I forgot to consider school for the extension of my personal challenge. I'll try to use my PPC Macs for it, that's part of the challenge 
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PowerPC Challenge - COVID-19 2020
- Thread starter RogerWilco6502
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For my job, it is not possible to use PPC because it's not the development platform.
At home is a different story, my 20" iMac G5 is still quite capable and I enjoy using it. My 15" PB is also good, so I could probably do with a downgrade for a time.
If I get ahold of my iMac G3 in time, I will be using that quite a bit, but more for hobbyist stuff than browsing/creating.
At home is a different story, my 20" iMac G5 is still quite capable and I enjoy using it. My 15" PB is also good, so I could probably do with a downgrade for a time.
If I get ahold of my iMac G3 in time, I will be using that quite a bit, but more for hobbyist stuff than browsing/creating.
Posting from my iMac G5 2GHz now. Wish I hadn't plonked it in the loft as it was very difficult to get it out and down the ladder
Amazingly I've just put a 2.5" SATA III Vaseky V800 350GB SSD in and recognised. They claim backwards compatibility to SATA II and SATA I and it appears so
Currently booted from a firewire backup but will be restoring to the SSD next, followed by install of Lubuntu 12.04 remix to the free space I've left.
Cheers
Hugh
Amazingly I've just put a 2.5" SATA III Vaseky V800 350GB SSD in and recognised. They claim backwards compatibility to SATA II and SATA I and it appears so
Currently booted from a firewire backup but will be restoring to the SSD next, followed by install of Lubuntu 12.04 remix to the free space I've left.
Cheers
Hugh
Nice! I'm posting from my Mac Mini G4 (which will likely be my main web surfing machine during this time)Posting from my iMac G5 2GHz now. Wish I hadn't plonked it in the loft as it was very difficult to get it out and down the ladder
Amazingly I've just put a 2.5" SATA III Vaseky V800 350GB SSD in and recognised. They claim backwards compatibility to SATA II and SATA I and it appears so
Currently booted from a firewire backup but will be restoring to the SSD next, followed by install of Lubuntu 12.04 remix to the free space I've left.
Cheers
Hugh
Seems like I can't get the photos from my camera using PPC as the cards are formatted as exFAT, but what I'll do is download them onto my MacBook Pro then transfer them across to the iMac for processing in PhotoShop CS3 or CS4.
EDIT - actually I can probably open up Windows XP in Virtual PC on the iMac and do it from there
Cheers
Hugh
EDIT - actually I can probably open up Windows XP in Virtual PC on the iMac and do it from there
Cheers
Hugh
Nice! I'm probably going to need to defer to my MacBook for a few things for sure, but hopefully not too many tasks.Seems like I can't get the photos from my camera using PPC as the cards are formatted as exFAT, but what I'll do is download them onto my MacBook Pro then transfer them across to the iMac for processing in PhotoShop CS3 or CS4.
EDIT - actually I can probably open up Windows XP in Virtual PC on the iMac and do it from there
Cheers
Hugh
Well, things you cannot achieve in PPC will need documenting by participants, plus workarounds found.
How about starting a list of people taking part, and updating as more join in?
That way we can gauge when it's good to begin the experiment
Cheers
Hugh
How about starting a list of people taking part, and updating as more join in?
That way we can gauge when it's good to begin the experiment
Cheers
Hugh
Agreed. Where do you think it would be best to put the list?Well, things you cannot achieve in PPC will need documenting by participants, plus workarounds found.
How about starting a list of people taking part, and updating as more join in?
That way we can gauge when it's good to begin the experiment
Cheers
Hugh
Not exiled, but put to use. Since around 2005 or so the garage has been my gaming area (should I encounter anyone willing to play AD&D, Rolemaster, etc). Used to do that via Skype for some time. That means computers are in the garage. The main one is my Mini and the MBP is supporting it (right now, mainly to run InDesign CS4).
I have a 'testing' station out there as well and my 2.7 G5 DP is out there, my 12" PowerBook and my 500mhz G4 which I am using as a NAS. Since I have run no ethernet cable out there, there is a Gigabit switch connected to a Gigabit Powerline device sitting above the garage door opener that I've run cables to for all the Macs. Works really well.
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What a great coincidence. Is that an FPD1530 or a FPD1730 monitor in the second picture? I was just looking at those online a few minutes before seeing this.
FPD1810.
I have two. This one is attached to the 2.3DC in the front room.
