted by: uniserver on 2013-04-18 12:12:37
[No message]
Posted by: onlyonemac on 2013-04-21 08:57:12
@uniserver I'm actually trying to warn Brett B. that he'll probably damage his Plus if he does that. I said "I'M NOT HACKWHINING".
Posted by: uniserver on 2013-04-21 10:00:39
Just because that was my unique result, does NOT, in any way mean it would be his or anyone else's result.

Are you that dense?

lot's of things require a level of risk,

Certain people could not drive a nail into a board with out hurting them selves or someone else.
Posted by: Cory5412 on 2013-04-21 12:11:58
I'm actually trying to warn Brett B. that he'll probably damage his Plus if he does that. I said "I'M NOT HACKWHINING".
It looks enough like HackWhining to me. It's worth noting that Brett has been at this a while.

The HackWhining and Civility matter is now closed, and if either of you brings it up again in this thread you'll both be warned once more, and I believe both of you are now cruising for a permanent ban.
Posted by: Brett B. on 2013-04-21 16:39:37
I have no doubt that I have the skill to do an internal SCSI hack, I just think it's not the right machine to do it to. If it was cosmetically trashed I would have already done it. I'm also a little worried about heat, the cooling vents on the top of this thing get super hot after a couple hours, and I'll probably never track down a System Saver. I will revisit the subject if I ever run across a SCSI -> CF adapter.
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