Hungry For Apples?

Last year, I figured out how to connect my 2010 MacBook Pro to a Newton. It was really cool, but when I tried to duplicate it on our shared 2014 Mac mini, it wouldn’t work. That fact, combined with the fact that my wonderful 2016 MacBook has no ports except a usb-c, made me think that connecting a Newton to it was not going to happen. The week I got the MacBook, I tried to connect them the way I had connected the MacBook Pro to a Newton and it did not work. It was impossible to tell where the problem was, as there are 4 adapters that might be the problem. Apparently, I figured out where the problem was, as the adapters I switched out resulted in the connection working!

Here’s a quick rewind to give credit where it’s due. I originally learned how to connect a modern Mac to a Newton with this 2013 article which was unbelievably helpful:   

http://mattgemmell.com/connecting-newton-devices-to-os-x/

The amazing piece of software he uses in this article can be found here:

http://newtonresearch.org/connection/

Ok, so now lets get to adapters: 

Usb-C to USB, HDMI, USB-C that I bought (in Rose Gold!) on Amazon

USB to Serial. I found this one by Cable Matters lying around my house (my husband probably bought it on Amazon-it is still for sale there) and it did require a driver. However, this one I’ve heard does not require a driver to work:

https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Converter-Adapter-Chipset-Compatible/dp/B00QUZY4WO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1489110757&sr=8-8&keywords=serial+to+usb

Serial to Newton. Had to buy this on Etsy. It was sold in the 90′s as the Newton Connection Cable for Windows.

My backup Newton 2000 that I spray painted Rose Gold...just because. I swear this looks better in person.

Here is the connection step by step:

Opened NCX icon on my MacBook

Went to the Extras screen on Newton, clicked on Dock icon.

Pressed Connect.

Voila!

The holiday season was pretty insane and I have not had a whole lot of time to write for a blog that I’m pretty sure I’m the only one reading-which is totally fine! I’m kind of writing it for myself anyway and if other people like it, it’s an added bonus.

So, first off, my last big post mentioned waiting for my new iPhone 7 to come. I got it and I love it. It doesn’t LOOK like a huge upgrade from the 6, but it is. I don’t care at all about the lack of headphone jack. It hasn't bothered me in the least. 

Sooo pretty...

My incomplete, but up to date collection of iPhones

So, being a collector, I had to have the rest of the rose gold collection. I couldn’t handle having a silver Apple Watch with a rose gold phone and I realized that my personal iPad Air was starting to move a little slow..So I set off to get the best deals possible on those 2 items.

I certainly could not afford to buy them new. I found an old model refurbished rose gold apple watch on newegg and got an amazing deal on it. I also found a kind of beat up refurbished rose gold iPad Pro on eBay with a single crack in one corner that I got for well under $400 and has become one of my favorite things in the world.

I wanted to start bargain hunting for a rose gold MacBook as well, but that will come later...

#rosegoldeverything with a couple old iPod minis thrown in

So after that, I figured Christmas was coming so I’d better slow down on the big purchases. I would only buy stuff if a really good deal fell into my lap, but, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I like to commemorate a new purchase with a good vintage purchase...

So I found my beloved Flower Power iMac. I’ve missed her so!!! She was worth every penny-which was way less than I planned on paying, thank goodness. And I have to say it did curb my collector cravings a little, as the loss of this iMac in a fire is what prompted me to start collecting in the first place. 

I wasn’t done yet, though...

I found this Macintosh 512k ‘as is’ on eBay for almost nothing. It worked when they sent it and worked the first time I turned it on, but after that-nothing...which is fine. I may try to repair it in the future. I still love seeing it on my shelf.

So, then I actually stopped for Christmas. I used my bargain-hunting talents for other people instead of myself and it felt great. And then it came time for presents for me...

My husband is a web developer and after we got married, we bought a Mac mini together that we planned on sharing. Turns out, it’s really hard to share a computer when 2 people use computers as much as we do. It’s also hard to share an iPad Pro, which was why it wasn’t that painful to buy a second iPad Pro since my husband was using the 12″ one for work mostly. The more my husband was getting into freelance work, the more our Mac mini was being moved into his home office and I brought back our obsolete 2009 MacBook Pro as my main computer. It was fine, but so slow. I joked to him that he should just buy me a new Rose Gold MacBook, then he wouldn’t have to feel bad that he kept stealing it out of the living room....