Both came from work (my old job). My boss let me have them. They were originally the monitors that came with the Gateway towers that Production and Composing had. Ultimately, in that job I ended up with both those PCs in my area.
The only issue they have is this (you can't really see it here, but it's flickering with the Disk Utility image (it also shouldn't be stretched like that):
…which is why they were replaced at work and I was allowed to take them home. Considering they are both early 00s monitors they do pretty well for being that old.
A lot of the old Gateway monitors look similar, I believe there was an 1830 as well. I have two 15" Gateways, which are actually quite good for their era, and I use them with my CNC machine. I could probably switch them out for some Dell 17" monitors, but Mach3 doesn't really need a huge monitor, IMO.
Yeah, these are still good for what I need them for and I can work around the glitching.
Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way never to turn these displays off. I just unplug them. One of them, and I cannot recall which one, has a bad switch. I turned it off one time and it was a hassle to get it to turn back on. After that, I don't mess with the ON/OFF switches any more.
You could edit the first post and add as people join, then decide how many is enough to get it going. I don't really know but you may only get half a dozen.Agreed. Where do you think it would be best to put the list?
How many takers for the last PPC challenge, anybody?
Cheers
Hugh
Ok, thanks!You could edit the first post and add as people join, then decide how many is enough to get it going. I don't really know but you may only get half a dozen.
How many takers for the last PPC challenge, anybody?
Cheers
Hugh
I use PowerMacs as sort of a legacy machine for my older apps that I still use; mainly audio and printing with the PowerMac G5 and Powerbook G4 DSLD. In fact, I'm typing right now with the G5 1.8Ghz SP tower serving also as an older network file and print server to my older Powerbooks. It is working as an intermediary to my Mac Mini server. I'll properly be spending more time getting my new acquisition which is a Powerbook G3 running OS9.2.2. So why not a challenge to myself-- I have time.
Awesome! I'll add you to the list!I use PowerMacs as sort of a legacy machine for my older apps that I still use; mainly audio and printing with the PowerMac G5 and Powerbook G4 DSLD. In fact, I'm typing right now with the G5 1.8Ghz SP tower serving also as an older network file and print server to my older Powerbooks. It is working as an intermediary to my Mac Mini server. I'll properly be spending more time getting my new acquisition which is a Powerbook G3 running OS9.2.2. So why not a challenge to myself-- I have time.
I'm pretty much there already so I'm going to start from tomorrow (Saturday) morning when I get up
I will however be using Messages and Facetime on my MacBook Pro to keep in touch with my family, because of the special circumstances we find ourselves in. Otherwise, PPC only!
Cheers
Hugh
I will however be using Messages and Facetime on my MacBook Pro to keep in touch with my family, because of the special circumstances we find ourselves in. Otherwise, PPC only!
Cheers
Hugh
Challenge? A few years ago, I did one of these challenges, and that is how I've arrived at this forum. I keep finding PowerPC Macs that are still working -- my Intel based Macs are all dead. Currently, I have a third monitor on my desk connected to a 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 (1 GB RAM) Mac Mini, and it is a joy to use. The challenge for me are Intel based PCs which in opinion are garbage.
PowerPC Mac: I am running Mac OS X 10.5.8 -- no challenge. No iTunes, no Apple store, no clouds, no Apple automagically taking money out of my iWallet.
Intel PC: I am running various distros of Linux which also run on PowerPC Macs. I gather this is the case because of the number of Linux/BSD threads in this forum. Windows is a non-starter, it stopped working, the constant downtime for intrusive updates, and in my opinion Microsoft software is garbage. Running Linux has it's advantages, but it can also be a challenge.
I wanted to look at covid numbers in a different way, so I wrote some bash scripts to download, massage the data into a more reasonable format, put it in a sqlite3 database, generate a report in HTML and upload it to a web site. This is all possible on the PowerPC Mac, there is very little difference between using Terminal on the PowerPC Mac, or using Terminal in Linux (well except that I've challenged myself on the Intel PC to install AutoKey, and map Alt and Ctrl keys to where I expect Control and Command keys because I've used Macs for such a long time.)
PowerPC Mac: I am running Mac OS X 10.5.8 -- no challenge. No iTunes, no Apple store, no clouds, no Apple automagically taking money out of my iWallet.
