[NTLK] Advice needed on what to keep for Newton

[Helmut Fischer]

> Am 09.02.2017 um 18:00 schrieb newtontalk-request at newtontalk.net:
> 
> My CURRENT operating computers are:
> iMac mid-2011 with Mac OS El Capitan
> MacBook Air mid-2011 with macOS Sierra
> iMac G5 ALS with Mac OS Leopard
> PowerBook G4 (15" 1.33GHz) with Mac OS Leopard
> 
> My retired computers are:
> iMac G4 (Flat Panel)
> iMac G3 Rev B (Bondi Blue)
> SuperMac C500 w/Sonnett G3 card
> PowerBook 145B
> Macintosh LC w/IIe Card
> Apple IIc w/ Applied Engineering Z-RAM Ultra III card.
> 
> So, which of the current units would be best to use with my MP2100? I'm
> leaning toward the PowerBook G4
> 

I would try the C500. It still has a serial/LocalTalk port and a floppy drive, and will probably run the classical software like NCU etc. On the other hand, the PCI slots allow for USB, FireWire and Ethernet ports, and IDE drives are easier to find than SCSI ones. You might even be able to install an early OS X version (have a look at LowEndMac). All this will make it easier to communicate with today’s world. I have a beige G3 Mac for exactly this purpose.

If it’s just for installing software on the MP2100, and you have either a working USB-serial adapter for the Mac or a working Ethernet card for the Newt, the G4 PowerBook should be a good choice (and uses less space than C500 plus keyboard, mouse and monitor).

As mentioned by Forrest in a previous answer to your question, 68k Macs work with Newts very nicely, in my case it is a SE/30 as well. So, the PB 145 should work. I’m not sure about the LC, maybe a 68030 processor is required. But IMO you should keep the LC anyway, especially with the IIe card!

Yours, Helmut