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Retro

Old Computer Challenge v4: Conclusion

So I’ve participated in OCC v4 with my TiBook. Just like last time, I have some conclusions.

Conclusion (n.) - when you’re done thinking.

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TiBook

To continue with our tradition of hand-me-down Macs, dkbox gifted me his ancient PowerBook3,5 (aka TiBook), which I’m now considering using as my main machine for the upcoming Old Computer Challenge v4 (update: conclusion).

The machine has pretty decent specs (for 2002): a 32-bit, single-core PowerPC CPU clocked at 867Mhz; 512MB of RAM; 40GB of spinning rust; a USB2.0 expansion card; and even digital video output via DVI! Most of that can also be upgraded/expanded.

This post is a bit of a free-form documentation of the machine’s quirks, a TODO list / what-if of a sorts, but also an appreciation of the era’s hardware, software, and design/aesthetics. I might update it at some point to reflect any fixes/upgrades I’ve done to keep it alive.

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The Old Computer Challenge v2: Day 4 Summary

Short update on the challenge: all the smart home stuff is so annoying.

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