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- commanderscott (41406)- Feedback left by buyer.More than a year agoVerified purchaseGreat communication. A pleasure to do business with.
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Reviews (2)
23 Aug, 2024
Well-made with lots of pockets. The "mid...
Well-made with lots of pockets. The "midnight blue" color is almost black.
04 Dec, 2014
A good choice for a portable, System 7 Mac.
There are only about three reasons why anyone would buy a vintage computer:
1) To use it to run vintage software
2) To use it as a source for spare parts
3) To collect (preserve) it
In my case, I bought a PowerBook 520 to use vintage software and (believe it or not) to create new software. There are very effective classic Mac emulators for modern Macs and other platforms, but they have limitations. If all you want to do is use vintage software, an emulator is actually a better choice overall. However, in my case, I'm interacting with the operating system and the hardware at a deeper level, so some of the things I need for my programs are missing from emulators. That's why I need the real thing.
If you have expertise with classic Macs, then you may already have a sense of what you're getting yourself into by buying one. If you've never used a classic Mac before, then be prepared for a steep learning curve. Computers were never as easy-to-use as the consumer computer industry led you to believe, and older computers are even less straightforward. Macs are among the best computers ever made for non-technical users, but the early generations of these computers are riddled with idiosyncrasies and limitations.
To master the fine art of operating old computers you'll have to put in a fair amount of effort to learn about them, and you may also have to invest a fair amount of money in replacement components, upgrades, and peripherals. Nearly all vintage hardware and software is substantially cheaper than it was when it was first sold, but it can be hard to find certain items and documentation isn't always available. The only technical support that remains for vintage computers, for the most part, are (online) communities of users and collectors.
Among the vast array of vintage Macs, I chose to purchase a PowerBook 520 for the following reasons:
• I wanted a PowerBook, rather than a desktop, because they take up less space. I can easily pick up a laptop and move it somewhere else. Desktop computers don't get moved around.
• I specifically wanted a Mac that was made during the System 7 era so I can run System 7 apps in a completely native environment.
• I wanted a pre-PowerPC Mac, and the 520 is near the high end of the first generation of PowerBooks.
• I actually wanted a greyscale, rather than color, display. During my childhood, monochrome monitors were prevalent, so greyscale is a pleasant throwback for me.
If I could have found a PowerBook 540 for the same price (which is very hard to do), I would have bought one of those instead. The 540 has a 6-bit active-matrix display, whereas the 520 only has a 4-bit passive display.
Other than that, the 520 is a good choice for a pre-PPC Mac. The earlier PowerBooks are not only slower but they also use a trackball instead of a trackpad. Full-size trackballs (especially the old 4-button Kensingtons) are my favorite pointing device, but mini trackballs are a bit tiresome.
I chose to give this computer a low size/weight rating just because first-generation PowerBooks are relatively heavy, as compared to later generations. Especially with batteries installed, this thing is an expensive, high-tech brick. Realistically, it fits the 'portable' category better than the 'laptop' category.