65scribe
patreon
The Macintosh IIsi (2015)
🕑 Added 2022-12-17 23:21:22 +0000 UTCThe Macintosh IIsi is one of my favorite case designs, and so was chosen for my third video in the series. Views of my last two videos were rare, so some of the humour in this video was more for my entertainment. Examples: My friend, Rich, as the 'Technical User' and voice of the Scotty alert sound, Apple's cringe IIsi introduction and merging it with Single White Female, along with a reference to Jerry Seinfeld scolding the laughing audience on David Letterman. But the 'don't care' attitude I think benefited the video. After this video I started to get comments asking if I would be doing more. Also, endless inquiries for where I found Apple's IIsi launch video.
https://archive.org/details/AppleUserGroupConnectionForNovember1990_659)
I used this compact and capable colour Macintosh in a laboratory in the mid-90's. When the company dictated that their random mix of computers be rounded-up and destroyed as they rolled out new IBM desktops and laptops based on Windows 95.. it was lost. Just another sign that Apple's days were numbered.
So, in 2005, I got one of my own from eBay:
In the following years I would get several more. That was handy with how the power supplies, hard drives and floppy drives tended to fail. But this first one was always the best, and the only one where the rear expansion panel was still intact.
I got more than a few from my friend at the University. On one I found Eudora with the email box still intact "humourously" titled 'non-testicular mail sack'. Of course these units were used by students.
The final one I got in 2011, and it had the Portrait Display with the special cable along with an ImageWriter I.
Comments
65scribe
Those are three great Mac stories. A fun thing about collecting is the problem-solving element, and it sounds like you've had to do some (except the SE). I haven't tried to extract an iMac bezel yet either, but I'd thought about painting it. I'd have to experiment, but white paint could look really sharp and new behind the outer bezel. I have a Ruby iMac, but it's bezel is so yellow, it kind of diminishes the contrast with the red, so I'd really like to do something. The sunlight might be a good start. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Corbin!
Corbin Johnson
Your videos have been more than partially responsible for me starting to collect old Macs. Last month someone was selling their Macintosh IIsi on eBay about 20 minutes away from me ("untested") for $50. I figured why not. He also sold me a high-resolution RGB 13" monitor for ("untested") for $25. While the IIsi doesn't work because the power supply has some blown capacitors, I've dutifully picked up a soldering iron and will be fixing the supply as soon as I can find some time to get over to the local maker space so that I can make solder fumes away from my house. The seller also threw in an AEKII for free so even if I can't get the machines to work I at least have one of the best keyboards ever made. I also picked up a "5 Flavors" Lime-green non-slot loading iMac from someone nearby for $200. Unfortunately it was in a house where someone smoked which I didn't realize until I got home. Several thorough cleanings of the iMac's internals with isopropyl and a short 10-minute session with an ozone generator I believe I have successfully cleaned out the smell. the iMac thankfully powers on and its original keyboard and mouse were included (which also need thorough cleaning). I would like to get the inner bezel (which is nearly completely intact) retrobrighted also but I think I will try the "leave it in direct sunlight for a few days" method so that I don't have to remove the bezel. Somewhat ironically, my late grandma's Macintosh SE is going strong with very minimal intervention on my part. I guess they just don't make them like they used to.
