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.
PowerMac 6500
- Thread starter Ih8reno
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That's a great deal, if everything's in working order! Do you know if it has an operating system installed on it? Of course, if it does it is probably Mac OS 9, but if you are a collector, this is a you-can't-miss-out item for this cheap, especially since they're getting rarer. I would pick it up, but that's just me. I love vintage stuff, I don't know if you're that kind of person. 
I have a 6500 in my garage. These are great Macs. The logic board is on a tray in the back. Just unscrew and pull out. It's got PCI and you can use PCI cards in it. I have a USB PCI card that allows me to have USB on this Mac.
If you use the Old World ROM helper app thing you can get 9.2.1 installed on it. That's as high as it can go. I've got a 20GB hard drive in mine and since it has an ethernet port (10Base-T only though) you can hook it up wired to internet. If you use Classilla, you'll be good for internet. With OS9 you can run Outlook Express and use email too.
I used it at work for a few years as an Applescript server.
It's still a viable Mac.
Thanks for the great replies! I emailed the guy and will pick it up in a few days. He says it worked last time he used it (5years ago) and I'm very curious to see what it can do. I am a bit of a collector these days. Got a few ppcs and think they're all great. Hopefully this will be a great addition to my collection.
If it hasn't been plugged in for 5 years, it might have a dead PRAM battery. Not necessarily a death sentence, but annoying nonetheless.
I disagree. Compare it to the 7200 or any of the other "desktop" Macs of it's era and you'll see that it's a good looking Mac.
The 8000 and 9000 series share it's form factor. The 9500 has some sort of sidecar thing even.
Incidentally, that round circle in the front above the volume button is an IR sensor. The 6500 was a multimedia Mac so it came with a wireless controller. I don't have one, but that's my understanding of that.
Oh and the ZIP drive. Can't beat that!
For those older 1990's Macs, you can use a Sony remote to control them. The power, volume, and channel buttons all work. The play, pause, back, next, and stop button might also. I believe use of it requires the Apple TV extension to be installed.
Quite a few PCI Ethernet cards will work fine in OS 9:
http://www.welovemacs.com/nics-pci.html
If you have one lying around, try it. It won't break anything, it will either work or not. Some may require third-party drivers, though, which of course you'll have a hell of a time getting with no Internet connection.
http://www.welovemacs.com/nics-pci.html
If you have one lying around, try it. It won't break anything, it will either work or not. Some may require third-party drivers, though, which of course you'll have a hell of a time getting with no Internet connection.
You could try to track down a "Comm II" ethernet card or try to find a compadable PCI network card. (realtek 8139 chipset has os 9 support but i'm not sure if the driver is still available.)
EDIT: I forgot about this little site. I've used it a couple of times and bought some stuff here.
http://stn2.headgap.com/resale/FMPr...ield=SortID&-Max=40&category=networking&-find
The first item seems like the card you need.
EDIT: I forgot about this little site. I've used it a couple of times and bought some stuff here.
http://stn2.headgap.com/resale/FMPr...ield=SortID&-Max=40&category=networking&-find
The first item seems like the card you need.
Last edited:
So your 6500 did not come with an Ethernet port? Mine did, which is why I'm asking. I guess I just assumed they all came with a built in ethernet port.
Bummer. I'll have to check mine this weekend. It came with it so I just assumed it did with all the others. Maybe it was an addon.
EDIT: Strange…Mactracker says it comes with a 10Base-T port. Maybe your Mac is not a US model?
Mine is the 6500/225 by the way.
Attachments
Oh, by the way. It's been soooo long since I've done this, but to correct my previous posts, it's Other World Computing that has the hack to install 9.2.1 and 9.2.2 on your pre-G3 macs. The app is OS9 Helper.
Yep that does change things. It's not a US model and according to the Mactracker app (my screenshot) it's only the US models that had this. That blank spot to the right of the modem port is where the ethernet port should be (where it is on mine). I don't have a modem on mine. Sorry, didn't know.
Hopefully though you can find a card to work with it.
Last edited:
Gotta agree there, these "vintage" Macs are being harder to find these days, especially for bargains like that one. Glad you picked it up, and seem to be enjoying it.
Same here. It's so enjoyable. I love old Macs.
Who doesn't?
Well, there are some.....
:thoseunappreciativepeople:
Next Mac I'm gonna get is probably a PowerBook or iBook... IDK yet. But my little collection is lacking in the portable side of things.