Hi I'm Don. I went and posted my first "Arrgh help!" thread today and realized that I never bothered to introduce myself!
I live in the US, New Jersey to be specific. The southern part - think Philadelphia, not New York (no one except the tax man knows that we're down here, it's great). I'm an IT guy by trade, like I'm sure many of you are (more on the data center/infrastructure side, I'm not a programmer though I do boss them around).
My first computer was an Atari 800XL that I saved up for (okay, I was REALLY saving up for a C64 but got impatient), followed by a C128 that was given to me after all my friends stopped playing with computers and started playing with consoles. Once I started in IT in the mid-90s, Apple computers were things to scoff at and replace with computers for people who want to get paid for their work (which is ironic, because I did 3 and a half years in college to become a Graphic Designer before I dropped out and got into IT).
I bought my first Mac in 2002, a PowerBook, and fell in love. Aside from a brief spell in the late 2010s when Apple stopped being interesting, we've been Apple zombies at home (while Microsoft pays my bills).
I've always been a person who loved nostalgia. Early in 2020 my brother convinced me to get a MiSTer. I've always been more of a mechanic than a driver, and found myself spending time watching YouTubes on how to get the classic cores running. I realized I was more interested in the hardware than the software, and bought myself an Atari 800XL. And then a C64. And then a C64c. And then an Amiga 600 (I ALWAYS wanted an Amiga - I didn't know ANYONE who had them). Naturally with old computers comes learning to solder, learning about capacitors, learning about upgrades and cool ways to add modern stuff to old computers... I've been hooked ever since (I also spent a ton of time messing with handheld consoles). I find restoring old computers to be enormously relaxing and satisfying.
This summer I turned my sights to Apple after finally reading the Steve Jobs biography. Turns out that company DID do stuff before the iPod and it wasn't all confusing garbage! Lately, I'm learning Apple II and classic Macintosh.
My current interest/goal is to not only learn how to use these systems and experience them, but to obtain specimens of unique and transitional/important models throughout time (or close approximations). I troll Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for items, and sometimes end up with a backup (like now) because I found a deal I couldn't resist. At the moment I'm installing a BlueSCSI in a Classic Macintosh II, though I'll be picking up an SE/30 later this week (my original target). I have a broken IIc, as well as a working one, and a IIGS that I've barely scratched the surface with. I also kind of picked up a G3 iMac Indigo a couple of days ago (it powers on, I'm leaving it alone for now). My plan is to chill and work with what I have for a while - but at some point in 2022 I hope to obtain a Color Classic, and maybe even a Macintosh TV (I love all-in-ones). Space is at a premium but I think I'll HAVE to obtain an Apple IIe at some point as well.
I'm less than an hour from VCF East events, and of course I missed BOTH in 2021 due to family conflicts. I hope to make it to the planned April event and meet some of you.
I live in the US, New Jersey to be specific. The southern part - think Philadelphia, not New York (no one except the tax man knows that we're down here, it's great). I'm an IT guy by trade, like I'm sure many of you are (more on the data center/infrastructure side, I'm not a programmer though I do boss them around).
My first computer was an Atari 800XL that I saved up for (okay, I was REALLY saving up for a C64 but got impatient), followed by a C128 that was given to me after all my friends stopped playing with computers and started playing with consoles. Once I started in IT in the mid-90s, Apple computers were things to scoff at and replace with computers for people who want to get paid for their work (which is ironic, because I did 3 and a half years in college to become a Graphic Designer before I dropped out and got into IT).
I bought my first Mac in 2002, a PowerBook, and fell in love. Aside from a brief spell in the late 2010s when Apple stopped being interesting, we've been Apple zombies at home (while Microsoft pays my bills).
I've always been a person who loved nostalgia. Early in 2020 my brother convinced me to get a MiSTer. I've always been more of a mechanic than a driver, and found myself spending time watching YouTubes on how to get the classic cores running. I realized I was more interested in the hardware than the software, and bought myself an Atari 800XL. And then a C64. And then a C64c. And then an Amiga 600 (I ALWAYS wanted an Amiga - I didn't know ANYONE who had them). Naturally with old computers comes learning to solder, learning about capacitors, learning about upgrades and cool ways to add modern stuff to old computers... I've been hooked ever since (I also spent a ton of time messing with handheld consoles). I find restoring old computers to be enormously relaxing and satisfying.
This summer I turned my sights to Apple after finally reading the Steve Jobs biography. Turns out that company DID do stuff before the iPod and it wasn't all confusing garbage! Lately, I'm learning Apple II and classic Macintosh.
My current interest/goal is to not only learn how to use these systems and experience them, but to obtain specimens of unique and transitional/important models throughout time (or close approximations). I troll Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for items, and sometimes end up with a backup (like now) because I found a deal I couldn't resist. At the moment I'm installing a BlueSCSI in a Classic Macintosh II, though I'll be picking up an SE/30 later this week (my original target). I have a broken IIc, as well as a working one, and a IIGS that I've barely scratched the surface with. I also kind of picked up a G3 iMac Indigo a couple of days ago (it powers on, I'm leaving it alone for now). My plan is to chill and work with what I have for a while - but at some point in 2022 I hope to obtain a Color Classic, and maybe even a Macintosh TV (I love all-in-ones). Space is at a premium but I think I'll HAVE to obtain an Apple IIe at some point as well.
I'm less than an hour from VCF East events, and of course I missed BOTH in 2021 due to family conflicts. I hope to make it to the planned April event and meet some of you.
