I might as well chime in also. Quite a while ago, I wrote to this list which then had been dormant, the subject matter forgotten. As a result of my query, all kinds of people sprang out of the woodworks, so to speak, many of them exclaiminng that they thought this list had died and some of them wondering who I was to have inadvertently 'ressurected' the list whereas all I did was poke a sleeping dragon in the ribs.
Back to the subject: I have used a IIci since 1990, an SE since 1988. In the ensuing years, I have continued to use WORD 4.0 and EXCEL 2.2 and, having tried all the OS 7 versions from 7.1 to 7.6.1, reverted back to 6.0.8 which is installed in my inner hard drive. I have more than 15 external hard drives ranging from 240 Meg to 2 Gig and am still buying them usually for between $5.00 to $15.00 plus shipping. They are used to back up data and software on the IIci and each has an OS ranging respectively from OS 6.0.8 up t OS 7.6.1. I am on my second IIci, the first one having developed one bad memory SIMM. In the last several months, I have acquired** several more IIcis for back up and one actually has 128 Meg RAM. ** typically for about $5.00 per CPU plus shipping. I do my taxes, write correspondence, create and keep personal and business records such as are on this partial list: recording household and auto expenses, tracking subscriptions, keeping maintenance records with prompts, managing an active persoanl and business calendar, keeping medical records, keeping and referring to numerous Pro Se pleadings in over 10 litigations I have been involved with - etc. I still use an Image-Writer (naturally), have about a 13 year supply of ribbons and regret that I did not stock up on print head cleaning ribbons. [Hint: If anyone can direct me to a source of print head cleaning ribbons, I would appreciate it. - [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have acquired many spares including several Image-Writers bought for very little money and (for both a IIci and a PowerMac 7300) extra memory as well as NUBUS, cache cards, RGB and RGA momitors and the like. Software and documentation can be bought for about five percent of original cost for a IIci and a 7300. E.G. I have separately bought later versions of WORD (5.0) and EXCEL (5.0) which together cost less than $20.00 with shipping. The Mac IIci admirably suits my offline purposes to do work and like all things which perform well and are mated so well to the tasks they were designed to do, it is a pleasure to continue to operate these systems and be able to turn out whatever work I wish to do with minimum fuss and effort. ====== As for the internet, I use a Powermac 7300 which after researching, I concluded that this machine was the equivalent workhorse after the IIci. I have several spares in the same categories as the IIci. All the software I have tried which works on the IIci also works on the 7300 and each day I use the 7300 side by side with the IIci: online and offline and can get a pile of work done. Incidentally I am retired, 72 years old and have been a main frame manager/ project lead/ systems/ analyst/ programmer from 1960 to 1991 and prior to that worked with IBM Unit record equipment to do statistical analysis which involved lots of boolean plug board selector switching. ======= In closing: Old computers which have been properly designed such as the IIci and the 7300, and which are overdesigned as computer must be, have extremely long productive lives from the day they were new to the day they die** and, unlike old cars, they do not wear out but occasionally go blooey, hence the spares. ** entropy gets us all in the end --- "Byron Q. Desnoyers Winmill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Wed, Mar 23, 2005 at 09:00:29AM -0800, John Niven > wrote: > > Wow, that's fighting talk on a system 6 list! > > No kidding! > > > I believe I'm correct in saying that the IIci is > the LAST Mac that will > > run OS 6, and if you add a 50MHz 68030 PDS > accelerator, it is faster > > than a IIfx (@ 40MHz), the only other contender. > > Well, speed depends on more than the CPU's clock > speed. For example: > the IIfx moves the ADB and serial ports away from > the CPU, the > onboard video restricts memory accesses on the IIci > (hence slows > things down), and it wouldn't surprise me if the > IIfx has a faster > SCSI bus too. Still, it would be nice to see some > benchmarks to > compare a IIfx to an accelerated IIci. > > > While I still explore ways to use old Macs, I > recognize that what you > > express is the sentiments of most (normal) people > regarding old > > computer hardware. In "real life" I run OS X. > > In real life, I have a modern Linux box. On the > otherhand, the > only reasons why I use the Linux box are for work > (they love dishing > out PDF files, which may or may not be compatible > with v3 of the > Acrobat Reader), and to support my old computer > addiction. For > the latter, it is mostly being used to backup data. > Backing up > CD-ROMs on CD-Rs was getting a tad annoying. > > As for productive use, well: I was using an Apple > IIe in 1997 and > an SE, then IIci, the Quadra 950 until 1999 or so. > At any given > time, any given machine was my *only* machine. In > early 2000, I > dirtied myself by getting an iMac. :p And guess > what? I haven't > enjoy computers nor have I been as productive since. > (Why I don't > get rid of these new machines is a mystery to me!) > > If you get a 68k Mac, particularly a System 6 box, > it was designed > for productivity. You didn't have many compelling > games (use a > 68k Amiga if you're interested in that). You didn't > have the web > gobbling up your time either. Word processing, > graphics design > (paint, vector illustration, even 3-D modelling), > databases, > development software, etc. are widely available > though. > > System 6 was a workhorse, not a personal > entertainment system. > > Byron. > > -- > System6 is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> > and... > > 123Inkjets.com > <http://lowendmac.com/ad/123inkjets.html> > > Support Low End Mac > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> > > System 6 Heaven > <http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/system_6_heaven.html> > > System6 info: > <http://lowendmac.com/lists/system6.html> > --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; > Send list messages to: > <mailto:system6@mail.maclaunch.com> > To unsubscribe, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For digest mode, email: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subscription questions: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Archive: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/system6%40mail.maclaunch.com/> > > iPod Accessories for Less > at 1-800-iPOD.COM > Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal > www.1800ipod.com > -- System6 is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 123Inkjets.com <http://lowendmac.com/ad/123inkjets.html> Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> System 6 Heaven <http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/system_6_heaven.html> System6 info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/system6.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:system6@mail.maclaunch.com> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/system6%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