Husband of the year goes to....

#allpinkeverything / #rosegoldeverything redux <3 <3<3 soooooo pretty

My new set up that I looooooooove

For my last collection purchase of the year, I found the LAST Newton that I was looking for on Christmas Eve. And not only that, but it came with many accessories I’ve been missing-most importantly, the floppy disc of newton connection software. 

I was finally able to hook up a newton to my beloved color classic

So, this entry, I’d like to talk about wish lists-past and present. I recently crossed a big entry off of my Apple wish list, which was the Macintosh Color Classic-as seen on the far right above. 

When I started collecting, I didn’t really have a clear path in mind. I just kind of started to acquire things from friends. I wanted to replace my Flower Power G3 iMac, I wanted the Macintosh, I wanted the Newton and I wanted an original iPhone. Over time I learned, of course, that there were several different models of Newtons and Macintoshes among lots of other things I was interested in. I would buy things, cross them off the list and add new things. Ebay and the app Mactracker became my best friends and basically catalogs for what my next coveted piece would be. 

Macintosh Color Classic got to the top of my list in the early summer after I bought a Macintosh Plus (on the far left above) at an estate sale. I liked the design of it and I liked that it was the last of the small beige unibody Macs. Also on my list was the adjustable keyboard that went with the Color Classic. It separates in the same way that the iPad on screen keyboard separates. Apparently, the Color Classic was one of the first projects Jony Ive worked on. Later in the summer, I went into high gear, stalking eBay for one in decent condition. I bid on several only to get outbid until I found one with a Buy it Now that was slightly more expensive than I wanted, but it was within range of others that I had been outbid on. I got it, it worked, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with the awesome adjustable keyboard, so I found one of those on eBay a couple days later. That was a much easier and cheaper search!

Yay!

Here it is with my FDHD which works awesome and my glittery customized Macintosh Classic that is running El Capitan (only not really-I gutted it and made it into an iPad stand. It’s hooked up to my Macbook Pro using the Duet app).

So, now that I found my Color Classic, what am I looking for? I still want that G3 Flower Power. I’ve bought many iMac G3′s, but have still not been able to replace my beloved Flower Power that my parents handed down to one of my cousins and it burned in a house fire. I am trying to find a Power CD and a Quick Take 200. And there are a few new items I’m looking forward to...

I always like to pair a new Apple purchase with a vintage Apple purchase-which was one of the reasons I went crazy looking for the Color Classic. I’m pretty psyched for this phone to come next Friday! I really wanted to get the 7 Plus, but I’m having to unexpectedly buy a new car, so I went for the regular 7 instead. On that note, I have no problem with no headphone jack in exchange for water resistance. I would also like to replace my Macbook Pro which is from 2009 with a Rose Gold Macbook to match my new phone...

So, I’ve had this Tumblr account for a couple years, but I’ve never really used it for anything other than being an extension of my instagram account-which is mostly pictures of my 3 beloved dachshunds. 

Recently, I realized that a good way to use this account would be to document the wacky lengths I go to for my Apple Computer collection. So, here we go!

My first experiences with Apple computers were in later elementary school/Junior High-which would be in the late 80s/early 90s. Our computer labs were stocked with Apple IIe and Macintosh. The first Apple computer I owned was a Flower Power iMac that my parents bought me when I was going to school for fashion in 2001. That computer became my favorite thing in the world. After that, I was the proud owner of many iPods and then a Macbook in 2007. The thing that always amazed me about Apple products was their simplicity, but also their beauty. For pieces of technology, they were so functional, but they always looked good. Always sleek, never clunky for their time. The customer service at the Apple Store is always something I’m impressed with as well. I have never had a bad experience when I’ve had to bring items to the genius bar. 

A few years ago, my husband’s parents bought a new computer to replace their aging lamp iMac. I knew that there was no way I could let them get rid of it and begged my husband to get it back from them. Thus began the start of my collection. Friends started hearing about my interest in old apple products and started sending old iMacs and other computers my way. My mom started watching estate sales for me and I became completely hooked. I started buying all the products I used to see when I was younger, but couldn’t afford. eBay has become my best friend. I also picked up a knack for fixing up old devices and bringing them back to life. The ones I can’t fix up? I occasionally make craft projects with them.