Intel PC: I am running various distros of Linux which also run on PowerPC Macs. I gather this is the case because of the number of Linux/BSD threads in this forum. Windows is a non-starter, it stopped working, the constant downtime for intrusive updates, and in my opinion Microsoft software is garbage. Running Linux has it's advantages, but it can also be a challenge.
I wanted to look at covid numbers in a different way, so I wrote some bash scripts to download, massage the data into a more reasonable format, put it in a sqlite3 database, generate a report in HTML and upload it to a web site. This is all possible on the PowerPC Mac, there is very little difference between using Terminal on the PowerPC Mac, or using Terminal in Linux (well except that I've challenged myself on the Intel PC to install AutoKey, and map Alt and Ctrl keys to where I expect Control and Command keys because I've used Macs for such a long time.)
Ok, cool!I'm pretty much there already so I'm going to start from tomorrow (Saturday) morning when I get up
I will however be using Messages and Facetime on my MacBook Pro to keep in touch with my family, because of the special circumstances we find ourselves in. Otherwise, PPC only!
Cheers
Hugh
I'll have been at it a week on Sunday and I think I'll continue from there. I'll need to use my school-provided laptop for a few things and my MacBook for a few things as well, but otherwise, like you, PPC only!
That's really cool!
Yeah, I'm working from home, and simply can't accomplish some of my job tasks on PowerPC. And the tasks I can are just remote connecting to servers somewhere else - obviously doable on a Mac OS X system via ssh.
(And when I like to do these challenges, I like to use as old a system as possible, even more impossible-for-my-job.)
(And when I like to do these challenges, I like to use as old a system as possible, even more impossible-for-my-job.)
So…turns out my wife has decided to keep the under stairs space, which means this 17" PB sitting on my desk is going to be there a while unless I can figure out a better place to put it. But I hate that it's blocking my screens.
So a search for InsomniaX. Version 1.3.5 likes to KP my Mac, so I installed 0.3.5. And here we are.
It would seem that I can activate InsomniaX, close the lid, then deactivate and retain the screensharing. Long term this isn't going to work as it keeps the backlight on. I might see if I can track down an app that will shut off the screen but not the screensharing.
In any case, I can control the Mac with the lid closed now.
EDIT. Hmmmmmmm. Using Screen Sharing I brought the display brightness slider all the way down, which shut off the screen and backlight but I'm still getting the screensharing at full brightness. Cool!
So a search for InsomniaX. Version 1.3.5 likes to KP my Mac, so I installed 0.3.5. And here we are.
It would seem that I can activate InsomniaX, close the lid, then deactivate and retain the screensharing. Long term this isn't going to work as it keeps the backlight on. I might see if I can track down an app that will shut off the screen but not the screensharing.
In any case, I can control the Mac with the lid closed now.
EDIT. Hmmmmmmm. Using Screen Sharing I brought the display brightness slider all the way down, which shut off the screen and backlight but I'm still getting the screensharing at full brightness. Cool!
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Awfully difficult for me to use the software I'm required to use to work from home on PPC...
I'll continue using PPC Macs the same way I have the past several years-for legacy applications(although a lot of that has shifted to a Mac Pro running SL), for hardware tinkering, and just for the heck of it. That's not changing, other than hopefully having a bit more time to do tinkering than I normally would(although I have a lot of other projects I want to do too).
There's also the unfortunate fact that for one of my other hobbies-photography-there's no good way I know of to manipulate RAW files from my Nikon D500 or D800 in Lightroom 2(last PPC). I don't know if there's any program that can open files from cameras that new on PPC.
I'll continue using PPC Macs the same way I have the past several years-for legacy applications(although a lot of that has shifted to a Mac Pro running SL), for hardware tinkering, and just for the heck of it. That's not changing, other than hopefully having a bit more time to do tinkering than I normally would(although I have a lot of other projects I want to do too).
There's also the unfortunate fact that for one of my other hobbies-photography-there's no good way I know of to manipulate RAW files from my Nikon D500 or D800 in Lightroom 2(last PPC). I don't know if there's any program that can open files from cameras that new on PPC.
As I was reading I thought of the backlight trick
That's too bad that you didn't get that space.
Well, you could convert the RAW files to DNG format using Adobe's DNG Converter. That would require a newer Mac probably, but there are probably a few of us (me included) who need to use an Intel Mac to help their PPC Macs
Same as Bunnspecial. I'm usually up for one of these, but working from home and maintaining a vitally important public sector IT network can't be done from PPC. So I'm out.
Good luck all.
Good luck all.