Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Junk or treasure? (motorola prototype)
- Thread starter cykryn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
more info
At first I was being vague, I didn't know what I had, i still dont really. It's been stored in its original box for over 10 years so condition is new. Now that I have opened the box. I know more, their was paperwork.
<snippit>Documentation states Orient Express is the first CHRP compliant computer that Will be offered by apple and Motorola. </snippit>
No cd-roms or floppies but a preloaded Hard drive.
It's an Orient Express prototype (code name)
Hardware Viper (code name)
System Opus (code name)
(plugged it in)...no smoke...light came on...
It boots (amazing) still works after sitting for 10 years wow.
System Software 7.6
Mac-OS (tm) on CHRP v1.0
32mb ram
case sticker states 32mb/1gb/200mhz/604
Inside it has pci and eisa looking slots a scsi terminator and both ADB and standard (pc) keyboard and mouse connectors.
the mother board is mounted on a slide and could pull out the back. the case is very pc'ish and just says PowerPC at bottom right front. There is a sticker on the front of the cd-rom that states "internal CD nonfunctional" and the cover over the HD is missing and no sticker were the model name would be displayed.
I do have photos and will post if this is interested
now the big question...
(is this junk or collectible?)
I am pretty sure this system never shipped. I am more of a junk guy than a mac guy so I dont know. hope someone can help.
At first I was being vague, I didn't know what I had, i still dont really. It's been stored in its original box for over 10 years so condition is new. Now that I have opened the box. I know more, their was paperwork.
<snippit>Documentation states Orient Express is the first CHRP compliant computer that Will be offered by apple and Motorola. </snippit>
No cd-roms or floppies but a preloaded Hard drive.
It's an Orient Express prototype (code name)
Hardware Viper (code name)
System Opus (code name)
(plugged it in)...no smoke...light came on...
It boots (amazing) still works after sitting for 10 years wow.
System Software 7.6
Mac-OS (tm) on CHRP v1.0
32mb ram
case sticker states 32mb/1gb/200mhz/604
Inside it has pci and eisa looking slots a scsi terminator and both ADB and standard (pc) keyboard and mouse connectors.
the mother board is mounted on a slide and could pull out the back. the case is very pc'ish and just says PowerPC at bottom right front. There is a sticker on the front of the cd-rom that states "internal CD nonfunctional" and the cover over the HD is missing and no sticker were the model name would be displayed.
I do have photos and will post if this is interested
now the big question...
(is this junk or collectible?)
I am pretty sure this system never shipped. I am more of a junk guy than a mac guy so I dont know. hope someone can help.
Yes, pictures are most certainly in order. If this is indeed true, you may have quite the collectible on your hands cykryn.
Ahhh, sound like a prototype "clone" from Motorola.
Motorola, PowerComputing, Umax, and others made clones of the 603's and 604's...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_clone
What does the model plate say on it?
Motorola, PowerComputing, Umax, and others made clones of the 603's and 604's...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_clone
What does the model plate say on it?
It did go into production. You have a Moto clone prototype.
I've never seen one. I don't know how much they're worth. Post on eBay if you want to sell and see how much it goes for.
I have an old PowerComputing clone I bought off ebay years ago for $40 plus shipping...
Chrp
CHRP
Would that be Common Hardware Reference Platform? Think I saw some references to that in Apple's early history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Hardware_Reference_Platform
http://www.convergence.org/platforms/chrp/main.html
http://penguinppc.org/otherhw/
google CHRP for more info.
CHRP
Would that be Common Hardware Reference Platform? Think I saw some references to that in Apple's early history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Hardware_Reference_Platform
http://www.convergence.org/platforms/chrp/main.html
http://penguinppc.org/otherhw/
google CHRP for more info.
more confused than ever
I was not able to find any production machine like this one. it looks like a APC made by Motorola made for apple.
A did find a good description of this machine at:
http://www.heise.de/ct/english/97/07/064/
Everything was about right except this machine does have 3 EISA slots mounted and is running MACOS 7.6 not 7.6.1 unless im reading it wrong. The case sticker does say 1gb but a 2gb disk is installed.
I have had a hard time finding photos of machines from the rear or mother board shots. I don't think this is any of the Tanzania motherboards. I did find a machine claiming to be a viper but it looked like a starmax with a viper sticker. I have never seen a apple prototype with a codename sticker and this machine came with apple docs supporting viper and bloom county with opus.
is this machine unique? I can't seem to find any others like it, then again I had a hard time finding info on clones too.
I was not able to find any production machine like this one. it looks like a APC made by Motorola made for apple.
A did find a good description of this machine at:
http://www.heise.de/ct/english/97/07/064/
Everything was about right except this machine does have 3 EISA slots mounted and is running MACOS 7.6 not 7.6.1 unless im reading it wrong. The case sticker does say 1gb but a 2gb disk is installed.
I have had a hard time finding photos of machines from the rear or mother board shots. I don't think this is any of the Tanzania motherboards. I did find a machine claiming to be a viper but it looked like a starmax with a viper sticker. I have never seen a apple prototype with a codename sticker and this machine came with apple docs supporting viper and bloom county with opus.
is this machine unique? I can't seem to find any others like it, then again I had a hard time finding info on clones too.
Correct. CHRP was the hardware standard that the cloners were to build to, kinda like the Toolbox was for app developers. (extremely rough analogy)
Boy, does THAT bring back memories!
This is unique.
No CHRP-based computers were ever released that run the Mac OS. Please note that none of these look like the one shown here.
Here is an old article detailing the end of the clone era, specifically mentioning that Apple wouldn't license the Mac OS to Motorola for use with CHRP-based systems. It would appear that Motorola designed this system to run OS 8, but had to, of course, do the design work before OS 8 was released, so it contains a special CHRP version of 7.6.
This probably has a G3 in it, according to this article. I'm guessing that this was Motorola's G3 system that was axed when Apple killed the clones. (Yes, Apple was *NOT* going to be the first to deliver a G3.) You will notice that this article talks about the StarMax 6000, which isn't listed on LEM's Moto page.
Ah... Here you go! THIS appears to be your system. Or, at least, your system was an early prototype of this. I'd suggest running Apple System Profiler to see what processor you have to be sure, though.
No CHRP-based computers were ever released that run the Mac OS. Please note that none of these look like the one shown here.
Here is an old article detailing the end of the clone era, specifically mentioning that Apple wouldn't license the Mac OS to Motorola for use with CHRP-based systems. It would appear that Motorola designed this system to run OS 8, but had to, of course, do the design work before OS 8 was released, so it contains a special CHRP version of 7.6.
This probably has a G3 in it, according to this article. I'm guessing that this was Motorola's G3 system that was axed when Apple killed the clones. (Yes, Apple was *NOT* going to be the first to deliver a G3.) You will notice that this article talks about the StarMax 6000, which isn't listed on LEM's Moto page.
Ah... Here you go! THIS appears to be your system. Or, at least, your system was an early prototype of this. I'd suggest running Apple System Profiler to see what processor you have to be sure, though.
The best thing to do is take the CPU heatsink off and check the processor type to put this to rest...