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conorkirkpatrick

Q: Powerbook 520c Screen problem.

Hi, I am turning an old Powerbook 520c into a digital picture frame.

The screen has a problem where the bottom half is still visible, but covered in verticle RGB lines. They go BGR, BGR, BGR, BGR, etc.

Heres a picture: http://conorkirkpatrick.com/images/macos8.JPG

I have another fully working PB520c that I can scrap for parts.

Another question: What was the earliest version of Mac OS that came with Speakable items and will this computer run it? A voice activated picture frame sounds cool :P

Powerbook 520C, Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier, Screen issues

Posted on Jun 24, 2008 11:10 PM

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Q: Powerbook 520c Screen problem.

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  • by conorkirkpatrick,

    conorkirkpatrick conorkirkpatrick Jun 24, 2008 11:57 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
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    Jun 24, 2008 11:57 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Yay! I fixed the screen problem.

    I just swapped the screens.

    I am still wondering about speakable items though. I can't find it in 8.
  • by Jan Hedlund,Helpful

    Jan Hedlund Jan Hedlund Jun 25, 2008 1:26 AM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Level 6 (9,901 points)
    Jun 25, 2008 1:26 AM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Hi,

    This article may be of interest to you. I do not know whether speech recognition can be made to work with the PB 520c, though (or if a Power Macintosh model is needed).

    If necessary, System 7.5.3 (e.g., the North American English version here) is available for download from Apple.

    Jan
  • by conorkirkpatrick,

    conorkirkpatrick conorkirkpatrick Jun 25, 2008 3:15 PM in response to Jan Hedlund
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    Jun 25, 2008 3:15 PM in response to Jan Hedlund
    Thank you, I Read on that article that some 68k macs (Which I am guessing the 520c is) support speakable items.

    This laptop is running Mac OS 8.1, would I receive any benefits from downgrading?
  • by conorkirkpatrick,

    conorkirkpatrick conorkirkpatrick Jun 25, 2008 3:25 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
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    Jun 25, 2008 3:25 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Also, can the 520c read High Density floppy disks? I have a Macbook pro and a floppy drive that only reads high density.


    Another question (again ): are there any options for remotely controlling this mac? like a VNC type thing? I have an Ethernet adapter.
  • by Jan Hedlund,Helpful

    Jan Hedlund Jan Hedlund Jun 25, 2008 3:59 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Level 6 (9,901 points)
    Jun 25, 2008 3:59 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Hello again,

    68k macs (Which I am guessing the 520c is)


    Yes, the PowerBook 520c has a 68LC040 processor.

    This laptop is running Mac OS 8.1, would I receive any benefits from downgrading?


    Not really (apart from the fact that System 7.5.3 may use less memory). In any case you will have to check whether it is at all possible to (install and) use speech recognition software with the computer in question. Begin with the Installer (Custom Install); do you see any suitable options?

    Jan
  • by Jan Hedlund,

    Jan Hedlund Jan Hedlund Jun 25, 2008 4:24 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Level 6 (9,901 points)
    Jun 25, 2008 4:24 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    can the 520c read High Density floppy disks?


    Yes, both 1.44 MB (HD) and 800K (DSDD/2DD) Mac-formatted floppies can be used in the PowerBook 520c. The computer can also handle 1.44 MB (HD) and 720K (DSDD/2DD) PC-formatted disks, providing that a PC Exchange control panel is installed and active.

    are there any options for remotely controlling this mac? like a VNC


    If I remember correctly, there was an old VNC client (but not a server) available for 68k Macs. An appropriate early version of the commercial Timbuktu software could possibly be an alternative (but it may not interact properly with modern versions).

    I have an Ethernet adapter.


    It is possible to use file sharing (via TCP/IP) between a newer Mac and the PB 520c.

    Jan
  • by conorkirkpatrick,

    conorkirkpatrick conorkirkpatrick Jun 26, 2008 12:36 PM in response to Jan Hedlund
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    Jun 26, 2008 12:36 PM in response to Jan Hedlund
    That brings me to my next problem (Never stops! :D)

    I don't have any of the original install cd's, but I know (based on a link you posted) that you can download system 7.5.3 from Apple. It comes in 17 parts, so do I need 17 floppies? And is it possible to make the install disk from the SMI image on my MBP running Leopard?

    I have a USB floppy for it that reads 1.44Mb disks.
  • by Jan Hedlund,

    Jan Hedlund Jan Hedlund Jun 26, 2008 4:33 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    Level 6 (9,901 points)
    Jun 26, 2008 4:33 PM in response to conorkirkpatrick
    you can download system 7.5.3 from Apple. It comes in 17 parts, so do I need 17 floppies?


    The North American English download (link above) consists of nineteen files. The same is true for the British English version (here). Twenty files for the International English version (here).

    French and German versions come as seventeen files. However, speech recognition is probably limited to English. In dubio, try the North American English system software first.

    Each downloadable file is small enough to (just) fit onto a 1.44 MB diskette. Please note that you are supposed to transfer the files to the hard disk of the PowerBook 520c. You could use separate floppies, or erase one disk over and over again.

    Some reports seem to indicate that less space than normal could be available on disks originating from USB floppy drives connected to Mac OS X computers. If this is a real problem, you could alternatively use a PC for the download (and PC-formatted floppies for the transfers). In this case it is important not to decode the MacBinary (.bin) until on the PB 520c.

    Use StuffIt Expander to decode the .bin (on the PB 520c). Place ALL the decoded files (one .smi and eighteen .part for the North American English download) in one common folder. Please note that the hard disk has to be formatted HFS (Standard) for System 7.5.3, not HFS+ (Extended).

    It is wise to have a startup floppy (the Network Access Disk 7.5 here). You can create this disk in Disk Copy 4.2 (the Make A Copy button) on the PB 520c before installing a new system.

    Start from the Network Access floppy. Double-click on the first (.smi) file to mount the total disk image. The installer will be found in the mounted image. See steps 7 and 8 in this document for information about how to perform a clean installation (it is not necessary to update to 7.5.5). Neither Disk Copy nor any other disk image utility is used with the System 7.5.3 files.

    Jan