emulatorII-list

Just to add a bit to Robs post on the Mac side:

--- In emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com, "Jeremy Campbell" <captainjc@...> wrote:
>
> 3) Has anyone succeeded in getting one of these old Macs on the
> internet? Is ethernet even an option for them or would it have to be dial up?

Yes, old Macs can be networked. You will want one that supports an ethernet interface either onboard or via an add-on NuBus or PCI card. 

You will also want a fast enough Mac (68030 or faster) with enough display horsepower to surf web pages and enough CPU to comfortably run a modern enough System version (say 7.5 or later) so the lack of built-in networking support doesnt drive you insane.

The real question though is do you -need- a legacy Mac that is internet enabled if you already have a modern PC or Mac that is...? The answer to that is no.
 
> 4) How much drive space do you need to hold say a 500 disk EII 
> library? Is it possible to replace these old Mac drives? I'd imagine a 15-20 year old HD has to be pretty prone to failure.

PS: Yes you can replace the old drives. Unfortunately, finding new small capacity SCSI drives is difficult, so replacements are usually just -another- old drive.

Each E-II bank is roughly 512k. In addition to a standard CD-Rom drive, most old Macs can utilize a removable cartridge SCSI drive (ie: zip/jaz = 100-250mb/1-2gb) for storage and system backups. Further, a fast enough Mac with system 7.5 or later will let you employ a SCSI CD recorder (700mb).

> 5) How much of a factor is ram for performance? I'd like to get 
> something compact/all-in-one, like a Color Classic or a Powerbook, 
> but the ram configs I'm seeing for those in the compatibility list 
> all seem much lower.

Most of the systems in the group database are only concerned with interfacing with the E-II and running Sound Designer well. To satisfy those requirements, big ram and a modern OS isnt a concern. However, if we are talking about a 68030 system or better that you can network, browse the net, as well as burn CDs; then I would want at least 32mb, with 64mb being optimum if you can swing it. In the end its a computer, so more ram = better performance depending on how much work you are asking it to do.

For much more detailed info on the Mac side of things, check the Mac Related folder in the group links section. The best place to ask these legacy Mac questions is here: http://68kmla.net/forums/