[SweetAmber32]

My father just bought me a used Powerbook 180c (from a thrift store). It is in excellent condition. But I've never used any Apple products, so I'm at a loss. Well not completly at a loss as I understand the basics. So here is my "basic" knowledge of what I need... It has a floppy drive but no CD drive. I have an external CD-RW drive by TDK, that be used, if it can. How do I set it up as it came from a yard sale with no box or instructions? Also, I'd like to add memory- what kind, how much can the 180c take, and how do I install it ( there are no MAC experts nearby, as I live in a small town). I'd also like to up date the system to one that the 180c can take, I see that Leopard is the new one? Sorry I sound like an idiot, but I've only ever used desktop PC's, like my emachine and they always came with the above mentioned already attached. Any advice is appreciated.

[albloom]

You have a major dinosaur, of 1993 vintage.

The 180c came with OS 7.1, and the latest it can use
is of the 7.6.1 persuasion. Don't even think OSX.

To hook up a CD-ROM drive, you'd need to find one that
uses SCSI (Small Computer System Interface). The 180c is
way before USB or firewire. And you'd need to get an adapter
to connect the SCSI cable to the HDMI port (little square
thing) on the back of the PB. These days you're likely to
get a drive with a SCSI-2 plug. You'd then need to get an
adapter to go from the SCSI-2 plug (small) to the SCSI-1
port (large) on the HDMI adapter.

I went through this exercise when Leslye unearthed a
shoebox-full of 3.5" magneto-optical discs containing
treasures she couldn't bear to lose. Fortunately we have
a PowerBook G3 running OS9, so a device driver wasn't an
issue. In the case of OS7, you'd need a driver for that
CD-ROM device: LaCie's SilverLining is my choice.

Then you get to find software for OS7.

I don't recommend this for a newbie, but if you're
feeling adventurous, give it a try.

Hope this helps.

[SweetAmber32]

Thanks for the help Albloom. Another question if you don't mind. As my desktop is an emachine with Windows XP, is it possible, to download the the MAC system 7.6.1 onto my desktop, or actually into a floppy drive onto a floppy disk to download onto the PB? I'd also want to mainly use my PB to use for my Genealogy. I have a program on CD I just bought, can the program be put on floppy to download onto the PB? I always had computers with that use CD'. I only used floppys in high school and when I first went to college and that was only to download work onto a floppy disk, so I'm unfamiliar with having to add drives, and adding this cord to make that work, etc. And I most definitley never used any Apple computers. So major dinosaur or not, if I can I at least some of the things I"ll need, I'll be good to go. But hopfully the PB will wait to go extinct till a newer laptop can be gotten. Again thanks for the help.

[albloom]

What software is on the PB now? What is the system version?

What is the name and version number and OS requirements of
the genealogy software. You probably can't put the CD-ROM onto floppy.

Try Low-End Mac for good information on oldies but goodies:

http://lowendmac.com/macos.shtml

I'm often wrong, but I don't believe you can get 7.6.1 except as
an update to 7.6, which doesn't seem available.

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
What about http://download.info.apple.com/AppleSupportArea/AppleSoftwareUpdates/English-NorthAmerican/Macintosh/System/OlderSystem/ ?

[SweetAmber32]

Oh, right. My brain is working better right now. My genealogy software is incompatible with MAC'. I'll look online to see if there is any programs that are compatible. My MAC system is 7.1. The software that is on there is, like Microsoft Works, is probably before 1994, as that is when this computer was last used, according to a log. It belonged to somebody that dealt in insurance. THanks for the help. I'll get this PB to work for me someway.

[SweetAmber32]

Thanks MacCheetah. I'll have a look.